As Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre travels near and far to parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation, he aims to foster a face-to-face encounter with the candidates and to encourage them to “stay close to the Holy Spirit,” he said in a recent interview.
‘When life gets tough, when questions arise, God promised he is with you with the power of the Holy Spirit.’
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre
Archbishop Fabre meets with candidates for confirmation immediately prior to their Confirmation Mass. He uses the time to discuss “how the rite is going to unfold” and to calm the nerves of the candidates, who are often nervous about “forgetting their lines,” he said.
But it’s also a time for the candidates to encounter him, and for him to encounter them, he noted.
Confirmation may be the only time that they have an opportunity to meet with him, he said. Facilitating a “face-to-face encounter” is important, especially in an age when digital interaction is prevalent, he added.
“It gives me the opportunity to interact with them and the opportunity for them to ask questions about confirmation or other aspects of the faith,” he said.
Paige Browning, a newly-confirmed 13-year-old at the Church of the Annunciation in Shelbyville, Ky., said in a recent interview via email that her confirmation class was excited to meet the archbishop.
During the time for questions, she asked him about his favorite saints, she said.
Nathan Vega, another recently-confirmed 13-year-old from the Church of the Annunciation, asked the archbishop about his favorite Bible verse, he said in a recent interview.
Archbishop Fabre said he urges the candidates to rely on the Holy Spirit during each Confirmation Mass he celebrates.
In confirmation, the Holy Spirit is “poured out” upon the confirmandi in a profound way, he said.
“Confirmation is a non-repeatable sacrament; it is an irrepeatable event.” But it’s not a box to check off. It’s meant to have a “lifelong effect,” he said.
Browning took that message to heart. Reflecting on her confirmation day, she said, “I want to remember every moment because confirmation is a once-in-a-lifetime event, but it is also reaffirmed each day going forward through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
“The gift of the Holy Spirit is something they should rely on for the rest of their lives,” Archbishop Fabre added. The Holy Spirit gives guidance, so he urges the candidates to “stay close to the Holy Spirit in your mind and in your prayer.”
He tells them, “When life gets tough, when questions arise, God promised he is with you with the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
