Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, no. 1213.
In choosing sponsors for your child for the Sacrament of Baptism, please keep in mind they must be at least 16 years of age; fully initiated in the Catholic faith; living a life in accord with the Gospels; and if married, must be living in accord with the marriage laws of the Church.
Baptism is celebrated at St. Joseph Church on Sunday following the 12:00 PM Mass. Parents are required to attend a preparation class held on the first Tuesday of each month in the Church Library at 6:30 PM. The classes may be attended before the child is born.
Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "sacraments of Christian initiation," whose unity must be safeguarded. ... The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For "by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, no. 1285.
Adults interested in receiving the Sacraments of Baptism and/or Confirmation should contact the parish office or Mr. Craig Redding, who oversees the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) program.
The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.
"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.'"
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, no. 1322–1323.
Adults interested in receiving the Sacraments of Baptism and/or the Eucharist should contact the parish office or Mr. Craig Redding, who oversees the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) program.
"Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, no. 1422.
Confession Times
"By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. and indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, no. 1499.
Please contact the parish office if you're in need of this Sacrament, or speak to a priest at Mass.
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: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.
Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, no. 1536, 1549.
Plentiful resources for discerning your vocation are available on the Diocese website.
"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, no. 1601.
As part of your engagement, the Church requires marriage preparation so that couples have a better understanding of marriage as both a sacrament and a vocation; to help you discern and deepen your commitment to each other in marriage; and to learn more about each other and yourselves before you get married. Marriage preparation is a great blessing, and numerous university studies have shown that couples who engage in marriage preparation have a significantly lower risk of divorce than couples who do not (e.g. Stanley, "Premarital Education," 2006).
Please call the parish office at least ten months prior to the date of the intended wedding. One of the parish priests or deacons will be happy to help as you prepare for this important sacrament. In order to assure the availability of the church and staff, arrangements with the parish should precede all other wedding plans. After an initial meeting with the priest or deacon, the couple will have the option of choosing which marriage formation program they would prefer:
God's Plan for Love: a conference focusing on the sacramentality of marriage and marital sexuality.
Engaged Encounter: a weekend retreat covering both life skills (communication, conflict resolution, etc.) as well as the sacramentality of marriage and marital sexuality.
For more information about the Sacrament of Marriage, please visit the Diocese of Harrisburg's Office for Laity and Family.
