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Sacraments
 Sacraments of Initiation
BAPTISM
Baptism is our entrance into the Church. Through this sacrament, water and the word of God, cleanses us of all sin. We are reborn and sanctified in Christ to everlasting life. During the baptism, a baptismal covenant is made in which the person being baptized, either personally or through one's sponsor, agrees to belong entirely to Christ, who in turn promises the new Christian to bless him or her with a lifetime of divine grace.
EUCHARIST
The Eucharist, also known as the Sacrament of Holy Communion, is the only one of the three Sacraments of Initiation that we can (and should) receive repeatedly. At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood. Faithful to the Lord's command the Church continues to do, in his memory and until his glorious return, what he did on the eve of his Passion.
CONFIRMATION
The word Messiah (Christos in Greek) means "anointed." Jesus is the Christ, the one anointed by the Holy Spirit. At Confirmation, we are anointed with that same Holy Spirit. At the actual anointing during Confirmation we hear the words: "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." This sacrament gives us the grace to live our life as a Christian boldly and without shame. Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.
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Sacraments of Vocation
MATRIMONY
Matrimony is an indissoluble bond between a man and a woman, created by human contract and ratified by divine grace. Christian spouses signify and partake of the mystery of that unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and his Church, helping each other attain to holiness in their married life and in the rearing and education of their children.
HOLY ORDERS
Holy Orders is 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 configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church. This sacrament includes three degrees: episcopate, priesthood and diaconate.
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Sacraments of Healing
RECONCILIATION
The sacrament of reconciliation, or penance, is where confessed sins committed after baptism are absolved by a priest in the name of God. The confession of sins frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with God and the Church. Through such an admission, we look squarely at our sins, take responsibility for them, and thereby open ourselves again to God and to the communion of the Church.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
This sacrament was instituted by Christ to give the sick spiritual aid and strength, including, if need be, the remission of sins. It consists essentially in the anointing by a priest of the forehead and the hands, while pronouncing the words "Through this holy anointing and His most loving mercy, may the Lord assist you by the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that, freed from your sins, He may save you and in His goodness raise you up."
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Sacramental Preparation
BAPTISM ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Once a year a communal celebration of Anointing is offered in Church. Individual requests can be made at any time. Also, priests and Ministers of the Eucharist visit the homebound regularly.
+ First Sunday of month 2:00 PM in English
+ Second Saturday at 1:00 PM in Spanish
*Parents can contact the Rectory Office to request the sacrament for their child and to register for the preparation session, which is held on the last Wednesday of the month. Adults for Baptism can register for RCIA.
FIRST COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION
Preparation for children ages 5 to 15 is offered on Sundays at 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Parents are asked to register in August. Adults are prepared through the RCIA and can register at the Rectory office.
MATRIMONY
Marriage preparation begins one year before the wedding. Please contact the pastor at the Rectory office before making any other arrangements.
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Becoming Catholic (RCIA)
The RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through which non-baptized men and women enter the Catholic Church. (It is also for those baptized in a different faith tradition who wish to become Catholic, or baptized Catholic, but never confirmed) It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants in the RCIA are known as catechumens. They undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist. The RCIA process follows the ancient practice of the Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism. In 1974 the Rite for Christian Initiation for Adults was formally approved for use in the United States.
We welcome any adult who would like to become Catholic to begin their preparation so they can join the church at Easter 2009. If someone in your family or at work or in your building is interested, please ask them to contact Fr. Dani or Megan Moffit (olgrace@optonline.net), who coordinate our preparation sessions.
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