Newark Evening Star And Newark Advertiser

BISHOP O'CONNOR CONFIRMS CLASS OF 700 CHILDREN
St. Joseph's and St. Antoninus's Churches Receive Large Additions to Membership.

The Rt. Rev. Bishop John J. O'Connor administered the sacrament of confirmation yesterday afternoon to about 700 children and forty adults in two churches in this city—St. Joseph's, on Wallace place, and St. Antoninus's, at South Orange avenue and Ninth street.

In each instance the number of children was about the same—350. In St. Joseph's there were twenty-five adults, a majority of whom were converts. The same applied to the sixteen adults confirmed in St. Antoninus's. Bishop O'Connor in each instance delivered a sermon immediately preceding the administering of the sacrament, which closed with solemn vespers, at which the bishop officiated.

After explaining at length the history of the institution of the sacrament of confirmation, and its importance in strengthening the faith of those who receive it and making them, in the language of the sacrament, true soldiers of Jesus Christ, Bishop O'Connor commended the pastors and their assistants, including the Sisters of Charity, for their zeal in preparing such large classes.

Next year, the bishop said, all confirmation classes would be larger than heretofore, because of a recent edict from the Holy See making eligible to receive the sacrament of confirmation all children, otherwise qualified, who have arrived at the age of 7 years.

Age Limit Reduced.

Up to the present time no matter how proficient a child might be in his or her knowledge of the doctrines of the church they were not permitted, except in rare instances, to receive the sacrament of confirmation before they had arrived at the age of 10 years.

The ceremonies attending the administering of this sacrament are among the most impressive in the Catholic Church. The bishop officiates in full robes, attended by the chancellor of the diocese and other clergymen, while a man and woman selected from the congregation act as sponsors for each child in about the same way in which that duty is performed at baptism.

As was the case yesterday, the children are all attired alike, the girls in white with veils and wreaths of smilax, and the boys clothed in blue suits as near uniform as possible, with a bow of white ribbon attached to the left arm. All of those confirmed yesterday had been receiving instructions for several weeks, and during the last three days of last week they were on what is termed a retreat.

On those days they attended mass at 8 o'clock each morning and remained in church until 11 o'clock. They returned at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and after benediction of the blessed sacrament remained until 5 o'clock. Yesterday morning first communion was administered in both churches to those members of the class who had not received it before.

In St. Joseph's Church all those confirmed, except the adults, were members of the parochial school of that parish. In St. Antoninus, which is conducted by the Dominican Fathers, the class included beside the adults, their own school pupils, children from public schools whose parents reside in or are affiliated with the parish and the pupils from St. Vincent's Academy, which is now cared for spiritually by the Dominicans.