Baptism
"The door which gives access to the other sacraments . . ." (CCC:1213)
Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments. It is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification. The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ. (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 1279)
To schedule a baptism, contact the parish office for a date. Participation in the Baptismal Program is required. Parents must be registered parishioners and practicing Catholics.
Godparents (one man, one woman) must be in “good standing” with the Catholic Church and have no impediments to the reception of Holy Communion.
Reconciliation/Penance
"Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20:23)
Those who approach the sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) 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. (CCC:1422)
First Confession is generally celebrated in second grade for children and within the RCIA program for adults.
Confessions are heard 30 minutes before each Mass and any other time by appointment with the pastor.
Holy Eucharist
"Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." (John 6:53)
The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC:1324). The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church’s life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church (CCC:1407). At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ’s Body and Blood. (CCC:1333).
First Holy Communion/Eucharist is generally celebrated in second grade for children and within the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program for adults.
Confirmation
"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." (CCC:1285)
Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church, together with Baptism and Eucharist. Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism by a special outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which seal or "confirm" the baptized in union with Christ and equip them for active participation in the worship and apostolic life of the Church (CCC: 1285).
Baptized youth who have been regularly attending formal religious formation classes either in Catholic schools, parish religious education programs, or sanctioned home-school programs for the last two years, and will be age 15 by the date of Confirmation, can be confirmed after completion of a parish-based program of preparation for the sacrament. The program normally runs through the school year from September through May. Contact the parish office for more information.
Confirmation sponsors must be in “good standing” with the Catholic Church and have no impediments to the reception of Holy Communion.
To register for Confirmation classes, call Christina Coveyou at 319-573-8162 or the Parish Office at 319-362-7181.
Matrimony
"God Himself is the Author of marriage." (CCC:1603)
Marriage is a covenant or partnership of life between a man and a woman, which is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children. When validly contracted between two baptized people, marriage is a sacrament (the Sacrament of Matrimony) (CCC: 1601)
To schedule a wedding, contact the pastor at least six (6) months in advance. You can reach him by calling the Parish Office at 319-362-7181.
Anointing of the Sick
"By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ’s Passion . . ." (CCC:1521)
Anointing of the Sick is administered by a priest to a baptized person who begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age, through prayer and the anointing of the body with the oil of the sick. The proper effects of the sacrament include a special grace of healing and comfort to the Christian who is suffering the infirmities of serious illness or old age, and the forgiving of the person’s sins (CCC: 1499, 1520, 1523, 1526–1532).
A general Anointing of the Sick is held during Mass twice a year during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. The times and dates are announced ahead of time.
If someone is seriously ill or is about to have surgery, please contact the Parish Office at 319-362-7181, and we will make sure they receive the sacrament. If the person is at Mercy Medical Center, there is a chaplain who can anoint him/her--just tell the nurses to contact the chaplain. There is also a priest that covers St. Luke's Hospital.
Holy Orders
"This sacrament configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ’s instrument for his Church." (CCC:1581)
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. (CCC: 1536)
The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ - Head of the Church - before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice. (CCC: 1552)
Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination (CCC: 1577).
Men who are considering a vocation to the priesthood can contact Fr. Jon Seda, Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Dubuque via email: DBQCVO@dbqarch.org, or phone, 515-292-1192.
