“The world needs saints. Even as our society becomes more distant from faith and more forgetful of God, it still hungers for joyful witnesses who have been transformed by Christ. At the same time, new generations of Catholics need grace to sustain them in a non-Christian environment.To answer these needs, I have decided to restore the Sacraments of Initiation to their original order, that is, Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. This will make available every sacramental grace the Church has to offer to children who have reached the age of reason.”
Archbishop Aquila’s pastoral letter “Saints Among Us” introduces the restored order of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation to the Archdiocese of Denver.Please use these pages to gain a fuller understanding of this important pastoral initiative.
Saints Among Us Pastoral Letter
“Amid the many theological and pastoral reasons for lowering the age of confirmation and restoring it to its original place before first Eucharist, none ranks higher for Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver than to provide children with much-needed spiritual strength to become “courageous, authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.” – Denver Catholic, May 21, 2015
Read more about the Restored Order of the Sacrament of Initiation in Archbishop Aquila’s “Saints Among Us” Pastoral letter.
Saints Among Us Documentary
Join Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila and other prominent theologians, religious, educators, parents, and Church leaders in this in-depth exploration of the beautiful history and deep richness of the Sacraments of Initiation as they are found in the restored order of Baptism, Confirmation, and first Eucharist.
Written Resources
· Ressourcement for Confirmation: A theological case for restored order Confirmation
by R. Jared Staudt, Ph. D.
· “Pope Francis to parents: Come out of ‘exile’ and educate your children”
Catholic News Agency, May 20, 2015
· “The Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation”
Archbishop Aquila’s Oct. 9, 2013 keynote address to the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions
· Sacramentum Caritatis
Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI, 2007
Send Forth Your Spirit
Archbishop Aquila’s pastoral letter to the Diocese of Fargo, 2002
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy promulgated by Pope Paul VI, 1963
