The Seven Sacraments of the Church
These sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of a Christian Life.
Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
With Baptism we are born anew, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and in the Eucharist we receive the food of eternal life.
Baptism – Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life.
· It is the gateway to life in the Spirit.
· Baptism is the door which gives access to the other sacraments.
· Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn daughters and sons of God
· We become members of Christ and are incorporated into the Church and her mission
· Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift
Infant Baptism – Baptism of infants is a treasured practice dating from the earliest tradition of the Church. It is the first spiritual gift parents will give their child as well as a time for the parents to re-examine the meaning of their faith. Requirements:
· Parents must be registered members of the parish (Register in Parish, clickhere)
· Both parents must attend the Baptismal Preparation Class (Call the office 741,2800, x 255 to register)
· Complete the Baptismal Preparation Form (click here)
Adult Baptism (RCIA) –The process of becoming Catholic is formally known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). It is a process of spiritual formation that takes place in the parish community. (Learn more…)
Confirmation – the completion of baptismal grace; we are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit and more perfectly bound to the Church.
· the sign of anointing signifies and imprints a spiritual seal
· confirmation is conferred through anointing with chrism on the forehead
· oil is a sign of abundance and joy
· by this anointing the confirmed receives the “mark”, the seal of the Holy spirit
· Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace
· it roots us more deeply in the divine
· it unites us more firmly to Christ
· it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us
· it renders our bond with the Church more perfect
· It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witness of Christ
Children – Religious Education, contact Jennifer Davis, 741.5400, ext 107
Adult – RCIA is the process of preparation for active Catholics who received the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist as children and now as adults wish to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. (To make arrangements or Learn more…)
Eucharist – completes the Christian Initiation, to participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice
· the Eucharist is the heart, source and summit of the Christian life
· the other sacraments, indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works, of the apostolate are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.
· it is the sum and summary of our faith
· bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, become the body and blood of Christ
· Christ is really and mysteriously made present
First Communion – Children (Contact Jennifer Davis, 741.5400, x 107 or go to the Religious Education page of the website)
Sacraments of Healing – Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick
As humans, with our human bodies and in this earthly existence, we are subject to suffering, illness, and death.
Christ left us the Holy Spirit to continue His work of healing and salvation.
Reconciliation and Penance
“…called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of
this sacrament in a profound sense it is also a “confession” – acknowledgment and praise – of the holiness of God
and of his mercy…”
Called the sacrament of Reconciliation because it imparts to us the love of God who reconciles: “Be reconciled to God.”
Through this sacrament of Reconciliation we may obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offenses committed against him and at the same time, we are reconciled with the Church, which are sins have wounded
· sin is before all else an offense against God and a rupture of communion with him
· only God forgives sin
· confession to a priest is an essential part of this sacrament
· the whole power of the sacrament consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship
· the spiritual effects are:
reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace
reconciliation with the Church
remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins
remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin
peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation
an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle
Reconciliation – Communal Reconciliation takes place during the Advent Season and the Easter Season.
Regularly scheduled confessions are on Saturday, 3:00-4:00pm or by request.
The Anointing of the Sick – by the sacred anointing of the sick is a wonderful, touching, intimate, mysterious encounter with the Risen Christ. Seek it early in any chronic or serious illness, aging or life crisis where there is a need for prayer and healing in body, mind, or spirit
The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of The Sick has as its effects:
· the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church
· the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age
· the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of Penance
· the restoration of health, if is conducive to the salvation of their soul
· the preparation for passing over to eternal life
Contact Ginny Feeney, 741.2800, ext 218 for information
Sacraments at the Service of Communion and the Mission of the Faithful
Matrimony – Marriage was elevated by Christ Himself, in His participation in the wedding at Cana, to be one of the seven sacraments. It is a partnership between a man and a woman in support of their mutual love for one another and their children with the effect of the sacrament being an increase in sanctifying grace for the spouses and a participation in the divine life of God.
· the sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with
the love with which Christ has loved his church
· Marriage is based on the consent of the contracting parties, that is, on their will to give themselves, each to the other, mutually
and definitively, in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love
· its celebration is public, in the framework of a liturgical celebration, before a priest, the witnesses, and the assembly of
the faithful
· unity, indissolubility, and openness to fertility are essential to marriage
The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family home is rightly called “the domestic church,” a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues, and of Christian charity
Wedding Planning (Learn more…) – contact Susan Tomelleri, 741.2800, ext 213.
Marriage and Family Life (Learn more…) – contact SusanTomelleri
Holy Orders – the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time; thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.
