THE DIOCESE OF GLOUCESTER
CONFIRMATIONS
Notes from the bishops
for the guidance of parish clergy
and school chaplains
MARCH 2010
There is a diverse pattern for the administration of Confirmation in the Diocese.
There are Diocesan Confirmations, usually held in the Cathedral or in Tewkesbury Abbey, to which candidates are welcome from any parish or school in the diocese. These are “pilgrimage liturgies”, moving around the building. They are usually held on a Saturday afternoon. There is a limit to the number of candidates and early application is advised when possible. Clergy should write initially to the Bishop’s Chaplain.
There are Deanery Confirmations, where a Deanery has so decided, and these are held in one of the larger churches of the Deanery. They are intended to be occasions for the whole deanery and a major event in the Deanery calendar. Clergy should write initially to the Rural Dean.
There are Parish, Team and Benefice Confirmations where a parish has requested one. Candidates from other parishes may be brought to these. Clergy from other parishes wishing to present candidates at such a Confirmation should write initially to the priest of the benefice where the Confirmation is to be held.
There are Confirmations in School Chapels.
The printing of the annual list means that these dates are now firm and entered into the bishops’ diaries.
Any parish priest who wishes to arrange a confirmation which is not on the current list may apply to the Bishop’s Office to see whether this may be possible.
PREPARING FOR THE SERVICE
The rite to be used is that from Common Worship: Initiation Services; to be found on the Diocesan Website in the Confirmation section (please note that there are two options; for Confirmation with or without Baptisms).
Three or four weeks beforehand, the appropriate bishop will be in touch with the priest of the church or chaplain of the school about the details of the service, including the readings. Unless the bishop makes a particular request, the choice of hymns rests with the priest or chaplain concerned. The bishop taking the service will also send a blue form headed “Confirmation Service – Details” which should be completed and returned to him at least two weeks before the service.
A list of the candidates being presented for confirmation should be sent by their parish priest or school chaplain to the bishop, with a brief biography (three or four sentences) and outline of each candidate’s spiritual journey. This is most helpful in the bishop’s preparation for the service.
The norm is a Service of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. It is important that written evidence is obtained of each candidate’s baptism.If a candidate for confirmation has not been previously baptised, it is desirable that their baptism should be part of the Service of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, rather than it be celebrated on some earlier occasion. Even when there are no candidates for baptism, it is desirable for the renewal of vows by the confirmation candidates to be at the font.
It is desirable that the full text of the service is provided for the whole congregation in a single booklet form. Responsibility for this rests with the priest of the host church in consultation with the area dean if appropriate. A draft order of service should be sent at least two weeks in advance to the bishop for his approval. Model formsare available electronically from the Bishop’s Office, and on the diocesan website.
At an ecumenical confirmation, please ensure that you make clear to the bishop whether he is expected to preach.
It would be helpful if a parking space for the bishop’s car could be reserved as near to the church entrance as possible.
The baptism register, when necessary, and all confirmation registers, together with the confirmation return forms, duly completed, and the service register of the church or school chapel in which the confirmation is being held should be ready for the bishop to sign before the service.
If there is to be a procession to the font for the renewal of vows, the font should be uncovered and filled with water. A branch of rosemary or a similar branch should be provided for the bishop to sprinkle the candidates with baptismal water, unless they are instead to dip their hands into the font and trace the sign of the cross on themselves.
A chaplain to assist the bishop is helpful at a confirmation, and the diocesan bishop will inform you if he is bringing his own chaplain with him. Suffragan and retired bishops do not have their own chaplain so please choose somebody suitable, who may be ordained or lay, female or male. The chaplain should normally be robed in cassock and surplice or cassock-alb, and should not have any other duties in the service. The notes below may be a help to the person you nominate.
NOTES ON THE SERVICE
The liturgical colour is normally red, unless the bishop directs otherwise. He may ask for the liturgical colour to reflect the season in which the Confirmation is set. He will wear cope or eucharistic vestments and mitre unless otherwise requested.
The service should reflect the mood of the season in which it is set. In particular material in Initiation Services for Epiphany, the Baptism of Christ, Easter, Pentecost, Trinity and All Saints should be incorporated at the appropriate seasons.
