Sacrament of Reconciliation  

Then he breathed on them and said: " Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound"  (John 20:22-23).  The church from its earliest years to modern days has celebrated the sacrament of penance in a wide variety of ways. But the purpose has always been the same: to make present for repentant believers the good news of God's forgiveness.

Thursday 5:30 - 6:00 p.m. or by Appointment - Call the Parish Office

Sacrament of Baptism

"Baptize them in the name 'of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit' "   (Matt 28:19).  To be baptized in the name of Jesus signifies entering into Christ's service, developing a personal relationship with him as Lord and Master, becoming his follower, taking his name, being known as Christian and formally bringing about or establishing this connection with Jesus.

 Call the parish office to make arrangements. Parents should attend a baptism preparation session before baptism.

Sacrament of Confirmation

"Peter and John...went down to these people and prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit. It had not as yet come down upon any of them since they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The pair upon arriving imposed hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." (Act 8:14-17) The reception of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation denotes first of all the official perfection and completion of Baptism.  It also produces a deepening of our friendship with God, a more personal union with the spirit of Christ, a pledge of God's commitment to us, the strength to persevere as a good member of God's family, and finally a promise of eternal happiness. this should then lead us to realize more fully our calling to be witnesses for Christ by the life that we live and the message that we proclaim.

Call the parish office to make arrangements.

Sacrament of Eucharist

"Then he took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them saying, 'This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me.' He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you." (Luke 22:19-20) The Eucharistic bread is the bread given by Jesus to encase his Paschal love. This love is meant for all. It is the bread God offers the world to sustain it in the journey. The world needs to have Jesus' love symbolically encased so that it can realize how "total" and ever-present it is. It is there to be seen and eaten. The world "dies" without it.

"Is there anyone sick among you? He should ask for the presbyters of the Church. They in turn are to pray over him, annointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord. This prayer uttered in faith will reclaim the one who is ill, and the Lord will restore him to health. If he has committed any sins, forgiveness will be his" (Jas 5:14-15). The annointing of the sick brings with it healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

By appointment. Call the parish office to make arrangements.

Sacrament of Holy Orders - Deacons, Priests, Bishops

He wants us to live the faith as brothers and sisters. Jesus, then, must make sure that his family has dedicated shepherds and teachers who will responsibly see to the spiritual feeding and unity of the flock and who will oversee the community celebrations of faith. His care and teaching is family-oriented and comes not from on high or abstractly but through the shepherds he calls and appoints.

References:

The Sacraments Today, Farrell/Atrz, Liguori Publications.1978 

Special Signs of Grace, Chapman,Joseph, The Liturgical Press.1986

The Sacraments as Encasement: Jesus is With Us, Taylor S. J., Michael J., The Liturgical Press.1986