Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. 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.
The Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Through Baptism, the faithful are destined for the worship of the Christian religion.
Through Confirmation, the Holy Spirit endows the people of God with special strength to spread and defend the faith, both by word and by deed, as true witnesses of Christ.
In the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of the whole Christian life, the faithful offer the Divine Victim to God, and offer themselves along with It, and manifest the unity of the people of God in the Mystical Body of Christ.
The Sacraments of Healing
Through Penance, the faithful obtain pardon from the mercy of God for the offenses committed against Him and are reconciled with the Church, which they have wounded by their sins.
By the Anointing of the Sick and the prayer of her priests the whole Church commends the sick to the suffering and glorified Lord, asking that He may lighten their suffering and save them.
THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION
Through Holy Orders, those called by God are appointed to feed the Church in Christ’s name with the word and the grace of God.
In Matrimony, Christian spouses reflect the unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and His Church, and help each other to attain to holiness in their married life and in the rearing and education of their children.
Funerals
Information for planning the Funeral Mass of a loved one.