Cathedral provides catechesis for confirmation

A new “Catechesis for Confirmation” program at St. James Cathedral will start on Nov. 1. Last year’s program prepared 13 people (seven adults and six youth) from seven parishes for confirmation by Bishop Andrew Asbil at Easter.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields, sub-dean and vicar, said the cathedral is intent on expanding its presence in the diocese to become a centre of learning, worship and diocesan life, not simply a stage for diocesan events. “We embraced the third call of the diocese’s Cast the Net initiative, which is to share and use resources to enliven worship, faith formation, spiritual practice and evangelism.”

Some parishes have the capacity to prepare their candidates for confirmation, he said, but others may not have many candidates and may welcome the opportunity for them to share with other Anglicans in similar circumstances. The cathedral’s program, which comprises 20 sessions over five months, is geared to such parishes and is open to all, he said.

Weekly online sessions, facilitated by the cathedral’s clergy, are held on Monday evenings. In addition, there will be a monthly in-person session at the cathedral on the first Saturday of each month. The program will conclude with a Cathedral Day. Subjects include: God and Me; Covenants & Commandments; Sin: Missing the Mark; Who is Jesus?; The Creeds: What We Believe; The Bible: What We Read; Ministers & Ministry: Who We Are & How We Serve; Worship Matters: Prayer, Sacraments & Sacramental Rites; How We Are Organized: The Structure of The Anglican Church; Ecumenical and Interfaith Relationships.

People or parishes interested in the program should contact the Rev. Matthew Waterman, the cathedral’s assistant curate, at [email protected].