Sacraments

Reconciliation is the sacrament in which we are forgiven by God and the Church for our sins. When we celebrate Reconciliation, we receive God’s help to do God’s loving will, to avoid all forms of sin, and to live as God’s people. We can receive the sacrament of Reconciliation individually.

The Rite of Reconciliation includes an Examination of Conscience, in which we think about how well we have been living God’s will; Confession, in which we tell our sins to a priest in private; Contrition, in which we tell God we are sorry for our sins; Penance, in which we say prayers or do good deeds to make up for the hurt caused by our sins; and Absolution, in which the priest forgives us by making the sign of the cross over us and saying in part, “Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” These words and the stole the priest wears are the signs of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Sacrament of reconciliation is administered every Saturday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, or any other time based upon request.

Saint Pope John Paul II taught that “The Eucharist builds the Church. The Church is formed and grows through the Eucharist and mature Catholics understand what they are giving and what they are given in the Eucharist.  They rightly hold the Eucharist as the ‘gift par excellence.’ In it, they are nourished and grow as Disciples.”  It is truly the “source and summited of our faith” (Canon 897). Therefore, all our activities, ministries, Faith Formation and liturgical celebrations find as their center, the Holy Eucharist!  As Catholics, we are Eucharitic people and as such, participation in the celebration of the Lord’s Last Supper each and every week are hallmarks of this sincerely lived out faith.

​​The celebration of the Sacrament of First Holy Communion here at St Rita’s Catholic Church, is celebrated in the Second Grade (or at the age of 7).

Canon 879 states that: “The Sacrament of Confirmation strengthens the baptized and obliges them more firmly to be witnesses of Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith. It imprints a character, enriches by the gift of the Holy Spirit the baptized continuing on the path of Christian initiation, and binds them more perfectly to the Church.”

The Sacrament is conferred by the anointing of chrism (consecrated by the bishop usually at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week) on the forehead, the imposition of hands and through the prescribed words, by the bishop of the diocese (or his representative) [Canon 880§1].

The Sacrament of Confirmation is usually celebrated in a church and during holy Mass

The ultimate goal of celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage is to enrich the faith life of each spouse, which is (hopefully) already being practiced. However, we realize that not everyone is on the “same spiritual page.” Therefore, this may be a time of grace to re-commit yourselves to the Lord and to promise to return to attending Sunday Mass regularly as a couple before your wedding day, so that when you are married in church, you are already comfortable in this place of worship and in the Lord’s House.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders is what makes men into priests (just like the Sacrament of Baptism makes a person into a Christian). Like baptism and confirmation, holy orders ‘marks’ the soul and changes it. This really is just as mysterious as it sounds; the Church describes this mark as “an indelible character.” Baptism, confirmation and holy orders all confer a distinct character on the person recieving it, a character that lasts forever–in this life and in the life to come.

The character of Holy Orders is what allows a priest to act in persona Christi, a Latin hrase that translates to “in the person of Christ.” This is how the priest celebrates any Sacrament, not by his own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit moving through him.

The Church needs priests. Without men answering this call from Christ, who will give the Sacraments to the next generation? Do you think that God might be calling you to serve Him as a priest?

There is quite a bit of confusion and mystery surrounding the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. In many cases, this was once called “extreme unction” or “last rites.” In recent years, the Church has moved away from this language, because it suggested that the Sacrament could be recieved only once and that it was to be recieved only in the last moments of life. Neither of these suggestions are true.

The Cathechism puts it this way: “The Anointing of the Sick ‘is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.'”

If you or someone you know needs the anointing, please call the church administration office. Both Fr. Kevin and Fr. Michael are willing to set up appointments for the anointing, especially if some kind of medical procedure is planned in advance. Additionally, any priest is able to get into the hospital, hospice, nursing home, private residence, etc. in emergency situations.