Celebration of the Eucharist with Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation

May 6, 2023 was a special day for Anglican liturgies. People from all over the world watched the Coronation of Charles III, an Anglican liturgy in many ways akin to a Celebration of the Eucharist with Confirmation, Ordination or Eucharist with the Consecration and Ordination of a Bishop. For many Anglicans this liturgy that hadn’t been celebrated for 70 years and has only happened 40 times at Westminster Abbey since 1066, had a very familiar feel. For 30 Anglican Christians gathered at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Vancouver, May 6, 2023 will be remembered as their Confirmation Day. Do you remember the day that you were confirmed?

In the space of a few sentences with a prayer, the text on the inside cover of the Order of Service bulletin for this Service of Confirmation on The Feast of the St. John the Evangelist provides some background:

“For many years it has been the tradition of the Diocese of New Westminster to gather at Christ Church, the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of New Westminster (since 1929) to celebrate and renew our commitment to Jesus Christ through the Apostolic Rite of the Laying on of Hands, commonly called Confirmation and both to receive those from other closely related ecclesial traditions and support those reaffirming their baptismal vows.

This is a time for prayer and renewal for all of us in our journeys of faith who attend this worship. All are invited to take the time to reflect and rejoice with all those gathered here today and to draw closer to God who draws us together as the Church – Christ’s Body.

A prayer for those being confirmed, received or reaffirming their baptismal vows:

God of mercy and love,

grant that your servants may grow

into the fullness of the stature of Christ.

Fill them with the joy of your presence. 

Increase in them the fruit of your Spirit:

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of love, patience and gentleness,

the spirit of wonder and true holiness

Amen”

For 2023, 30 confirmands, 1 candidate for Reception and 1 candidate for Reaffirmation came from 12 parishes of the diocese’s 62 parishes and 4 worshipping communities. The annual diocesan Confirmation Service traditionally takes place towards the end of the Season of Easter with Pentecost on the horizon, and is an opportunity for folks from around the diocese to experience worship at the diocesan cathedral, not only for those being confirmed, received and reaffirmed but for families, friends and supporters from their parishes. The excitement of gathering in community, the beauty of the Cathedral’s fir floors and cedar beams and ceiling boards, the dozens of stained-glass windows, the experience of hearing Cathedral Choir lead the music in worship and the opportunity to sing well-loved hymns accompanied by Rupert Lang at the Kenneth Jones Tracker organ are in themselves memorable experiences.

Confirmation is an "Episcopal Office”. Episcopal Offices are liturgies that require a bishop of the Church to preside and to engage in the liturgical action. For our bishop, episcopal parish visits are a focus of these still early years of his episcopacy and quite often those visits for Sunday worship include a confirmation or confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmations. And when Bishop John Stephens is at his cathedral he often preaches and presides at the Eucharist and the May 6th liturgy was no exception.

In his homily the bishop drew our attention to "race pacer" Erik Sowinski as an example of someone who “sets a pace for others to follow” (here is a link to the February 25, 2023 New York Times story). Bishop John explored the meaning of the commitments made by the 32 confirmed, received and reaffirmed by him that day. Their decisions to "stretch their experience" and "expand their goals", "to live out their lives as true believers" and "to live in God's grace." He continued his homily, examining the Gospel story of Mary Magdalene and the discovery of the empty tomb and brought these two main points of focus together in the sermon's conclusion.

(The bishop’s sermon is available here on the diocesan website in video, audio clip and text.)

A Confirmation Service requires a great deal of preparation and presentation. Along with the bishop and Cathedral Choir under the direction of Rupert Lang there were many others involved. The Reverend Jessica Schaap, Missioner for Christian Formation and Bill Siksay, Executive Assistant to the Bishop’s and Executive Archdeacon’s Offices are the Synod staffers who shoulder much of the responsibility for these liturgies. The Venerable Philippa Pride, Executive Archdeacon, organizes many of the liturgical elements from personnel to Order of Service bulletin preparation and publication. Also, many thanks go out to all the participants including: the cathedral's greeting/liturgical assistance/hospitality teams; candidate's sponsors, parish clergy, mentors, families, friends all gathered to make this annual liturgy one of the principal worship events in the diocesan calendar.

IMAGES

• The first to be confirmed. Francis from Christ Church Cathedral.
• Crucifer, Andrea Gailus leads a very large procession into the Cathedral prior to the singing of the Opening Hymn, "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee".
• Members of Cathedral Choir under the direction of Rupert Lang (at the organ) lead the singing of the Opening Hymn.
• Confirmand, Christine Joy of St. Michael's Multicultural Church, Vancouver shares the First Reading, 1 John 1: 1-9.
• Bishop John preaching.
• Bishop John leads the congregation in the Baptismal Covenant.
• Kirsten Starr of St. Cuthbert leads the prayers.
• Samantha of St. Philip, Dunbar is confirmed.
• The final confirmand of the day, Jude from St. George, Maple Ridge.
• Holy Communion
• The St. Philip's, Dunbar group with Bishop John.
• Following the Dismissal and Closing Hymn at a Confirmation Service all are invited to pose with Bishop John for photos. Here we see the St. Cuthbert's, Delta group of confirmands and sponsors. (in the body copy)