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Baptism: In Baptism we receive sanctifying grace
and also a continuing chain of graces enabling us to preserve and extend
that grace by the practice of the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
The Holy Spirit is first introduced to a Catholic at Baptism. Jesus
instituted the sacrament of Baptism to apply to each individual soul the
atonement which He made on the Cross for original sin. The impression of
the baptismal character upon the soul makes us members of the Church and
imposes upon us an obligation to discharge the duties that go with our membership
in Christ's Church. This means to:
·
Lead a life according to the pattern that
Christ has given us
·
Give obedience to Christ's
representatives, our bishops and especially our Holy Father the Pope.
Baptismal
Requirements: Infant Baptism. Infant Baptism is for children
from birth to age 7. Requirements
for Parents: 1. At least one parent must be Catholic; 2. Parents must be
registered parishioners at Our Lady of the Snows; 3. All first-time
parents (baptizing their first child) and new parishioner parents must
participate in our pre-baptism formation program prior to having your
child baptized. Requirements for Godparents: 1. At least one godparent is
required. This person must be at
least 16 years old and a confirmed Catholic who lives their faith and is
willing to accept the responsibility of supporting their godchild in the
Catholic faith. 2. If there are two godparents, one must be male and one
must be female. Youth and Adult Baptism. Children ages seven and
older and adults, who have not been baptized, are eligible to join the
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program which will prepare
them for full initiation into the Catholic Church.
Confirmation (One year preparatory period
required): Confirmation increases our basic vitality (sanctifying grace)
and also establishes a permanent fund of actual graces (sacramental
grace) upon which we may draw in order to be strong and active and
productive exemplars of Christian living. During Confirmation, God the
Holy Spirit comes upon the person, accompanied by God the Father and God
the Son. This sacrament is called Confirmation, because the faith given
in Baptism is now confirmed and made strong. Confirmation means accepting
responsibility for your faith and destiny. The Catechism's section on
Confirmation says that Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. Its effects are to:
·
Root us more deeply in divine filiation
(being children of God)
·
Unites us more firmly to Christ
·
Increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us
·
Strengthens our bond with the Church
·
Associates us more closely to her mission
of bearing witness to Christ
· Helps
us and more strictly obliges us to spread and defend the faith by word
and deed
Confirmation
Requirements: Youth Confirmation (high school freshman,
sophomores and juniors). See Diocese
of Yakima Confirmation Guidelines. Adult Confirmation. Adults are eligible to join the Rite of Christian
Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program which will prepare them for
full initiation into the Catholic Church.
Eucharist: The
Holy Eucharist’s special sacramental grace is growth in supernatural
charity (love for God and neighbor).
Penance (Reconciliation):
The special sacramental grace of Reconciliation is to cure us of the
spiritual illness of sin and to help us resist temptation. For those who
have already received their first reconciliation, the Sacrament of
Reconciliation is offered:
· 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm; St. Francis Xavier, 300 S. Division Street, Cashmere
· 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm; Our Lady of the Snows, 145 Wheeler Street, Leavenworth
· Twice yearly Reconciliation Services, held during
Lent & Advent
·
Other times by
appointment
Anointing of the Sick: The Anointing of the
Sick strengthens us in sickness or prepares us to meet death with
confidence. Its sacramental grace comforts us in our sufferings and, by
supporting us in any final temptations that may assail us, enables us to
face eternity unafraid.
Holy Orders: As
the Catechism's section on Holy Orders says: this "is the sacrament
through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues
to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the
sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees"—the
orders of bishop, priest, and deacon. (Catechism, 1536). See Guidelines and Norms for
the Permanent Diaconate
Matrimony (Four
month preparatory period required): “The
deepest reason is found in the fidelity of God to his covenant, in that
of Christ to his Church. Through the sacrament of Matrimony the spouses
are enabled to represent this fidelity and witness to it. Through the
sacrament, the indissolubility of marriage receives a new and deeper
meaning.” (Catechism, 1647). See Policy
for Pastoral Marriage Preparation
For in depth information on the
Sacraments see: Code of Cannon Law: Book IV
- Function of the Church: Part I - The Sacraments
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