Confirmation is a step in
a lifelong faith journey -- an important step, but still
a step. That's the perspective of several youth ministers
guiding juniors in high school through the decision to
become confirmed.
"Confirmation is not something done to a child, it's
a lifetime journey. It's a way of life," said Barb
Gawlik, a director of youth ministry for nearly 10 years.
"Parents choose for (youth) at baptism. Youth choose
at confirmation," she noted.
Youth may be confirmed at age 16 in this archdiocese.
It's a time in their lives when kids have pressures from
society, schools and extracurricular activities, as well
as work and family demands. Some youths also have issues
with the church.
Those are probably part of the reasons the archdiocese
shows declining figures of youth being confirmed. But
there are other reasons as well — some not as clear. In
the most recent annual report available from the archdiocese
from 2001 (based on the 2001 status annimarum), there
were 8,768 baptisms that year and 5,106 confirmations.
(The 2001 annual report also showed 384 adults were baptized,
995 were confirmed and 754 were received into the faith
— receiving confirmation and first Eucharist.)
A look at figures from the archdiocesan Chancery office
of individual parishes indicates the general trend in
confirmations of youth baptized in 1985 and then confirmed
in 2001.
Numbers show
declining confirmations
Following are the number of infants baptized at each parish
in 1985, and then the numbers of those 16 year olds from
the same parish confirmed in 2001. The largest parish
(in both individuals and families) in the archdiocese,
Holy Family Parish of Fond du Lac had 317 infant baptisms
that year and 107 youth confirmations 16 years later in
2001; St. Matthias, the largest parish in the diocese
as far as family units, had 127 infants baptized in 1985
and 46 youth confirmed in 2001; St. Mary Parish, Hales
Corners, the second largest parish as far as individual
units in the archdiocese, had 110 infants baptized in
1985 and 88 confirmations in 2001. During those same years,
St. William Parish, Waukesha, had 58 infants baptized
and 70 youths confirmed; St. Pius X had 55 infants baptized
and 12 > youths confirmed, Christ King had 88 infants
baptized and 45 youth confirmed, St. Bernard had 76 infants
baptized and 12 youth confirmed, and St. Agnes Butler
had 76 infants baptized and 23 youth confirmed.
Robert Melcher, associate director for parish planning
and collaboration for the archdiocese, quoted figures
from "The Official Catholic Directory." Those
statistics show that baptisms from 1975 to 1984 compared
to confirmations 16 years later were roughly twice the
number of confirmations. For example, in 1984 there were
12,301 baptisms; 16 years later in 2000 there were 6,339
confirmations. In 1975, there were 12,444 baptisms, and
in 1991 6,140 confirmations.
However, Melcher pointed out there are "two factors
which confound direct comparison" (between the number
of baptisms and confirmations 16 years later). "One
is mobility in the 10-county archdiocese." Over a
10 year period, he said the average mobility was 62.4
percent. The other he said is the "rising number
of Hispanic people coming into the archdiocese. Many Hispanics
may not have been baptized shortly after birth if there
were few priests to serve their small town," he noted.
Mobility is
a factor in decline
Laurie Kish is director of youth ministry for the Milwaukee
Archdiocese. When asked why she thought numbers of confirmations
were declining, Kish also cited mobility, as well as such
things as divorce issues affecting a child's faith. "Our
climate is such that kids have more of a choice. Kids
tend to engage more in critical thinking than in the past,"
she said. But "the community and their parents have
the responsibility to confirm (youth) into a church where
they feel they belong."
Just because youth don't decide to be confirmed doesn't
negate the Holy Spirit working in their lives, she stressed.
"It just may be they're on their faith journey."
From Kish's viewpoint, the archdiocese wants to make sure
the confirmation process helps young people deepen their
faith. "If it's solely about all the hoops you have
to jump through, and devoid of meaning we need to take
a look at that," she said.
Several people working as directors of youth ministry
including Gawlik described how they are trying to engage
kids in the confirmation process.
