Spiritus Sanctus superveniat in vos, et virtus Altissimi custodiat vos a peccatis. “May the Holy Spirit descend upon you and the power of the Most High preserve you from sin.”
This was the beginning prayer of the Traditional Ritual of Confirmation in which His Excellency, the Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, confirmed over 70 young adults on Saturday, April 25, 2015.
The hymns and chants sung by the Brothers and Sisters echoed from the choir loft of the majestic Church of Saint John the Evangelist Church in Clinton MA, where the ceremony took place in order to accommodate the congregation that was too large for IHM Chapel.
Bishop McManus in a short homily exhorted the newly confirmed to stand strong in the Faith and to be prepared to bring Christ into a world that is hostile to Him… and hostile to all those who follow Him. He called upon the sponsors to be living examples of the Catholic Faith and impressed upon them the responsibility and necessity of virtuous lives, especially as chosen “witnesses” to the newly confirmed. After the new Soldiers of Christ were confirmed, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in Latin closed the ceremony in an appropriate manner, as the Bishop blessed the crowd with the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance.
The memorable occasion ended with a group shot on the front steps of the Church, before the Bishop left to enjoy a leisurely lunch back in Still River at Saint Benedict Center with the Brothers and Sisters.