Sacraments
The seven sacraments of the church provide us with God’s grace. Learn about each one below.
The Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism is the Sacrament of spiritual rebirth, and the first Sacrament received in the Catholic Church. This Sacrament is celebrated by the symbolic action of washing with water and the use of ritual words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” With this action and these words, the baptized person is cleansed of all sins and incorporated into Christ. The newly baptized becomes a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, and receives the graces of the supernatural life.
If you are a member of Saint Bernard’s Parish and want to schedule a baptism for yourself or your child, call the parish office and speak to the pastor. If you are not a registered member, talk with your proper pastor and obtain a letter of permission to have your child baptized at Saint Bernard’s Church. Then call the pastor and schedule an appointment to discuss the details. Every effort is made to make the timing of the Sacrament convenient for the family.
Every baptized person needs a Christian sponsor. Only one sponsor is required, either male or female. Traditionally children have two sponsors, a male, and a female. Please note that two people of the same sex will not be admitted as sponsors in the Catholic Church. Sponsors are to be practicing Catholics who attend Mass weekly and celebrate the other sacraments often. They have been initiated into the Catholic Church by having received Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist. If they are married, their marriage must be valid according to the norms of the Catholic Church. If you choose a sponsor who is not a member of Saint Bernard’s Parish, the sponsor will need a “Sponsor Certificate” from their parish. This certificate attests to their membership and active participation in weekly Mass and the other sacraments. (Please be aware that an unbaptized person or a person who does not practice the Catholic Faith is not suitable as a sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation.)
The Holy Eucharist
Reception of the Holy Eucharist completes our initiation as full members of Christ’s Body, the Church. This Sacrament is the “source and summit of the Christian life” and signifies/causes our union with the Blessed Trinity, and it is the source of unity among God’s holy people. The Holy Eucharist is also called Holy Communion because it unites us to Christ Jesus and forms us into His Body. Catholics believe that when we receive Holy Communion, we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. Jesus instituted the Eucharist as a memorial of His death and Resurrection and commanded His apostles to celebrate it until His return in glory. From her very beginnings, the Church has been faithful to this mandate, gathering each Sunday to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Church will never cease doing so until our Lord returns at the end of the ages.
Typically, parish youth receive their First Holy Communion in the spring of second grade. Our parish requires a two-year preparation for the Holy Eucharist’s Sacramental reception by attending first and second grade in our School of Religious Education. Adults who wish to receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time should call the pastor and schedule an appointment. They can prepare by attending the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation completes the sacramental grace of Baptism. This Sacrament gives the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit, enabling the Christian to witness to the faith by word and deed actively. Confirmation binds the newly confirmed more closely to the Church and unites him more firmly to Christ. It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to live more deeply our life in Christ.
The parish’s youth prepare to receive this Sacrament by a two-year preparation in seventh and eighth grade. Seventh grade reviews the roots of the Christian life in scripture and church doctrine. The eighth grade includes a catechesis on the Holy Spirit and the meaning of the Spirit’s gifts. This preparation awakens in the confirmands a sense of belonging to the universal Church and the local parish. Through teaching, prayer, and acts of Charity (community service), the one to be confirmed grows in an understanding of what it means to be a fully initiated Church member.
Parish youth receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the eighth grade, usually in the spring of the year. The Diocesan bishop usually confers the Sacrament. Saint Bernard’s Parish requires youth to attend the seventh and eighth grades in our School of Religious Education (CCD). Adults who wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation should call the pastor to schedule an interview. They may also join the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, leading to the Sacrament’s reception.
The Sacrament of Penance (Confession)
According to the Catholic Church’s Catechism, Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance for His Church’s sinful members. Baptized Christians can commit the gravest sins, lose sanctifying grace, and wound the Church’s unity. In celebrating this Sacrament, the Church continues the healing ministry of Jesus. Christ came into the world as the Divine Physician, healing the wounds of sin. For Christ’s faithful, sin is a great evil because it offends my relationship with God, my neighbor, and myself. The sinner needs God’s grace to experience true conversion. Sin offends God’s honor and breaks our union with God. Sin also ruptures communion with the Church. No Christian can progress in the spiritual life with recourse to the forgiveness and mercy Christ offers in this Sacrament.
The Sacrament of Penance (Confession) is celebrated on Saturdays from 4:00 – 4:45 PM and Sunday mornings one-half hour before each Mass. Confession is also available before all morning Masses, by appointment, or by request.
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
In His earthly ministry, Jesus healed the sick, primarily through the laying on of hands and His words. Jesus commissioned His disciples to continue His healing mission through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Today’s rite of anointing includes the priest’s laying on of hands, prayers for healing, and the anointing of palms and forehead with consecrated oil. The Sacrament brings spiritual healing to fortify the sick person and conform them more closely to the suffering Christ. It can restore physical health and associates the Christian with the Lord’s passion.
Any baptized Catholic, who becomes seriously ill with disease or through old age, can be anointed. Call the pastor and schedule the anointing, either at home, at church, or in a health care institution.
The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
In the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, a baptized man and woman vow their love in an exclusive, permanent, faithful, sexual partnership that lasts all the days of their life. Love, respect, care and concern, and a shared responsibility in raising a family mark this holy union. Christian marriage is a great sign of God working through the love of husband and wife. Christ Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament. Christians understand that a good marriage is not merely a civil contract; instead, it is a holy covenant involving three persons: the man, the woman, and Christ, who promises to bless, sustain, and rejoice in their union.
Saint Bernard’s Parish has a plan and process for preparing a couple for the Sacrament of Matrimony. You will be asked to meet with a trained mentor couple and with the pastor or parish deacon. To begin marriage preparation, call the parish office to schedule an appointment with the pastor or deacon. Please note: You must clear your wedding plans, date, and time with the parish before making arrangements with wedding/reception venues or making commitments or contracts that cannot be changed.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders
If you are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or diaconate, please contact the pastor.
Contact Us
If you would like to contact the parish office, please use our online contact form to send us a message.
If you have a pastoral emergency, please call the rectory.