Sacraments

Infant Baptism

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." (CC 1213)

Please contact the Rectory four months before the expected birth.

Reconciliation

Given that sin destroys our relationship with God and undermines our relationship with other human beings, "reconciliation" designates that precise effect of Christ's redemption of the human race that restores our relationship with God and our human fellowship.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated on Saturdays from 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM and Wednesdays from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM. For information about First Reconciliation, please contact the Rectory.

Parishioners in our Religious Education program or in a Catholic School make their First Reconciliation in their second grade year. For more information, please contact Judene Indovina in the Rectory.

First Communion

The Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Through this sacrament of initiation we participate with the whole community of believers in the Lord’s own sacrifice. Parishioners in our Religious Education program or in a Catholic School make their First Communion in their second grade year. For more information, please contact Judene Indovina in the Rectory.

Confirmation

Confirmation brings to completion the grace received through baptism. By this sacrament the baptized are more perfectly bound to the church and are enriched by the strength of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation at St. Joseph Parish is celebrated every two years (in uneven years). Candidates are in the 8th or 9th grade. For more information, please contact Judene Indovina in the Rectory.

Marriage

The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. (CC 1601)

Please contact Fr. Rich at least six (6) months before making any wedding plans.

R.C.I.A.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a journey toward becoming a full, participating member of the Catholic Church. This modern rite was restored in the late 1970s, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, but it is based on the ancient "order of catechumens," which dates to the earliest years of the church's history.

For more information about our parish's RCIA program, please click here or contact Judene Indovina in the Rectory.

Holy Orders

Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his Apostles continues to be exercised in the church. It includes three degrees: diaconate, presbyterate and episcopate.

Please contact Fr. Rich or visit the Diocesan Vocations Office's web page for more information.

Anointing of the Sick

Through this sacrament, the whole church commends those who are ill to the Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. Those who suffer are united to the Passion and death of Christ.

For more information or to request the sacrament, please contact the Rectory.