Gawlik initiated a confirmation program during the nine
years she spent as director of youth ministries at St.
Joseph Parish, Big Bend.
Since last August, she has been director of youth ministries
at St. William Parish, Waukesha, where she is now working
with about 78 youth, who will be confirmed in June.
Many return
later in life
"I don't believe we are losing faith-filled children
because we're not having as many kids confirmed. The age
after confirmation is known as searching faith. Some people
choose to wait and be confirmed at an older age. Most
young people return when their faith starts to play an
important part of their life such as baptisms of their
own children," said Gawlik.
"Why do some youth choose to do this, others not?"
she asked. "All kids are different."
Joe Finn, Sr., said his son Joe, Jr. is one of the juniors
in high school going through the confirmation sessions,
but won't receive the sacrament at St. William. Finn,
an adult confirmation leader at St. William said, "We
(he and his wife) wanted him to do it. But it was made
clear by Gawlik's predecessor that it was the kid's choice.
Some of it has to do with a teen-ager thing.... OK, I'm
going to call the shots," he said of his son's decision.
"I had a long talk with him. He believes in God.
He has some confusion with the Trinity. He's a very methodical
thinker. I told him it's your choice. But we wanted him
to go through the sessions. I think he's not ready for
it. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but someday
I think he'll come back to (confirmation). But it will
be his choice."
Lydia Erdmann-White, another youth at St. William, said
she had some qualms about committing to the church, but
now is thoroughly immersed in the confirmation sessions.
"At first I had a little bit of conflict with the
church for women not being priests. But my faith outweighed
that," she said in a recent phone interview. A junior
at Catholic Memorial High School, Waukesha, she said talking
to teachers at her high school helped her vent her feelings.
Especially inspiring to her was a religion teacher, Mike
Donahou. "I had plenty of conversations with him,"
she said. Now she is so excited about being confirmed
she is organizing one of the spirit nights the confirmation
group will have -- a night in which they'll pray and talk
about "the possibilities of what you can do after
you're confirmed."
Parents, youth
must be equally committed
According to Gawlik, parents and youth must be equally
committed to the process. "It is a large commitment
and< parents must be on the journey and model their faith
or a child might not follow through, " she said.
She said parish programs for confirmation include community,
worship, service and the message of God's love and a life
of Christian discipleship.
From Gawlik's experience at St. Joseph Parish, the confirmation
program built upon itself. It didn't start confirmation
year. It started at baptism. In junior and senior high
school religious programs, they learn the basics that
will help them make a decision about confirmation, she
said.
So her youth program at St. Joseph included choices for
kids on when they could study lives of the saints, explore
the Bible, Jesus' Resurrection and topics including social
justice.
Gawlik and another director of youth ministry, Barb Abler
of the Tosa Trio of Parishes, Christ King, St. Bernard
and Pius X, says it is important to have the right people
working with the youth.
"They need to be faith-filled, spirit-led people
so they can light a fire in these kids," noted Gawlik.
For example, Gawlik recalled at St. Joseph where the confirmation
classes discussed the topic of a "faith-filled"
person in their life, a person in whom the Holy Spirit
was truly alive. "Most of the names kids gave were
names of the confirmation team. It was affirming to the
team but it was also what you have to have — people on
fire with the spirit."
Leaders must
be good listeners
Gawlik looks for confirmation leaders who are good listeners
— those who will listen to youth and guide them.
"Other qualities for confirmation leaders are: commitment
— they're always there (for the kids), patience — sometimes
you have to let youth talk a topic through, and finally
leaders have to be comfortable with who they are spiritually
— then sharing it is natural," she said.
Above all, the confirmation retreat can be the "most
valuable experience for youth," Gawlik said. "The
retreat, she tells them "is about you — 100 percent
who you are in a relationship with God.
"We have to make God's love tangible to a teen-ager
and relate it to their life. Besides talking about how
God's love is unconditional, I always bring it back to
... if something bad happens to you (such as an accident)
do you know in your mind your parents will be there for
you? That's unconditional love. I tell them God's love
is greater than that."
