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Marking Time Through Life As Christ's Own
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The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
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This is the first sacrament and the one "by which we are made Christians, children of God, members of his holy Church, and heirs of heaven."
A person can be baptized at any age, from a day-old infant to a 20-something adult to an elderly person on his death bed. It is the first step in becoming Roman Catholic. The Church recognized baptisms in any Christian denomination, and therefore does not require converts to be baptized a second time.
If you are interested in being baptized or in having your child baptized, talk with the priest or parish administrator.
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This is the sacrament "by which we receive the Holy Spirit, through anointing and laying on of hands, to make us soldiers of Christ and stronger, more perfect Christians."
The usual time for a Roman Catholic to be confirmed is as a teenager. For those who make a deliberate decision to enter the Church later in life, converts to Roman Catholicism must be confirmed as the final step in becoming full Catholics. (It is common for adult converts to be baptized and confirmed on the same day.)
The preparation involves a period of intense discernment and prayer accompanied by a sponsor who is a member of the parish and by the director of the parish's Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). The OCIA program typically involves weekly meetings from September until Easter Vigil in order to learn about the Roman Catholic Church and to discern one's calling to the Church.
If you are interested in becoming Roman Catholic, talk with the priest or parish administrator about participating in OCIA during the next cycle.
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This is the sacrament "by which the elements of bread and wine become the true and substantial Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ." The changing of the bread and wine into the actual Body and Blood of Christ is called transubstantiation. This spiritual food nourishes, strengthens, assists, and consoles the souls of the faithful on their way to beatitude with God. In order to celebrate Holy Eucharist, we offer the Mass.
All Roman Catholics who are not in a state of mortal sin are invited to Holy Eucharist at any Mass. Going to confession before Mass can bring a Roman Catholic into a state of eligibility for receiving the Eucharist. Those who are not eligible for any reason, such as young age, a state of mortal sin, or not being a confirmed Catholic, can approach the priest or Eucharistic Minister during Communion with arms crossed over the chest and will receive a blessing rather than the Eucharist.
First Communion is the rite of passage by which a Roman Catholic becomes eligible to receive Holy Eucharist. Roman Catholics typically go through this rite around age 7. For adult converts, the rite is part of the Mass for confirmation.
If you are interested in learning more about the parish's expectations (including etiquette) related to Holy Eucharist, go to the About Divine Worship page. If you would like to pursue the rite of first Holy Eucharist for yourself or your child, talk with the priest or parish administrator.
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This sacrament is commonly called Confession. It is the means by which sins committed against God (after Baptism) are remitted and forgiven and the soul is restored to the state of grace. Sins can be the less serious "venial sins", or the more serious "mortal sins." They can be sins of omission—things not done that should have been done, or sins of commission—things done that should not have been done. Sins for which a person is truly sorry are appropriate for the confessional.
Priests follow in succession from St. Peter, who was given the power and authority for "whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matt. 18:18) This means that Jesus gave Peter and his successors the power to forgive sins on behalf of God.
Confession is made privately to a priest. In accord with longstanding tradition, priests cannot divulge to anyone under any circumstances information that is offered in the confessional. For example, priests cannot give any information to law enforcement about crimes confessed. Sins are between the penitent and God, with the priest as the mediator who acts on God's behalf.
Confession may be made in the specially designed confessional that is commonly found in older parish buildings, or in a private, face-to-face conversation in any sort of room. The difference between these is that in confessionals, the priest and the penitent cannot see each other.
After the penitent makes his or her confession, the priest gives absolution for the sins and prescribes an appropriate penance. Most Catholics enjoy the feeling of a weight lifted from their shoulders after Confession.
The sacrament is recommended at least annually, during Lent. Many priests recommend confession more often, as often as every two to three weeks. Catholics go to Confession as often as they choose to do so.
Times for Confession are published by parishes along with Mass times. Commonly, Confession is scheduled for walk-ins 30 minutes to an hour prior to a Mass and also by appointment. However, it may be scheduled at any time during the week, including early mornings and lunch times.
Roman Catholics can choose to go to confession to any priest; he does not need to be a priest at the parish one belongs to.
At St. Alban's, walk-in confession is scheduled for 45 minutes prior to Mass and is conducted face-to-face in a small room off the nave.
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This is the sacrament "by which, during serious illness, grace comforts the soul, remits sin, and restores health of the body and peace of mind, insofar as God deems it expedient."
Many parishes offer anointing of the sick on a regular basis after a Mass. Those with serious illness who cannot come to Mass can contact the priest or parish administrator to request that the priest visit the hospital, facility, or home and administer the sacrament.
If you are affiliated with St. Alban's and are suffering from a serious illness and would like the sacrament of anointing, contact the priest or parish administrator.
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This is the sacrament "by which God orders men to the sacred ministry of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons and wherein the Church confers on them the power and grace to administer the Sacraments and to perform their sacred duties for the salvation of souls."
In every generation everywhere that the Catholic Church can be found, God calls men to the priesthood and diaconate. While some respond positively and enter seminary, many ignore this call. The most common reason for ignoring it is that they wish to marry. Today, the most common reasons why men pursue their calling are a desire to respond to God's love for them with love in return, to live their lives fully as God intended, to fill a worthy need, having a desire to make a difference, to do good, and to live the adventure to which God calls them. The Church needs positive responses from more of the men who have been called.
The Ordinariates have their own bishops, priests, and deacons who are formed specifically to serve us. Since the Ordinariates worldwide have only existed since 2011 or 2012, we are still cultivating the first generation of clergy.
If you believe that God has called you to serve and you want to pursue your calling, contact the priest or parish administrator to discuss next steps.
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This is the sacrament "by which a man and woman enter into a holy covenant, establishing a lifelong bond of fidelity, and agree therein to imitate Christ's love for the Church, for the begetting and education of children, for the formation of Christian families, and for the mutual aid and society of the spouses."
If you would like to get married in the Ordinariate at St. Alban's, contact the priest or parish administrator at least six months in advance of the wedding date.
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Contact Us About Sacraments for You or Your Child
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If you have not been baptized
Adults go through several months of preparatory discernment and learning about the Roman Catholic Church. The first step is to contact the parish administrator to talk about the period of preparation to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation. After this preparation, one receives all of the sacraments needed for conversion—Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation—at one Mass. These sacraments are usually administered as a special ritual at the Easter Vigil or the Pentecost Vigil. We invite you to contact us to discuss the program of preparation.
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If you have been baptized
Baptism in any Christian church is considered valid by the Roman Catholic Church, not needing to be repeated. In order to become Roman Catholic, one needs the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Confirmation, along with the period of preparation. We invite you to contact us to discuss a personal program of preparation. You can be received into the Church at any time when you are ready to commit to the Church.
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If you are a parent
For your child, three sacraments are available: Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Contact us to talk about beginning the process of preparation.
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