A sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible reality.
Mother Angelica
Baptism
Baptism is the best gift we have received. Through it, we belong to God and we possess the joy of salvation.
Pope Francis
“Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Through Baptism, God enables us to participate in his life in Jesus Christ and make us his children. It is through Baptism that we receive the Holy Spirit and become members of the People of God. By baptism, God purifies us from sin.
Baptism for the children of the age of reason or older is through our Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) program.
Reconciliation
The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.
Pope Francis
Saint Padre Pio encourages us to regular confession more than twice a year
The peace of mind and soul which this sacrament imparts to us is one for which there is no substitute. It is a peace that flows from a certainty, rather than from an unsure hope, that our sins have been forgiven and that we are right with God. A good Catholic examination of conscience can be great help in making a new start in the life of faith. Make an act of contrition daily.
First Reconciliation is part of the First Communion preparation program.
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
“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” (John 6:56)
“As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1391).
“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53)
In Holy Communion, we receive Jesus Christ, who gives Himself to us in His body, blood, soul, and divinity. This intimate union with Christ both signifies and strengthens our union with Him and His Church.
Eucharistic adoration is the first Friday of every month.
First Communion preparation is part of the Sunday School and RCIA program.
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
“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…” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1285)
The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church (together with Baptism and Holy Communion). This special anointing given by the bishop or priest has the effect of increasing, deepening, and strengthening the sanctifying grace of God given to us at our baptism; while baptism removes from our souls the stain of original sin, Confirmation pours into our souls the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit – just like the Apostles received at Pentecost.
Confirmation is a two year program within the Sunday School curriculum and part of the RCIA program.
Matrimony
There should be in the life of every married couple a continual building of the sacrament.
Mother Angelica
It was God’s instrument for the begetting, the rearing, the education, and the moral training of successive generations of human beings. Marriage was a “natural,” we might say, for elevation to the holy rank of a sacrament. Besides the priesthood, there is no state in life that pleads for grace as demandingly as does marriage.
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between one man and one woman. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy.
Like every sacrament, it gives two kinds of grace. First of all there is the increase in sanctifying grace, imparted at the very moment that the sacrament is received.
As the just-wed couple turn away from the altar, their souls are spiritually stronger, spiritually more beautiful than when they came to the altar a few moments earlier.
Couples interested in getting married in the church need to contact the parish office and set up an appointment with Father Sojan six to nine months in advance.
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.
Bishop Robert Barron
If you are someone you know feels they have a vocation to the priesthood or permanent diaconate please reach out to Father Basso or Deacon John.
Those interested in becoming more involved with the church as laity may attend the ministry formation program offered by the diocese of Saint Petersburg.
Anointing of the Sick
The anointing of the sick can be administered to any member of the faithful who, having reached the use of reason, begins to be in danger by reason of illness or old age” (canon 1004; cf. CCC 1514).
A new illness or a worsening of health enables a person to receive the sacrament a further time.
For emergencies, please call the parish office.