Service, another component of confirmation, is so important
at St. William that it's in every aspect of the community
from kindergarten on. At the parish, the confirmation
groups of eight to nine youths meet in peoples' homes
and decide on one group service project, as well as an
individual project. In August, each youth receives a book
of all the service opportunities available.
"Society doesn't put faith on the top of the rung,"
said Gawlik. "Some kids say 'none of my friends are
doing this.' It's a fact we don't talk about our faith.
Kids don't feel they can openly discuss it with any of
their friends who are not in religious education programs.
In their confirmation year, we have to say this is a priority."
Sitting in her office at St. Pius X Parish, one of the
three parishes for which she serves as youth minister,
Abler pulls out an attractive student binder with a red
and white sketch of the Holy Spirit (dove) on the cover.
The binder has a quote:
"Accept me where I'm at. But please don't leave me
there." That's the challenge Abler faces with her
staff of confirmation leaders in working with candidates.
For the past five years, the Tosa Trio Youth ministry
have collaborated ministering to youth. This year Abler
expects about 100 youth to be confirmed; about 25 of those
students are from St. Pius X, 30 from St. Bernard, and
45 from Christ King.
"Typically three to five youth opt not to do it after
participating on some level from sketchy attendance (at
confirmation sessions) to making a retreat," she
said.
Sometimes kids go all the way through the program, but
then in the interview with their pastor or a priest share
concerns about why they don't want to be confirmed, she
said. Abler cites one of those issues as the role of women
in the church, sometimes it's pressure from parents.
Sessions stress
building relationships
A youth volunteer in the church for many years, with two
grown children of her own, Abler has been director of
youth ministry for the three parishes for three years.
"You try to find the right textbook that will almost
work magic," she said of attempts to engage teens,
who can be apathetic, eyes rolling during confirmation
sessions.
"You realize it's building relationships — that's
why we have small groups."
An adult leader, senior leader and high school student
meet about twice a month, with about 10 confirmation candidates
at Christ King Parish Center.
Besides the retreat and service projects, Abler cited
special youth activities. One is an intergenerational
dinner where 12 adult parishioners, "real pillars
of the church," from all three parishes gather with
the candidates in two sessions to talk and share a meal.
"They share with the kids how they moved from being
someone who sits in the pew to one who moves in the life
of their parish," said Abler. At an age when kids
may challenge their parents, it gives them somebody who's
stuck with their faith for 30 to 40 years, she added.
"The teens do want to hear what people their own
age have to say, but they also want that sense of security
that comes with adults."
Abler, who at one time belonged to a Catholic church in
Florida had been impressed how youth there were the lectors,
ushers, hospitality ministers and cantors at one Mass
each Sunday. She implemented that into the youth's confirmation
program. Each of the parishes incorporated it somewhat
differently. For example, at St. Pius X youth are ministers
of hospitality twice a month. At Christ King, the youth
share liturgical roles with older people in the parish.
St. Bernard also includes teens with "veteran ministers"
at Masses. In all cases, older people are their mentors.
This year Abler took a more difficult step and opened
up part of the parishes' Renew discussions "Healing
the Body of Christ" to high school youth.
"One of the reasons we wanted to do this was we wanted
to know what were their issues with the abuse (priest)
cases," she said. "Some kids (in public schools)
shared they were teased about it," she said. Like
many adults, some mentioned feeling shock and disbelief.
Since time has passed since the crisis first arose, some
youth expressed "a sense of relief issues aren't
being covered up, there seemed to be a sense it's not
(all priests), and that it may be blown up by the media.
"If the whole church is going to heal we all need
to be part of the healing process," said Abler of
her decision to discuss the crisis with future leaders
of the church.
According to Kish, with confirmation, the faith community
has a responsibility to see what they are doing to connect
with those 16 and 17 years old who have decided to become
confirmed. "That's where I get on the bandwagon,"
she said. "Otherwise, we're confirming them into
nothing. We need to invite them into something they can
be a part of." |
