On May 20, 2010, Thursday before Pentecost, twenty-nine candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation from His Excellency, the Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, Bishop of Oakland. Confirmations took place at St. Margaret Mary Church at 6:00 PM, followed by a Pontifical Low Mass and a reception in honor of His Excellency.
Speaking with unmistakable episcopal authority in his miter and with crosier in hand, Bishop Cordileone addressed the confirmandi simply and directly on the fundamental question of how to know God, love God, and serve God. Noting that our "Catholic Faith is an inexhaustible treasure chest of wisdom," the Bishop exhorted the faithful to continue to study the faith, so that they may explain and defend the faith when called to do so. In clear terms, Bishop Cordileone encouraged the candidates to serve God practically by seeking their future vocations with diligence.
The twenty-nine candidates included both youths and adults. Among the confirmation candidates were many youthful, expectant faces, whose parents, grandparents and siblings looked on with joy as they received this important sacrament. Several had waited a year or more in order to receive this sacrament in the Extraordinary Form.
In a heart-warming role reversal, there was also a couple of husband and wife who received the sacrament of Confirmation from the Bishop's hands, while their four young children looked on with joy and wonderment. Another poignant case was a candidate who, after many years of being captivated by the sacred liturgy, was baptized by Canon Jean Marie Moreau, and received the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist on the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, only one week previous. He was also confirmed by Bishop Cordileone, with a sponsor half his age standing proudly behind him.
Especially in the cases of the adult confirmandi, the holy liturgy in the Extraordinary Form played a significant role in their ongoing conversion and the deepening of their Catholic Faith, culminating in this sacrament.
The liturgy in the Extraordinary Form was indeed profound and beautiful on this occasion. The Master of Ceremony for the Bishop was Canon William Avis, from the Old St. Patrick apostolate in Kansas City, who came to Oakland to assist in this liturgical event. The photographs captured many visual highlights of this occasion, while the uplifting sounds of polyphonic motets by Monteverdi, Byrd, Schütz, and Pachelbel were captured in the aural memory and in the hearts of those who were present.
The celebration of Oakland's Confirmation 2010 concluded with a reception after Mass in the church hall, where Canon Moreau, as the Institute priest responsible for this apostolate, welcomed Bishop Cordileone as the guest of honor. A bountiful and festive dinner was prepared by the confirmandi families for the Bishop, priests, and congregation, at least 200 of whom attended the dinner.
Special thanks to Mr. Jay Balza and to Miss Josemine Miranda for the photos.