Baptism
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit " Mt 28:19
Baptism is the beginning of the life of God's grace in our soul. Jesus tells us that we must be born again by water and the Holy Spirit to the enter the Kingdom. Children of Catholic families should be baptized as soon as possible after birth. Once someone is 7 years old (and up), they will need to go through the Rite of Christian Initiation at Easter. To schedule a baptism, please send us an email by clicking on the link below!
Baptism is the beginning of the life of God's grace in our soul. Jesus tells us that we must be born again by water and the Holy Spirit to the enter the Kingdom. Children of Catholic families should be baptized as soon as possible after birth. Once someone is 7 years old (and up), they will need to go through the Rite of Christian Initiation at Easter. To schedule a baptism, please send us an email by clicking on the link below!
Confirmation
"They laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" Acts 8:17
Confirmation is the completion of baptism and gives Christians the strength to witness to Jesus in the face of persecution. It also marks the time when a child is considered an adult in the Church and is able to serve in various ministries.
The bishop is the normal celebrant of Confirmation. At, St. Francis, Confirmation is offered every other year. The next Confirmation will be in 2022. Anyone wishing to have their child confirmed will need to enroll them in the Confirmation class. More information will be available next year.
Confirmation is the completion of baptism and gives Christians the strength to witness to Jesus in the face of persecution. It also marks the time when a child is considered an adult in the Church and is able to serve in various ministries.
The bishop is the normal celebrant of Confirmation. At, St. Francis, Confirmation is offered every other year. The next Confirmation will be in 2022. Anyone wishing to have their child confirmed will need to enroll them in the Confirmation class. More information will be available next year.
Eucharist
"Take, eat; this is my body" Mt 26:26
Catholics believe that the bread and wine at Mass become the actual body and blood of Jesus. We take Jesus on word that his flesh is true food and his blood is true drink and "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you" Jn 6:53.
While we welcome anyone and everyone to join us, only Catholics in good standing may receive Holy Communion. Catholics who have committed a grave sin must go to Confession before they can receive Holy Communion.
First Communion is a special moment when a children receives the Lord in the Eucharist for the first time. Normally, this is done during the second grade, but it can happen earlier if the child can demonstrate that he or she is prepared. Children will need to enroll in First Communion class and make their first Confession before their First Communion.
Catholics believe that the bread and wine at Mass become the actual body and blood of Jesus. We take Jesus on word that his flesh is true food and his blood is true drink and "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you" Jn 6:53.
While we welcome anyone and everyone to join us, only Catholics in good standing may receive Holy Communion. Catholics who have committed a grave sin must go to Confession before they can receive Holy Communion.
First Communion is a special moment when a children receives the Lord in the Eucharist for the first time. Normally, this is done during the second grade, but it can happen earlier if the child can demonstrate that he or she is prepared. Children will need to enroll in First Communion class and make their first Confession before their First Communion.
Confession
"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:23
If I can confess my sins to God, why do I need to go to a priest? The short answer is that God wants us to confess to a visible representative of His Church. Catholics confess to a priest to admit their sins to a real person and to hear a real person speak the words of forgiveness in the name and power of Jesus Christ. All Catholics are obligated to go to confession once a year, as well as anytime they commit a grave sin.
At St. Francis, we offer confession on Saturday's from 4-4:45pm. If that time doesn't work, you are always able to get in touch with the priest and make an appointment.
If I can confess my sins to God, why do I need to go to a priest? The short answer is that God wants us to confess to a visible representative of His Church. Catholics confess to a priest to admit their sins to a real person and to hear a real person speak the words of forgiveness in the name and power of Jesus Christ. All Catholics are obligated to go to confession once a year, as well as anytime they commit a grave sin.
At St. Francis, we offer confession on Saturday's from 4-4:45pm. If that time doesn't work, you are always able to get in touch with the priest and make an appointment.
Anointing of the sick
"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." James 5:14-15
Whenever a Catholic is faced with a dangerous illness or whenever they are going into surgery, it is good to ask for the sacrament of anointing. This doesn't mean that they're going to die! Instead, the Church sees the Anointing of the Sick as the way that our sick brothers and sisters are grated onto the suffering of Jesus on the Cross. This spiritual connection to the suffering Lord gives believers the strength to bear the illness as Christians.
If you or your loved one is in the hospital, please let us know! HIPPA laws prevent the hospital from letting us know when you are ill.
Whenever a Catholic is faced with a dangerous illness or whenever they are going into surgery, it is good to ask for the sacrament of anointing. This doesn't mean that they're going to die! Instead, the Church sees the Anointing of the Sick as the way that our sick brothers and sisters are grated onto the suffering of Jesus on the Cross. This spiritual connection to the suffering Lord gives believers the strength to bear the illness as Christians.
If you or your loved one is in the hospital, please let us know! HIPPA laws prevent the hospital from letting us know when you are ill.
Marriage
"'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." Eph 5:31-32
Catholics believe that marriage was created by God, and moreover, that it is actually a sacrament of the New Covenant. When a husband and wife say "I do" at the altar, God ties them together with a bond that only death can break. Since we believe that God creates the bond of marriage, Catholics do not believe that divorce can break the spiritual bonds of marriage. However, the Church does issue declarations of nullity (annulments), which say that the spiritual bond never existed due to some obstacle.
Catholics have a serious obligation to be married in the Catholic Church. If they marry civilly or in front of another church's minister, the marriage is not valid, and the couple cannot partake of the sacraments until they get things fixed. This is not to be Pharisaical, but it comes from the fact that marriage is a sacrament and we have to love and respect the sacraments!
If you are planning on getting married, please let us know 6 months ahead of time, so that we can give you all the help we can to spiritually prepare you for the big commitment you are about to make!
Catholics believe that marriage was created by God, and moreover, that it is actually a sacrament of the New Covenant. When a husband and wife say "I do" at the altar, God ties them together with a bond that only death can break. Since we believe that God creates the bond of marriage, Catholics do not believe that divorce can break the spiritual bonds of marriage. However, the Church does issue declarations of nullity (annulments), which say that the spiritual bond never existed due to some obstacle.
Catholics have a serious obligation to be married in the Catholic Church. If they marry civilly or in front of another church's minister, the marriage is not valid, and the couple cannot partake of the sacraments until they get things fixed. This is not to be Pharisaical, but it comes from the fact that marriage is a sacrament and we have to love and respect the sacraments!
If you are planning on getting married, please let us know 6 months ahead of time, so that we can give you all the help we can to spiritually prepare you for the big commitment you are about to make!
Holy Orders
"As the Father has sent me, so I also send you" John 20:21
It's no secret that Catholics need a priest to celebrate the sacraments! But, have you ever thought about the priesthood yourself? Studies show that an average of 7% of Catholic males have seriously thought about the priesthood at some point in their lives. If that's you, please don't ignore that call! If you or someone you know is discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, please let us know and we would be honored to help you discern that call.
It's no secret that Catholics need a priest to celebrate the sacraments! But, have you ever thought about the priesthood yourself? Studies show that an average of 7% of Catholic males have seriously thought about the priesthood at some point in their lives. If that's you, please don't ignore that call! If you or someone you know is discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, please let us know and we would be honored to help you discern that call.
