"'Seated at the right hand of the Father' and pouring out the Holy Spirit on his Body which is the Church, Christ now acts through the sacraments he instituted to communicate his grace. The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1084).

In order to bring us all the means necessary for our salvation in a way best receivable by us as bodily creatures, our Lord instituted the sacraments. These sacraments are all visible signs of grace that actually bring about the grace they signify. 

Baptism Confession Eucharist Confirmation Marriage Holy Orders Anointing of the Sick

BAPTISM

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“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, 1213).
 
Children who are born to Catholic families are typically baptized within a short time after birth. Our Lord is so generous with his grace that he wonderfully bestows it in abundance upon even infants, so that the words of the psalmist might be fulfilled, “on the lips of children and babes you have found praise to foil the enemy, to silence the foe and the rebel” (Ps 8:3).
 
If you are expecting a child or just had one, congratulations on the great blessing our Lord has given you. We encourage you to schedule your child’s baptism before or after birth. Baptisms are celebrated at an agreed upon time.
 
For the baptism, you also have the great privilege of choosing two Godparents for your child. The role of the Godparents is to be model Catholics in the life of your child who will assist the religious formation of your child as a good Catholic throughout his life. Both Godparents need to be 16 years old, fully initiated Catholics (having received baptism, confirmation, and Holy Communion), and be practicing Catholics, which means that they attend Sunday Mass every week, regularly make a sacramental confession, believe the truths of the Catholic faith, and seek to live their faith through prayer and works of charity. A child may have one Godfather or one Godmother or one of each. The only further restriction is that the Godparents cannot be the child’s own parents. The Godparents take on a spiritual relationship with your child that will last for their entire lives!

RECONCILIATION (Confession)

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“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, 1422)
 
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, also called the Sacrament of Confession, is the sacrament in which the penitent is forgiven of all of their sins they have committed since the last time they made a good confession. Even though it goes by different names, each highlighting a different aspect, it is one sacrament. The Catholic goes before the priest, acting in the person of Christ, who is a merciful and loving judge.  Christ desires to acknowledge the sins the penitent has committed and forgive those sins by washing them with his Precious Blood.
 
In order to prepare for this sacrament, it is important to make a good examination of conscience. This assists teh penitent in remembering their sins so they may make a good confession. Examinations of conscious can be found on USCCB website. 
 
Even if it has been a while since you have been to the sacrament, go in and be honest with the priest. He will assist you with the practical ‘how to get through confession’ details. Your job is to be open and honest with him so that our Lord is able to work as fully on your soul as he wants to. So long as you are completely honest, you confess everything that you can remember, and you truly desire to amend your life, you will find confession truly freeing, because unlike anything else,  through confession we are truly forgiven.
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EUCHARIST

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"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." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322)
 
“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, 1323)
 
The greatest of all the sacraments, the Holy Eucharist is the "source and summit of the Christian life" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324). It is the source from which all graces to aid Christian life flow and the summit as all the graces given lead those who recieve them back to the Eucharist. Then Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ and the living presence of Christ in our Church. 

CONFIRMATION

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"Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the 'sacraments of Christian initiation,' whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that 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, 1285)
 
Confirmation strengthens the confirmand's soul by deepening the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit that you receive at baptism, and it also gives the strength to go, spread, and defend the faith in response to Jesus’ command, “Go forth and preach the gospel to all nations.”

MARRIAGE

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“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, 1601)
 
Through the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, a man and a woman are joined as husband and wife in an irrevocable, covenantal bond. The husband and wife become a living witness to the Church of Christ’s unfailing love for her as the couple, no matter what difficulties might be before them, remain faithful to the promises they made on their wedding day.
 
If you have recently been engaged, congratulations! Please contact Fr. Eddie, as all arrangements for weddings through the parish must be made at least six months in advance. 

HOLY ORDERS

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"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." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1536)
 
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacrament by which men are joined to Christ in a particular way giving them powers and responsibilities needed to serve the faithful of the Church. Together, bishops, priests, and deacons form the hierarchy of the Church instituted by Christ. Their authority is given to them to be of service to the gospel and to the faithful who hold to the gospel truths.
 
The deacons of the Church are joined to Christ the servant and assists his pastor and bishop in preaching, baptisms, marriages, and other acts of service.
 
The priests of the Church are joined to Christ the head and are given the power to act in his very person especially through the sacrament of Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation but also by extension in his entire pastoral work.
 
The bishops of the Church are chosen from among the priests to shepherd entire dioceses. Bishops have received the fullness of Holy Orders, and through their ordination, they possess within themselves all that is needed for the sanctification, teaching, and governance of the faithful in his diocese.
 
If you are a young man interested in entering the priesthood, speak with Fr. Eddie, contact the diocesan vocation director by e-mailing him at  [email protected], or call the Office of Vocations, 314-792-6460. You can visit the  Office of Vocations webpage as well.
 
If you are interested in the permanent diaconate, please contact the  Office of the Permanent Diaconate.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

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“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, 1499)
 
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given to those who have encountered a serious illness that is threatening. The sacrament gives the supernatural grace first to resist the final temptation to despair our Lord’s mercy, but it also gives healing of the soul of venial sins and sometimes even healing of the body.
 
In the final moments of a Catholic’s life, he can be given what is known as the Last Rites. These Sacred Rites constitute the full arsenal of the Church’s blessings and graces that she has to offer the dying Christian. The priest who comes can hear the sick person’s confession and can immediately Confirm a Catholic in the faith if he has not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation. The priest then also gives Anointing of the Sick to the sick, gives the sick the Apostolic Pardon, and finally the sick is able to receive Viaticum. The Apostolic Pardon is a special blessing all priests are able to give as an individual approaches death to which a plenary indulgence is attached. If the individual is well disposed to received this indulgence, then by the merits of Christ’s cross he is released from the need of purgatory. Holy Viaticum is the final reception of the Holy Eucharist, the ‘food for the journey.’