Sacraments

Sacraments at Saint John Vianney Parish are community celebrations for experiencing God’s loving and saving grace. Sacraments identify sacred, significant and important moments in the Catholic faith journey.

The word Sacraments is derived from the Latin word, sacramemtum. It means a “sign of the sacred.” The seven sacraments are ceremonies instituted by Christ as outward signs of inward grace.

For more information on the sacraments, visit the American Catholic website.

Sacraments of Initiation

• Baptism

  For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God.
  
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• Eucharist

  Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God.
  
  

  First Communion

  Students enrolled and regularly attending catechesis, or oral teachings, through Christian Formation department or Saint John Vianney School, receive First Communion in second grade. Parents, with assistance from catechists, prepare children for the sacrament.
  
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  Homebound Ministry

  Members of Saint John Vianney Parish stay connected with parish members who are not able to celebrate Mass together due to illness or physical / mental incapacities.
  
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• Confirmation

  Confirmation is a Catholic Sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts. It is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation for Catholics. It is most often associated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
  
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Sacraments of Healing

• Reconciliation

  The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance, or Penance and Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God's unconditional forgiveness; as a result we are called to forgive others.
  
  

  First Reconciliation

  Children enrolled and regularly attending catechesis through Christian Formation department or Saint John Vianney School, participate in First Reconciliation in second grade.
  
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• Anointing of the Sick

  The Catholic Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness.
  
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Sacraments of Service

• Holy Matrimony or Marriage

  For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person. It is also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of family values and also God's values.
  
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• Holy Orders or Ordination

  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.