By Baptism, we become members of the Church, the Body of Christ.

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ’s call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with an ever deeper love.

Baptism for Infants and children under the age of 7

Below are the steps that you will be taking on this journey.

• Complete the Online Baptism Registration here or call the Parish Office for assistance in filling out the form (419-562-1346).
• In order for you to fully understand the Sacrament of Baptism, there is a series of videos on the Sacrament of Baptism for you to watch.
• There are two parent preparation classes, one with a deacon, and one with the priest.
• The baptism date will be scheduled once these steps are completed.

Choosing a godparent:

Sponsors assist the parents in raising the child through their journey of faith.

The Church can admit a person to the role of godparent if that person is a Catholic who…

• Is at least 16 years of age
• Is not the father or mother of the person receiving the sacrament
• Has received the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Eucharist
• If married, has done so according to the laws of the Catholic Church
• If single or divorced, is not living with someone with whom he/she is in a romantic relationship
• Regularly participates at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days
• Contributes to the well-being of the parish at which he/she is registered
• Does not contradict the Catholic Church in serious matters of faith and morals.

Sacramental Sponsor – requirements and form

Baptism for older children

For the baptism of a child older than six, please contact the Parish Office.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me, and I in him” (Jn 6:51, 54, 56).

And as they were eating He took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them and said, ‘Take, this is my body.’ And He took a cup and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them and they all drank of it and He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the New Covenant which is poured out for many (Mark 14: 22-24).

The sacrament of Eucharist brings to completion the Christian process of initiation. In this sacrament, we remember what Jesus did for us in his life, death, and resurrection. We remember particularly the Last Supper, that final meal Jesus shared with his disciples. At that meal, Jesus gave us the Eucharist so that we could remember him in a special way. When we receive Communion, we believe that we receive the person of Jesus into our very beings. We become one with him, and we become one with each other. As a community, we become ‘the body of Christ’.

First Communion

Children prepare for First Communion in the 2nd grade.  Preparation for this sacrament is through PSR, which runs September through April.

Any child who comes to the parish asking to receive a sacrament must attend one full year of our PSR program prior to the year in which they are to receive their sacrament(s). In other words, a child must faithfully attend the 1st-grade classes before he/she will be permitted to receive as a 2nd grader the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. In addition, all children preparing to receive sacrament(s) are required to attend and participate in a specific retreat for each particular grade. These retreats are determined either by the Diocese or the parish and will be communicated to the students as to when and where they are offered.

First Communion Sacramental Information Form

In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ.

“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. For by the sacrament of Confirmation, the [faithful] are more perfectly abound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” (CCC# 1285)

Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus.  We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five effects of Confirmation:

• It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation [as sons of God] which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!”;
• It unites us more firmly to Christ;
• It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
• It renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
• It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.

Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God’s presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts.

Confirmation

Children prepare for Confirmation in the 8th grade. Preparation for this sacrament is through PSR, which runs September through April.

Any child who comes to the parish asking to receive a sacrament must attend one full year of our PSR program prior to the year in which they are to receive their sacrament(s). In other words, a child must faithfully attend the 7th-grade classes before he/she will be permitted to receive as an 8th grader the sacraments Confirmation. In addition, all children preparing to receive sacrament(s) are required to attend and participate in a specific retreat for each particular grade. These retreats are determined either by the Diocese or the parish and will be communicated to the students as to when and where they are offered.

Sacramental Sponsor – Eligibility Form

Parish School of Religion (PSR) Attendance Policy for Receiving Sacraments

Confirmation Sacramental Information

Sacrament of Confession & Examination of Conscience Guide

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me, and I in him” (Jn 6:51, 54, 56).

And as they were eating He took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them and said, ‘Take, this is my body.’ And He took a cup and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them and they all drank of it and He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the New Covenant which is poured out for many (Mark 14: 22-24).

The sacrament of Eucharist brings to completion the Christian process of initiation. In this sacrament, we remember what Jesus did for us in his life, death, and resurrection. We remember particularly the Last Supper, that final meal Jesus shared with his disciples. At that meal, Jesus gave us the Eucharist so that we could remember him in a special way. When we receive Communion, we believe that we receive the person of Jesus into our very beings. We become one with him, and we become one with each other. As a community, we become ‘the body of Christ’.

“Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord”   James 5:14

 Who should receive this sacrament?

“The sacrament may and should be given to [any Catholic] whose health is seriously impaired…it may not be given indiscriminately or to any person whose health is not seriously impaired.”

(Pastoral Care of the Sick, General Introduction, footnote [*] to para. 8, emphasis added)

This means things like an aching knee would not in itself be enough reason to seek the sacrament. The sacrament should not be thought of as a general remedy for current ailments or to ward off future illnesses. As indicated below, it is intended primarily to address spiritual issues related to serious health issues.

When should a Catholic person receive this sacrament?

“…as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age.”

(Pastoral Care of the Sick, Apostolic Constitution, para. 6)

The Church here recognizes that a person needs not to be in the actual process of dying to receive this sacrament. The person needs only to be experiencing a condition that seriously impacts his/her health. This includes serious mental illnesses, but not things like the common cold or non-serious effects of old age.

What are the effects of this sacrament?

“…raises up and strengthens the soul of the sick person, arousing a great confidence in the divine mercy. Thus sustained, the sick person may more easily bear the trials and hardships of sickness, more easily resist the temptations of the devil…and sometimes regain bodily health, if this is expedient for the health of the soul.” Pastoral Care of the Sick, Apostolic Constitution, para. 6 quoting Council of Trent)

“The Church exhorts [those who suffer] to contribute to the welfare of the whole people of God by associating themselves with the passion and death of Christ (see Roms 8:17, Col 1:24, Tim 2:11-12, 1 Peter 4:13).” The Church empathizes with those who suffer and calls them united their sufferings to Jesus at Calvary. As St. Paul says, “now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body, which is the Church.”

Congratulations on your engagement! As you prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage, may you be filled with God’s grace and blessings! This is one of the happiest times of your life as you enter the mystery of the Sacrament of Marriage. Your marriage preparation is a serious and joyous time of formation guided by the Church in the family of faith.

“Marriage, as instituted by God, is a faithful, exclusive, lifelong union of man and woman joined in an intimate community of life and love. They commit themselves completely to each other and to the wondrous responsibility of bringing children into the world and caring for them. The call to marriage is woven deeply into the human spirit.”

You should contact the Parish Office (419-562-1346) as soon as you get engaged, and before you set a date.  A minimum of six months is required before a wedding date can be scheduled in order to allow time for marriage instruction classes.

While coordinating all the details of your wedding may be time-consuming and occasionally frustrating, remember the wedding is a day, the marriage is a lifetime.  Your faith, the faith of your fiancé(e) or your faith as a couple is an important component in your life. Our instruction classes are to prepare couples for their married life together beyond the ceremony.

Complete the Marriage Request Form or call the Parish Office for assistance.

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)

In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest being ordained vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other means to holiness.

Is God calling you? Be open to listening to God. Embrace the possibility of whatever God has in mind for you. All of us are called by God to be disciples and to grow in our understanding of what faith is about.

Becoming a priest or a man or woman religious is not primarily our own decision…. Rather it is the response to a call and to a call of love.

—Pope Francis, Address to Seminarians and Novices, July 6, 2013

From the moment of Jesus’ conception in the womb of Mary until His Resurrection, He was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In biblical language, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and thus established by God the Father as our high priest. As Risen Lord, He remains our high priest. . . . While all the baptized share in Christ’s priesthood, the ministerial priesthood shares this through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in a special way.

“Here I am, send me.” (Is 6:8)

Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God. Christ reminded His Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest.  Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God’s call using the words of the prophet, “Here I am, send me” (Is 6:8).  This call from God can be recognized and understood from the daily signs that disclose His will to those in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate.

If you would like more information, please call the Parish Office

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Parish Office Manager is dedicated to making this process as easy as possible.  To schedule a meeting to plan the funeral Mass, please call the Parish Office (419-562-1346).

 Please click the link below for the funeral readings.

Funeral Readings & Mass Intentions

Pre-plan your funeral

Planning in advance allows families to make joint decisions free of the stress they would be under at the time of death. We will guide you through the Funeral Mass and you can make choices about what readings, prayers, and hymns you want.  If you would like to pre-plan your funeral, please call the Parish Office (419-562-1346).