Check out the resources section below for the current Salina Diocese Sacramental Preparation Guidelines
Bishop Vincke announces move to The Restored Order of the Sacraments
Celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation is one of my favorite things to do as a bishop. I love meeting the students, their sponsors, and the parents and grandparents too.
As I journeyed throughout the diocese, I found that parishes across the diocese had different ages for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Several years ago, I asked Fr. Frank Coady what grade he thought candidates should be for the Sacrament of Confirmation. He replied, “I think we should use the restored order?” The restored order is having Baptism first, followed by the Sacrament of Confirmation, and then the Sacrament of the Eucharist. This is how the Church designed it. These three Sacraments are the Initiation Sacraments, with the Eucharist being the final Sacrament as we enter fully into the Church.
Shortly thereafter, I asked Corey Lyon, our chancellor, at what age/grade do you recommend for our diocese for the Sacrament of Confirmation. He replied, “I think we should follow the restored order.” I even found out that Corey wrote a paper many years ago in support of the restored order
Finally, Deacon Bill Meagher, who was studying to be a deacon at the time, attended a class on the Liturgy. He came into my office saying, “Bishop, I think we should use the restored order.” Hmmm. Shortly thereafter, I asked them to form a committee to study the restored order. They met with priests, deacons, DREs, and many other people. After a couple of years of discerning and listening, I decided that our Sacramental Formation will use the restored order. This means the normal way is to receive the Sacrament of Baptism as a baby, then followed by receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist at the same Mass sometime in 3rd grade.
I am excited about this new preparation and reception of the Sacraments of Initiation in our diocese. We are joining more and more dioceses around the country that are doing the same.
One of the reasons I decided to make the change is that Sacraments are the reception of grace. Sometimes, it felt like the Sacraments needed to be earned by doing this and that in order to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. We don’t earn the Sacraments, we simply receive them.
I also want to share that the one concern many people have is that they are afraid that people will stop going to Mass after 3rd grade. They might, but it’s not what God desires for them. Two thoughts on this: parents are and will always be the primary educators of the faith to their children. Not attending Mass after receiving the Sacraments of Initiation in 3rd grade is the opposite of what God is calling each of us. I also think that in middle and high school, we can offer many other opportunities to live out the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist through discernment of vocations, serving the poor, Bible studies, etc.
Please pray for our diocese in this endeavor.
+Bishop Gerold Vincke
Frequently Asked Questions & Timeline (Larger Version Below)
Deacon Bill Meagher–Thoughts on moving to the restored order
For many years, I taught Confirmation to junior high and high school students. I loved being part of that journey—watching young people grow, ask big questions, serve others, and begin to make the faith their own. I honestly thought Confirmation belonged at that stage of life. Like many people, I saw it as a kind of graduation from faith formation or a personal declaration of belief—a moment to say, “This is my faith now.”
That’s the story I held onto for a long time. But over time—and through prayer, study, and some hard conversations—I’ve come to see that the Church has always told a different story about this sacrament. And honestly, I had missed it.
The restored order—Baptism, then Confirmation, and finally First Eucharist—reflects the Church’s earliest tradition and deepest theology. It puts the emphasis where it belongs—not on age or accomplishment, but on God’s grace and His desire to strengthen us for the journey of faith.
This hasn’t been an easy shift for me. I used to worry about all the same things I hear others voicing now. I was convinced that if we confirmed kids earlier, they wouldn’t come back. I relied on Confirmation as a “carrot”—the last leverage point I had to keep them involved. In my mind, it was the one thing that kept families engaged past elementary school.
I get that mindset because I lived in it. I preached it. But eventually I had to ask: if the only thing keeping someone engaged is the threat of not receiving a sacrament, have we really formed them in faith?
That question challenged me deeply. Sacraments are not rewards. They are not tools to manage attendance. They are free gifts of grace. And if I believed that, I had to admit that I was using the sacraments in a way the Church never intended.
What helped me even more was learning the history. The truth is, the current practice of receiving First Eucharist before Confirmation only started about a hundred years ago. It wasn’t planned. Pope St. Pius X lowered the age for First Eucharist to seven, understanding that children needed to receive the graces of the Eucharist earlier. Still, he didn’t intend for Confirmation to be delayed. It just got left behind. Over time, we added meanings like “maturity” and “ownership” to Confirmation—but that’s not what the Church has ever taught.
The early Church—and still today in Eastern Catholic Churches—celebrated the sacraments in this order. Adults entering the Church at the Easter Vigil still receive them that way. What we’re doing now isn’t a new idea. It’s a return to the roots of our faith.
And what do those roots teach? That Confirmation completes Baptism. It strengthens us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and prepares us for the Eucharist—the source and summit of our life. It’s not about us choosing God. It’s about God choosing and equipping us for mission.
I used to think we had to hold onto Confirmation to keep kids in the pews. But that way of thinking puts more faith in my teaching than in God’s grace, but the sacraments are real encounters with Christ. They plant seeds that grow—quietly but powerfully—over time.
And no, we can’t stop forming kids after Confirmation. We must work even harder. The journey doesn’t end there—it begins. We need to build strong formation, prayer, and service opportunities that help our young people grow as disciples and live out the gifts they’ve received.
This change challenged me. But I’ve come to believe that giving young people the grace of this sacrament earlier allows the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide them right when the world starts pressing in. They need that help now—to face the noise, the pressure, and the lies—and to grow as faithful disciples of Jesus.
Deacon Bill Meagher