Baptisms (English & Spanish)
By appointment only, please call the parish office.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Not only does it [the Sacrament of Penance] free us from our sins but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us. We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."
Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church. The Sacrament of Penance is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession, we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). ~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available in English every Saturday from 2:45 to 3:30 pm at St. Christopher Church. It is also available in Spanish one-half hour before each Spanish Mass.
Communion
"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.'" - John 6:35
As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon
as possible (canon 916). A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all. ~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
Baptized Catholics in the state of grace may receive Holy Communion.
Young people of the parish are prepared to receive their First Communion in the Religious Education program and adults who have not received Holy Communion are prepared in the RCIA Program. Click here for information on how to register for Religious Education or our RCIA Program.
Confirmation
The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God's Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission. Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John. Jesus' entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.
Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. . . . We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service. ~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
The Sacrament of Confirmation is administered to young people of high school age who have received the sacraments of Baptism, Penance and Holy Eucharist. The young people must attend the two year Religious Education Program intended to prepare them to receive the Sacrament. As with the Sacrament of Baptism, a godparent/sponsor is present. Prospective sponsors must be Baptized Catholics who have been confirmed, and they must be at least 16 years of age. A Catholic seeking to be a sponsor “lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken.” Neither the father nor the mother may serve as godparent. The sponsor must obtain and sign an Affirmation form from the church office stating that he/she is qualified to be a sponsor and intends to carry out the role of godparent/sponsor.
Adults wishing to be confirmed should sign up for the RCIA Program in the parish. on how to register for our RCIA Program.
Anointing of the Sick
In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.
The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.
When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.
~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
The sacrament is administered on the first Tuesday of the month at the 8:00 am Mass or by appointment. To ensure that there will be a priest available to administer the sacrament, you are encouraged not to delay in calling a priest in case of serious illness. Due to privacy issues, the hospital or nursing home will not call the priest unless the individual or the family has requested that he be called.
Matrimony
Sacred Scripture begins with the creation and union of man and woman and ends with "the wedding feast of the Lamb" (Rev 19:7, 9). Scripture often refers to marriage, its origin and purpose, the meaning God gave to it, and its renewal in the covenant made by Jesus with his Church.
By their marriage, the couple witnesses Christ's spousal love for the Church. One of the Nuptial Blessings in the liturgical celebration of marriage refers to this in saying, "Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church."
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between persons. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy. ~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
Marriages may be celebrated in at St. Christopher or St. Mary’s Church. Marriage arrangements vary from couple to couple. For example, if you are marrying another Catholic, someone baptized who is not Catholic, or someone not Catholic, your preparation will differ. You will meet together as a couple with your priest many times during your preparation, and will need to attend an Engaged Couples Conference offered by the Family Life Office. Arrangements must be made at least 6 months in advance of your wedding date.