Sacraments
The Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which Divine life is given. There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders. The seven Sacraments span all stages of natural life and all important moments of the Christian life. Sacraments are classified as Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist), Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick), and Sacraments of Service (Matrimony and Holy Orders). The Eucharist occupies a unique place as the Sacrament of Sacraments and all the other Sacraments are ordered to it as to their end. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1131,1210,1211]
Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism is the foundation of Christian life, the entrance to the life in the Spirit and access to the other Sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from original sin, become heirs to the Kingdom of God, are incorporated into the Church and become sharers in the Mission of the Church. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1213]
Baptisms of infants and young children are celebrated, for families who are members of the parish, every Sunday at 2:15 p.m. in the church. Parents generally must attend a preparation session before the baptism can be celebrated. Appointments for the preparation session and baptism should be made with the parish office at (410) 531-6040.
Baptisms of school age children may need to be arranged through our religious education program. Please contact Vickie Yozwiak at (410) 531-6688 for more information.
Baptisms of adults are arranged through our adult education programs, such as ALPHA and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Contact the parish office at (410) 531-6040 for more information.
Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit helps us grow to Christian maturity. The Sacrament strengthens our bond with the Church, associates us more closely with her Mission and helps us bear witness to the Christian faith in words and deeds. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1316]
Confirmation is offered annually to senior high school students. Students who request this Sacrament are prepared through a special program and must already be attending religious education classes or attending Catholic high school. For more information, please contact Kristin Daub at (410) 531-6668.
Adults wishing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation are prepared according to a process designed specifically for their needs. They may contact the parish office, (410) 531-6040, for more details.
Eucharist
The Sacrament of the Eucharist has its origin at the Last Supper when on the night Jesus was betrayed, He instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of His Body and Blood. This He did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until He comes again. In this Sacrament, Jesus entrusts to his Church a memorial of His death and Resurrection, the Sacrament of Love, a Sign of Unity and a Bond of Charity, in which Christ is consumed, and our minds are filled with grace and a pledge of future glory. The Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith through the actions of the Holy Spirit and the Real Presence of Jesus; His Body and Blood become present under the form of bread and wine. It is through the Eucharist that each of us are nourished by Jesus to seek God's Will. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1323,1327]
Read our Frequently Asked Questions about Communion.
Children are generally prepared to receive their first Holy Communion when they reach the second grade. They are prepared through a special program and must already be attending religious education classes or attending Catholic grade school. Older children may be prepared separately from the second graders. For further information, please contact the Religious Education Office at (410) 531-6688.
Adults who wish to be initiated into the sacrament of Holy Communion should contact the parish office at (410) 531-6040.
Holy Eucharist is offered at all our weekend and weekday Masses. Please consult our Mass schedule for more information. The Creating a Sense of the Sacred series of homilies also provides additional insights.
Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance was instituted by Jesus, the physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, His work of healing and salvation. Jesus has willed that the life and actions of his Church be a sign and instrument of forgiveness and reconciliation. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1442]
Children are generally prepared to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time when they reach the second grade. They are prepared through a special program and must already be attending religious education classes or attending Catholic grade school. Older children may be prepared separately from the second graders. For further information, please contact the Religious Education Office at (410) 531-6688.
Adults who wish to be initiated into the sacrament of Reconciliation should contact the parish office at (410) 531-6040.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Saturdays from 3:15 - 3:55 p.m. and 5:00 - 5:25 p.m. It is recommended that penitents arrive at the beginning of the time periods to ensure adequate opportunity to receive the sacrament. Parish penance services are held during Advent and Lent and are announced in the parish bulletin. Individuals may also call the parish office at (410) 531-6040 to arrange for a personal appointment with a priest to celebrate the sacrament.
Anointing of the Sick
The Sacrament of the Anointing the Sick has as its end the conferral of a special grace on people experiencing a grave illness or old age. The Church exhorts the Christian who is ill to unite with the Passion and Death of Christ. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1511,1499,1513]
The Sacrament of the Sick may be received by any Catholic who is facing a serious illness or is of advanced years. Individuals who are planning to enter the hospital are particularly encouraged to receive the sacrament before their admission by calling the parish office at (410) 531-6040 to arrange for an appointment with a priest. Pastoral staff members and volunteers will visit those who are in the hospital, nursing home, or confined to their own home. Please notify the parish office whenever someone enters the hospital or desires a pastoral visit.
Matrimony
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 perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1661]
To celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony in St. Louis Parish one of the partners must be a registered member for at least one year and the couple must contact one of the priests or deacons at least six months prior to the wedding date for proper assistance.
Please consult our Guidelines for Weddings brochure for additional information. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the brochure.
Holy Orders
Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time. The Sacrament's three degrees (Episcopate, Presbyterate, and Diaconate) are conferred as follows:
- Bishops (Episcopate) receive the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which integrates them into the Episcopal college and makes them visible heads of the particular Church entrusted to them. As successors of the apostles and members of the college, the bishops share in the apostolic responsibility and mission of the whole Church under the authority of the Pope.
- Priests (Presbyterate) are united with the bishop in sacerdotal dignity and called to be the bishop's prudent co-workers in the exercise of their pastoral functions. They gather around their bishop who bears responsibility with them for a particular church. They receive from the bishop the charge of a parish community or determinate ecclesial office.
- Deacons (Diaconate) are ordained into the ministry of service to the Church. Deacons do not receive the ministerial priesthood, but ordination confers on them the functions of the Ministry of the Word, Divine Worship, and Service of Charity under the pastoral authority of their bishop. [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994 Reference: 1536,1595,1596]
For additional information on vocations, please contact one of the parish priests or deacons at (410) 531-6040, or call the Vocation Office of the Archdiocese of Baltimore at (410) 547-5431.