Throwback Thursday

Confirmation Day - 1. May 1968

We had 50 catechism questions we had to memorize. As parochial school students we were supposed to know the answers before the question was asked. One of the questions had a very long involved answer and during the preparation classes, we always failed to get the answer correct. Not one of the 48 in my class could get through the entire answer verbatim. As punishment, the day before the ceremony, we had to write out the question and answer 50 times. The assignment was to be delivered to the Monseigneur before the ceremony the following day.

On the morning of the ceremony, my parents took me to Boston to Filene's Department Store to have a formal portrait of the event immortalized. I had only managed to write out the question 47 times and had not finished the assignment. I was very worried I wouldn't be confirmed.

When we got back to the church for the ceremony, I begged my father to deliver my incomplete assignment to the Monseigneur. Dad did.

While robing and lining up for the ceremony, my friend told us she had hand-delivered the assignment to the Monseigneur. Monseigneur didn't even look at the assignment or question my friend. He just took her papers, tore them up, and tossed them in the trash in front of her. I was glad I didn't finish the assignment.