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Stained Glass

Sacraments

We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith.  The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received. The invisible reality we cannot "see" is God's grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers people a share in his life, and shows us his favor and will for our salvation. Our response to the grace of God's initiative is itself a grace or gift from God by which we can imitate Christ in our daily lives.

baby being baptized

01. Baptism

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ’s call to holiness. We are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.

02. Confirmation

Confirmation marks the point in a Catholic’s journey at which you affirm for yourself the faith into which you have been baptized and your intention to live as a disciple and share your experience of God’s great Love with others.

Image by Alexis Brown
Image by Thays Orrico

03. Eucharist

Holy Communion (also called Eucharist) is the Holy Meal Jesus commanded Christians to celebrate in his memory. Catholics eat Christ’s body and drink his blood when they gather for Mass. Active Catholics participate at Mass every Sunday.

04. Reconciliation

The sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated when a person wounded by personal sin seeks out a priest to confess his sins and receive a blessing. The confession of sins and the absolution blessing of the Church heals the rift between that person and God.

Image by Isabella Fischer
Holding Hands

05. Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the sick is administered to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness, especially near the time of death. The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament.

06. Matrimony

Catholics believe a committed life-long love between a man and woman is so holy it comes directly from God … and that this love should be brought to the Church so we can publicly thank God for it and ask God to bless it.

bride and groom
picture to represent Holy Orders sacrament

07. Holy Orders

Our Catholic Church ordains certain men (by the imposition of a bishop’s hands) to be leaders of liturgical prayer, examples of service and administrators – deacons, priests, and bishops.

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