A sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible reality.
Mother Angelica
Baptism for Infants
Baptism is the best gift we have received. Through it, we belong to God and we possess the joy of salvation.
Pope Francis
Please call at least one month prior to Baptism. Class by arrangement with our Pastor.
Parents who want their sons or daughters baptized should contact the Parish Office. There is a brief period of instruction for the parents and sponsors (Godparents) for the first child. Infant baptisms are usually celebrated during or following a weekend Mass.
Reconciliation
The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.
Confession Times can be found
Children preparing for Confirmation/First Holy Communion are prepared to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This preparation occurs in the second grade (age of reason) or older. In our parish, we prepare in the fall/winter and celebrate the Sacrament during Lent.
Individual celebration of reconciliation is offered in the reconciliation room (at the rear of the church worship space). To celebrate this sacrament, come to the church and the priest will be ready for you. Individual confession is also available by appointment with the pastor.
Eucharist (Holy Communion)
The Eucharist is the bread that gives strength… It is at once the most eloquent proof of His love and the most powerful means of fostering His love in us.
Saint Damien of Molokai
Receiving of the Eucharist or Holy Communion is the third of the sacraments of initiation. During the Eucharist Prayer, the bread and wine become Body and Blood of Christ. Through the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are intimately united with Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, and all the other persons gathered for the Mass. Children of our parish begin faith formation in the kindergarten/first grade and will celebrate the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation during the following two years.
Confirmation
For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Confirmation can be conferred upon children (7 years old and older) or adults. Families of children seeking Confirmation are asked to enroll in the Sacrament Process and Family Faith Formation program. For adults who have been baptized in the Catholic Church but have not been confirmed, there is a time of preparation prior to the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation.
Adults who wish to become members of the Catholic Church are encouraged to enroll in RICA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).
RCIA/RICA
“The Right of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)”
The RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through which non-baptized men and women enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants in the RCIA are known as catechumens. They undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist. The RCIA process follows the ancient practice of the church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism.
Someone baptized in a Christian church may now wish to be a Catholic. A group similar to the Catechumenate receives instruction, guidance, and support. Reception into the church usually also takes place at the Easter Vigil.
Baptized Catholics frequently discover they have yet to “become Catholic”: some who missed essential religious formation may now be eager to continue the growth that all Catholics should experience. Throughout the year, the parish offers series and sessions for such adults.
RCIA is also offered for children of the age of reason and older but not yet adults.
Matrimony
There should be in the life of every married couple a continual building of the sacrament.
Mother Angelica
Couples interested in getting married, please contact the Parish Office at least 6 months prior to the anticipated date.
Only thoses who are parishioners, or those whose parents are St. Augustine parishioners may be married.
Holy Orders
Christ’s invitation to the priesthood is an invitation to a way of life that is athletic in its intensity and heroic in its form.
Father Robert Barron
Catholic priests are ordained by a bishop by means of the sacrament called Holy Orders. The priest is both the leader of the parish and the servant of the family of God gathered in a particular parish. He leads by example, word, deed and encouraging people to respond to Jesus’ love for us. The pastor of a parish is priest and administers the sacraments and proclaims the Word of God. He also is responsible for the administration of the parish. The priest/pastor is a servant, serving the people of God during their joys and sorrows, sadness, and contentment.
Anointing of the Sick
This can be done by scheduling an appointment with our Pastor.
When people are sick or suffering – especially for along time or with terminal disease – they become discouraged, depressed, angry and afraid. Anointing of the Sick gives people the grace, strength and encouragement to bear their illnesses with dignity until, God willing, they recover. The sacrament also assures people that they are not alone in their suffering, that God is with them and the Christian community is praying for that individual.