SACRAMENTS
The sacraments are our chance of experiencing the Gospels and thus experience the presence, love & mercy of God in our lives. The seven sacraments are:
BAPTISM
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit."
- Matthew 28:19
Baptism is:
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the washing away of original sin, as well as all actual sin if any exists;
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remits all punishment due on account of such sins;
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imprints the character of a Christian;
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makes us children of God, members of the Church, and heirs to Paradise, and enables us to receive the other sacraments. The celebration of Baptism takes place within the Mass. Parents are responsible for requesting the sacrament of baptism for their infant/child. Prior to the reception of the sacrament, the parents and the Godparents will need to attend a preparation class on the Sacrament of Baptism. Baptism preparation for parents and godparents is offered every other month on Saturday morning. At least one participating Catholic shall agree to raise the child in the practice of the faith. Parents should be registered members of the parish in which the initiation occurs. Sponsors (godparents) need to be fully initiated, practicing Catholics, and not bound by any canonical penalty. Sponsors take the responsibility of presenting the infant or child for baptism, assisting the parents and witnessing the sacrament. To prepare for the spiritual birth of your child through the Sacrament of Baptism, please submit a copy of your child's birth certificate and the godparents marriage certificate from the Catholic Church to the parish office. We will register you for the preparation class, and to choose the date for the Baptism. For more information, please call the parish office at 360-425-4660. Except in cases of necessity (emergency), baptisms should not take place during Lent or Advent.
If you are interested in being baptized and are an adult or have at least attained the age of reason (normally age 7), you will be prepared for baptism through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) by the local parish. Please contact the parish office at 360-425-4660 for more information.
RECONCILIATION
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."
-John 20:19-23
"Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a first installment."
-2 Corinthians 5:18
The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance 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.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1496
FIRST RECONCILIATION
Preparation is offered every fall, with the celebration taking place in December. It is necessary for the child to have completed one year of religious education the year immediately prior to sacramental preparation and to continue in religious education concurrent with the preparation classes. This can be at a Catholic school or through our parish Religious Education program.
Baptized children, ages seven and above, are prepared for the sacrament of reconciliation and provided the opportunity of reception prior to their First Eucharist. Parents are to present their children for preparation, take an active part in their own children's catechesis, and determine, with our assistance, the readiness of their children to receive the sacrament.
Preparation is to occur over a length of time:
* Remote preparation with parents, the child, and other members of the family actively participating in Sunday celebrations of the Eucharist and the life of their parish.
* Proximate preparation beginning in first grade or the year prior to the celebration of First Reconciliation.
* Immediate preparation for First Reconciliation the year of reception including sessions of catechetical formation directed toward this sacrament.
Those preparing for first reconciliation should be able to recite an Act of Contrition. Celebrations of a child's first reconciliation and First Eucharist are to be separated by a significant amount of time. Each of these sacraments has its own dignity and integrity, one is a sacrament of healing and one is a sacrament of initiation. A child's first experience with the sacrament of reconciliation should occur within a communal setting, including the individual confession and absolution of each child.
For more information please contact the parish office at 360-425-4660
HOLY EUCHARIST
"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread."
-Luke 24:35
FIRST HOLY EUCHARIST
Baptized children, ages seven and above, are prepared for the sacrament of First Eucharist. Parents are to present their children for preparation, take an active part in their own children's catechists, and determine, with our assistance, the readiness of their children to receive the sacrament.
Preparation is to occur over a length of time:
* Remote preparation with parents, the child, and other members of the family actively participating in Sunday celebrations of the Eucharist and the life of their parish.
* Proximate preparation beginning in first grade or the year prior to the celebration of First Eucharist.
* Immediate preparation for First Eucharist the year of reception including sessions of catechetical formation directed toward this sacrament.
Children and their parents are expected to participate in a communal retreat with other families also preparing for First Eucharist.
First Eucharist immediate preparation is offered every February or March, with the celebration taking place in April or May. It is necessary for the child to have completed one year of religious education the year immediately prior to sacramental preparation and to continue in religious education concurrent with the preparation classes. This can be at a Catholic school or through our parish Religious Education program.
For more information please contact the parish office at 360-425-4660
Those who have been baptized in another Christian religion and are interested in receiving the Eucharist must first become confirmed as a Catholic. Please contact the office about making a profession of faith and receiving the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
HOLY EUCHARIST
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”
-Matthew 26:26-28
WHO MAY RECIEVE THE EUCHARIST?
Catholics who have received their First Sacraments, who are not conscious of grave sin, and who have fasted for at least one hour are encouraged to devoutly and frequently receive Holy Communion.
To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself." Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1385
WHY CAN'T NON-CATHOLICS RECIEVE THE EUCHARIST?
Contrary to popular belief, the reason non-Catholics are asked to refrain from receiving Holy Communion is not because the Church wants anyone to feel excluded. The Church, in fact, has a certain responsibility to non-Catholics.
Because what makes us Catholic is our belief of Jesus’ True Presence in the Eucharist, it would be a disservice to allow non-Catholics to partake in this extraordinary union when they do not know or understand that which they are joining in. Why? Because they would not have been able to properly prepare themselves.
CONFIRMATION
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit."
-Acts 8:14-18
The Sacrament of Confirmation increases the grace given at Baptism. Confirmation gives an indelible spiritual mark, which is characterized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation strengthens the Christian to profess the faith in an open manner and to fight against all temptations and difficulties.
"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit..."
-Acts 2:4
Adolescents who were baptized into the Catholic Church as infants, and are adequately prepared, and are in the 9th grade or older at the time they celebrate the sacrament may be confirmed. The candidate will need to have completed one year of youth group the year immediately prior to Confirmation preparation. They will also need to attend youth group the year of preparation. Candidates for confirmation must approach the sacrament of their own free will. If a parent or other person were to coerce or force a candidate into the celebration of the sacrament, it would be considered invalid. Candidates are to prepare for confirmation in the parish in which they are members.
Candidates select their sponsors in consultation with the confirmation coordinator, and in the case of youth candidates, their parents. The selection of sponsors is to be based on appropriate lifestyle, participation in the Catholic faith, and the ability to provide the nurturing supportive role expected of a sponsor. The sponsor must be a fully initiated Catholic, who leads a life in keeping with the role to be taken on, and must be free to celebrate the sacraments and not bound by any canonical penalty. A parent or guardian may not serve as a sponsor for their child.
Confirmation preparation for youth begins in the fall, with the celebration taking place in spring.
For more information please contact the parish office at 360-425-4660.
Preparation for confirmation of adults, including young adults, is separate and distinct from preparation of youth. Confirmation preparation for adults is offered every year, with the celebration taking place in the spring. The schedule varies from year to year. The celebration is for all adults in our deanery. For more information, please call the parish office.
If you have been baptized in another Christian religion and are interested in becoming confirmed as a Catholic, please contact the parish office at 360-425-4660 about making a profession of faith and receiving the sacrament of Confirmation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).