This issue of The Catholic Transcript is a heartening tribute to priests and the priesthood in the Archdiocese. Every page of the coverage provides multiple reasons for prayer in gratitude to God for the surpassing generosity He shows us in our priests and in their work.

In our last issue of the paper, I wrote about the five men who would be ordained to the priesthood on May 14, sharing at the same time my sentiments of personal appreciation for all that our priests mean to us.

Allow me at this time to speak of the sacrament of confirmation and the thousands of candidates who are receiving it in our parishes during these weeks. Through the sacrament of confirmation, the candidates are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. They are consequently, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.

Baptism, the Eucharist, and confirmation are the sacraments of initiation in our Church. Of course, we do receive the sacrament of penance before our first holy Communion. With confirmation, our candidates are fully initiated as members of the Church.

The 10th grade is the customary time in our Archdiocese for candidates to receive confirmation. Preceding the celebration are two years of religious education, which include prayer exercises, the reception of the sacraments of penance and the Holy Eucharist, retreat experiences and works of service.

Candidates often write me letters prior to receiving confirmation. They speak about their families, including their pets, why they want to receive the sacrament, why they have selected their sponsor, the reasons for their confirmation name, and the various apostolic works they are exercising. The letters are encouraging, and the depth of their reflection endorses the value of having confirmation in the 10th grade. Sometimes, a candidate will say, "I have been going through religious education all these years; it is about time I received confirmation." For the most part, he or she is joking, I hope.

The candidates generally speak of the maturity they have been developing. They want to be closer to God and to the Church. They want the special gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord – for the concerns they are facing. They look forward to being godparents for baptism and sponsors for confirmation.

They are involved in a variety of excellent works: helping in schools and religious education programs; volunteering in soup kitchens, food pantries, nursing homes, and hospitals; helping with lawn work and errands for elderly people; assisting in parish social activities; doing clean-up work in communities; tutoring children in academics and sports; helping in areas of economic poverty; providing services for handicapped people; and raising funds for missions in the United States and elsewhere. Often, they will say that initially they did not want to be involved, but as matters developed, they became friends with their co-workers and appreciated performing the service.

They write of the development of their prayer life: how they pray for themselves, their families, the sick, our people in military service, their friends, the people they are assisting, etc. Their retreat experiences can be valuable in enriching their prayers and their respect for the sacraments.

Our young people are quite adept in the use of 21st-century technology: iPods, DVDs, BlackBerries, PalmPilots, cell phones (please be careful about what is on these phones), and laptop computers. They know, however, that our hearts and souls are central. Our lives are not lived at random or by chance. Participation at Mass every week is the identifying mark of an initiated Catholic.

Their growth continues. To assure that growth, there are certain things for which they have to say "no." They must say "no" to abuse of drugs: anabolic steroids, prescription drugs, growth hormones, and performance-enhancing drugs. People are too casual these days about marijuana. It is often the threshold to the drug world; and in our study of history, we know how many civilizations have collapsed because of drug abuse. We have to say "no" to abuse of alcohol and to immoral sexual activity. All of these involvements are roadblocks on their road to growth.

Our confirmed young people deserve our strong congratulations and gratitude for the commitment they make to God and the Church. May the work they have begun continue to grow in their attitudes and activities. May they be strong leaders for the future.

I wish to thank all our catechists and teachers; principals and directors; and our priests, deacons and religious for their extraordinary commitment to shaping our leaders now and for the generations to come. They illustrate what it means to be confirmed Catholics.

In the ongoing results, you continue to provide the highest inspiration. The total at this point is $8,713,999, which is $632,767 higher than that it was at this time last year. The work of the Holy Spirit is strikingly clear in your generosity. There is more time to go, but the works of the Archdiocese are showing greater prospects of delivery precisely because of your gracious thoughtfulness. The work of the followers of Jesus Christ is service. Profound thanks to you for making us better Christians and a better Church.