SACRAMENTS
Experience the profound grace and transformative power of the Sacraments at Our Lady Mercy Church.
From the innocence of infant baptisms to the solemnity of funeral services, each sacrament is a sacred encounter with the divine. Whether your journey leads you to First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, or the Anointing of the Sick, Our Lady of Mercy is here to guide and support you. Discover the richness of our sacramental life and experience the transformative power of God's love in your life.
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”. (CCI 1213)
Parents seeking to register a child for Baptism needs to fill out a form.
The sacrament of Baptism takes place at:
OUR LADY OF MERCY
• Third Sunday of the month 3:00pm (English)
• First and Third Saturday of the month 11:am (Spanish)
• Second Sunday of the month 2:30pm (Spanish)
St. Francis Xavier
• First Saturday of the month 9:30am (English)
• First Saturday of the month 11:30am (Spanish)
“The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church’s life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church.” (CCC 1407)
Parents seeking to register a child in the religious education and sacramental preparation program at a parish should themselves be registered parishioners who actively practice their Catholic faith. In the first year of enrollment, parents will need to bring a copy of the child’s baptismal certificate showing the church and city of the baptism.
Because children have reached an age of reason and maturity that enables them to understand the significance of the sacraments they are preparing to receive, the parish requires two consecutive years of catechesis in preparation of receiving First Communion. When, out of necessity, families relocate to a new parish at the end of a first year of sacramental preparation, we will provided a verification to the receiving program that a previous year of catechesis was completed.
Parents seeking to register a child in the religious education and sacramental preparation program at a parish should themselves be registered parishioners who actively practice their Catholic faith. In the first year of enrollment, parents will need to bring a copy of the First Communion certificate, child’s baptismal certificate showing the church and city of the baptism.
Because children have reached an age of reason and maturity that enables them to understand the significance of the sacraments they are preparing to receive, the parish requires two consecutive years of catechesis in preparation of receiving Confirmation.
The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator. By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament (CCC 1660)
The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life (CCC 1661)
If you wish to celebrate this holy sacrament at our parish please ———
VISIT TO THE SICK: Please let us know when a family member or neighbor is confined to the hospital, nursing home or is homebound. A member of the Ministry of Care will call for a visit.
The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.
At the death of a Christian, whose life of faith was begun in the waters of baptism and strengthened at the eucharistic table, the Church intercedes on behalf of the deceased because of its confident belief that death is not the end nor does it break the bonds forged in life. The Church also ministers to the sorrowing and consoles them in the funeral rites with the comforting word of God and the sacrament of the eucharist.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is an ongoing formation process for adults who are interested in becoming a Catholic and adult Catholics who would like to receive the sacraments of Baptism or Confirmation and/or First Eucharist.
Classes are held on Tuesdays from 7pm – 8:30pm in the Parish rectory. The program starts the first week of September.