As members of the Catholic Church in today’s world, believers are called upon to share their faith with the wider community. As we follow in the footsteps of Christ, we witness to our faith in how we raise our children, how we interact with friends, family and coworkers, and how we engage in modern culture. […]
“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…It includes three degrees of order: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate” (CCC 1536). Deacons, priest and bishops are essential to the Catholic Church because we believe that they continue the work
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick gives strength and support and can be administered to anyone struggling with an illness. Who may Receive? In the Catholic Church, Extreme Unction or the Last Rites is the anointing at the time of death. Since the Second Vatican Council, this sacrament is now called the Anointing
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The sacrament of marriage is a visible sign of God’s love for the Church. When a man and a woman are married in the Church, they receive the grace needed for a lifelong bond of unity. Marriage is a Covenant The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenantal union in the image of the covenants between
There are four steps in the Sacrament of Reconciliation: We feel contrition for our sins and a conversion of heart to change our ways. We confess our sins and human sinfulness to a priest. We receive and accept forgiveness (absolution) and are absolved of our sins. We celebrate God’s everlasting love for us and commit
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At confirmation we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit and confirm our baptismal promises. Greater awareness of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conferred through the anointing of chrism oil and the laying on of hands by the Bishop. Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in
The liturgical life of the Church revolves around the sacraments, with the Eucharist at the center (National Directory for Catechesis, #35). At Mass, we are fed by the Word and nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ. We believe that the Risen Jesus is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not a sign
The sacrament of baptism ushers us into the divine life, cleanses us from sin, and initiates us as members of the Christian community. It is the foundation for the sacramental life. At baptism, the presider prays over the water: Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism.