The collect and readings should usually be those of the day on Sundays (except in Ordinary Time) and on holy days. On other weekdays and on Sundays in Ordinary Time the collect and readings more directly follow the initiation themes. The Bishop chooses the readings and will inform the church in good time what they are to be.
The candidates may be seated either as a group at the front of the congregation or with their families (preferably on the end of the row). It is helpful for the bishop to be told before the service begins exactly where the candidates are sitting.
Candidates may each have a sponsor, though this is not required. The sponsor may sit with the candidate, may present the candidate to the Bishop and the congregation, and may stand with the candidate as he or she is confirmed, placing a hand on the candidate’s shoulder.
Clergy presenting candidates may either sit with them or, if robed and seated elsewhere, join them at the point where confirmation is administered.
The priest of the church in which the confirmation is being held, or the chaplain if it is a school confirmation, should give out any notices (preferably before the service and as briefly as possible), announce hymns, prepare the holy table, receive the offerings and supervise the ablutions.
It is appropriate for candidates to read the scripture readings (and the intercession prayers where these are included) and to bring the elements to the holy table as an expression of their incorporation into the worshipping community. Those who are to read need to be confident and well rehearsed.
The rubrics require that the candidates be presented to the Bishop and to the congregation after the Sermon. This may be done by the clergy presenting the candidates or individually by sponsors. As the candidates are presented they come to form a semi-circle around the bishop.
The bishop will welcome brief testimonies by some of the candidates, but how this is to be done and by whom should be discussed with the bishop before the service.
Bishop Michael will confirm the candidates as they stand in the semi-circle and he moves to each of them in turn. Bishop John may follow this practice or have the candidates kneeling where appropriate at the communion rail together. Each candidate is to say to the bishop before he confirms them “I am N”, using the name by which they are usually called. Please brief the bishop in the vestry beforehand on difficult, unusual, foreign or easily confused names.
The bishop will normally anoint with the oil of chrism at the Confirmation unless the parish priest has requested that this be omitted. If the church requires the bishop to bring the oil(s), the parish priest should give the bishop notice of this.
The newly-confirmed remain in the semi-circle until the bishop has greeted them at the Peace.
At the Distribution of Communion the newly confirmed may either receive first or with their families.
In preparing the candidates, it is important that they are given clear and practical instruction about receiving the sacrament – placing the hands to receive the bread, how to take or guide the cup, saying Amen after the words of the distribution, waiting to leave the rail until the person next to them has received, and so on.
Whether or not there have been candidates for baptism, the giving of lighted candles to the newly-confirmed as part of the Dismissal is a powerful ending to the service. After the Dismissal, the bishop will lead the newly confirmed, with their lighted candles, through the church. There may then be a photo-call.
With regard to the collection, it should be given to the cause or causes designated by the bishops as the diocesan project for the year. Unless otherwise instructed, a cheque made payable to ‘Gloucester D.B.F.’ should be sent to Church House with a note of explanation.
At the refreshments after the service, the bishop will sign and give a book to each candidate, and have a word with him or her and the immediate family.
NOTES FOR A BISHOP’S CHAPLAIN
There is no need for the chaplain to be over-anxious about details, although it is obviously a help to everyone if the service goes smoothly and without uncertainty. Quiet and unobtrusive naturalness is the aim; over-formality and fussiness are distracting.
The bishop will brief you before the service.
In procession, follow the bishop.
In procession the bishop carries his own staff. At other times he entrusts it to you, but will want you to hand it to him at certain key moments - for the gospel reading, for the confirmation itself and for the blessing. When not in use the staff can be leant carefully against a wall.
In procession the bishop wears his mitre. At other times he entrusts it to you, but will want you to hand it to him at certain key moments - for the presentation and questioning of candidates and for the blessing. When not in use it can be put down - flat, not stood up like a tea cosy!
The bishop may want you to hold his book open for him at times when he needs his hands free.
If oil of (Baptism and) Chrism is used, he will want you to hold it for him at time of the (Signing with the cross and) Confirmation itself.
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