What do you think about mass Confirmation?

[Matilda]

This Sunday and next, Sydney is holding mass Confirmation ceremonies
at Sydney's Superdome - the huge stadium built for the Olympics.

It reminds me of nothing so much as Rev. Moon's mass weddings - I
can't think of any venues less spiritual than an athletics stadium,
and I feel sorry for the kids who become just faceless numbers.

I'm so glad that my children were confirmed in the familiar
intimacy of their own parish church by the local bishop (even if
they didn't know him from Adam).

Has anything like this ever been done in the U.S.?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/En-masse-5000-young-Catholics-storm-the-SuperDome/2005/05/22/1116700595167.html

Am I just being reactionary?

[Princess Turandot]

1. Good Lord..it seems like an attempt to mirror some evangelical..

mass conversion! I think if you want to have an inspiring mega-Mass, like JP II's youth rallies that's one thing, but for a sacrament?? I was confirmed individually by a Bishop, along with my 30 classmates.

I have not heard of this happening here.(Although Madison Square Garden here in NYC did host of few of the Moon wedding-thons.)

Is it being done because of a shortage of bishops, and Australia's sprawling size, do you think? Or is this really intentional?

[Matilda]

2. It appears to be an idea of George Pell's.

He's only been our Archbishop for two years, and this is the first
year it's been done. We don't have a shortage of bishops - yet -
so that wasn't the reason.

I really do believe it was a PR stunt, and as such I guess it worked,
but what about the spiritual experience? It's so crass, I can still
hardly believe they actually did it.

[AngryOldDem]

3. My kid just got confirmed

...along with 71 others two weeks ago. I thought that was extreme, until the church I go to confirmed 180 -- yes, 180 -- kids this past Wednesday, in a ceremony outside of a regular Mass.

My daughter's confirmation was line 'em up, march 'em down the aisle, anoint 'em, announce their confirmation names, and back to the pews they went. It was all done in about 20 minutes.

[hedgehog]

4. Some bishops seem to be annoyed at having to spend

so much time at confirmations. This way they only have to set aside one afternoon instead of visiting parishes every week.