The sacraments bring the individual and the Christian community together before the Lord in the rites of initiation. The Sacraments renew us each week in that bond and that presence, and they express what happens when two people get married, when we are reconciled to one another, to the church, to God, when we are sick and when we die. The sacraments celebrate those called into leadership as ordained ministers.   In very simple ways the sacraments mark the mornings, the meals and the nights of our lives.

Sacraments of Christian Initiation

• The Rite of Baptism The rite of baptism for infants begins with the parents asking the church to baptize their child. The bishop, priest, or deacon, in turn, makes the sign of the cross on the child and invites the parents and godparents to do the same. A lector, or the priest or deacon, then reads a passage from ...
• First Eucharist (formerly known as First Communion) Eucharist Eucharist comes from the Greek eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving. Ever since Pentecost, when the Church, the People of God, began building a church, they were sustained with the spiritual food in times of trialsl and in time of celebration. Eucharist is that food, the real presence of the risen Lord. The Second Vatican Council, in its ...
• The Rite of Confirmation The Gathering Rite includes a welcoming hospitality for the guests and candidates. The procession of the candidates precedes the procession of the celebrant, pastor, assisting priests, lector(s) and servers. The entire assembly is invited to join in singing the gathering song. The bishop or his delegate welcomes all, and begins the Eucharistic celebration. Because confirmation ...
• Rite of Chrisitian Initiation of Adults and Children Rite of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist Every society that wants to continue must admit new members. This is true of sporting leagues, universities, the unions, the United States and churches. In some societies, very little may be required to gain admittance: When you wish to become a member of a book or record club, you ...

Sacraments of Healing

• Anointing of the Sick Anointing of the Sick   Our mission as disciples of Jesus Christ is to do what Jesus did. In reading the Gospels, we learn about Jesus’ concern for the sick. Healing was essential to the mission of the disciples: “He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two . . . They ...
• Reconciliation The sacrament of reconciliation is offered at Holy Family in our reconciliation room, located in the vestibule area of the church. The reconciliation room allows for either an anonymous setting or a face to face approach. Some people find it comforting to make an appointment with one of the priests for individual reconciliation. In this ...

Sacraments of Service to the Community

• Holy Orders The Sacrament of Holy Orders is according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church “the sacrament of apostolic ministry.”(For a full discussion of Holy Orders see CCC paragraphs1536-1600) “Ordination” comes from the Latin word ordinatio, which means to incorporate someone into an order. The word order in the Roman empire meant to describe an established civil ...
• Matrimony When two people marry, the whole complex gathering of rites-some from the state, some from the family, some from the church-serves many purposes. For one, they show what all these groups think about marriage, and they try to impress these understandings on the couple. For another, they let everyone adjust to the idea that there ...

Other Rites of the church

• The Rite of Christian Burial Recently Deceased and Funeral Information Just like baptisms and marriages, so at death: The rites of a community serve several purposes. They convey a great deal about how death is understood in the group, and about what relationship there is between the living and dead. They may also convey the meaning of this individual’s life. The ...

We are honored to celebrate these sacramental moments with you as you journey in life. We are honored that you would come to us to celebrate these sacraments. St. Michael's Faith Formation team conducts sacramental preparation programs for children, youth, and adults. We gather as a community to celebrate sacramental moments throughout the year.