Sacraments &lt;div&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;div&gt; Baptism &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; Matrimony &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; Visitation of the Sick &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; Anointing of the Sick &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;

Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism initiates people into the Catholic church. It removes Original Sin from our souls and unites us to Christ. Baptism is the first sacrament Christians receive on our journeys to God.
For Children
Infant and child baptisms are celebrated on the first and third Saturday mornings at 9:30 am.

Parents seeking baptism for their children should first be registered members of our parish (see Join Our Parish under the Get Involved tab for details on registering). Godparents must provide a letter of eligibility from their respective pastor. Eligibility letters must be at the rectory no later than two weeks prior to the date of the child’s Baptism.

There are two important steps in preparing for your child’s baptism: Attending Pre-Jordan (first time parents only) and choosing Godparents.

First-time parents must attend the Pre-Jordan class before a child is baptized, preferably sometime during the months prior to the birth of your child. This class is offered on the first Wednesday of every month (except January, July and August) at 7:00 pm.
To register for Pre-Jordan class please call the Parish Office at 610-497-3340.
To schedule a Baptism, please call the Parish Office.
For additional information or questions, please contact the Parish Office.

Guidelines for Catholic Godparents
Godparents/Sponsors should realize the responsibilities which they undertake as a sponsor. At Baptism, they make a promise to guide your children in his/her efforts to live a Catholic life that reflects the spirit and teaching of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. Through their example, support, and prayer, sponsors should be prepared to assist you in raising your child as a Catholic.

A child being baptized must have one Catholic Godparent. We ask that you give this decision serious consideration. When choosing Godparents, parents should consider the following eligibility guidelines for sponsors for sacraments in the Catholic Church. Each Catholic Godparent must be able to meet the guidelines below and provide a Letter of Eligibility from their respective Pastor(s). If they cannot obtain a letter, they cannot stand as Godparent/Sponsor.

To be a sponsor, the selected person must:
Be at least 16 years of age.
Be A Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the blessed Eucharist and lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken.
Be a registered member of a Catholic parish.
Attend Mass regularly on Sundays, attend Mass on Holy Days of Obligation, and receive the Sacraments of the Church regularly.
If married, be married according to the laws of the Catholic Church regarding marriage. (Marriage witnessed by a Catholic priest in a Catholic church; dispensation from the Catholic church to marry in a church of another Christian faith and/or marriage vows blessed by a Catholic priest in a Catholic Church.)
Not be either the father or the mother of the person.

If a couple chooses to have one Catholic Godparent and one Christian Witness (a Godparent who has been baptized in another Christian Faith), this is acceptable. The non-Catholic Godparent (Christian Witness) must provide proof of Baptism in their Christian Faith. A person who has never been baptized cannot stand as a sponsor.

If you have any questions regarding the Godparent/Sponsor guidelines or situations, please contact the Parish Office.

For Adults
If you’ve been baptized in another Christian denomination, there’s no need to be re-baptized as a Catholic. If you have never been baptized, or if you have been baptized in another faith and would like to be received fully into the Catholic Church as an adult, please view the Becoming Catholic/Returning to Your Faith section under the Education tab.

Confession

The Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation, commonly called Confession, is one of the seven sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church. All three actions take place in this sacrament: the confession of sins, a penance to be made, and ultimately a reconciliation made with God. Catholics believe that all of the sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ himself. In the case of Confession, that institution occurred on Easter Sunday, when Christ first appeared to the apostles after his Resurrection. Breathing on them, he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23)

Why Is Confession Necessary
Non-Catholics, and even many Catholics, often ask whether they can confess their sins directly to God, and whether God can forgive them without going through a priest. On the most basic level, of course, the answer is yes, and Catholics should make frequent acts of contrition, which are prayers, in which we tell God that we are sorry for our sins and ask for God’s forgiveness.

But the question misses the point of the Sacrament of Confession. The sacrament, by its very nature, confers graces for the forgiveness of sins (in particular the serious ones) that help us to live a better Christian life. For this reason, because we ought to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season, it is also why the Church requires us to receive the Sacrament of Confession at least once per year. It was instituted by Christ as the proper form for the forgiveness of our sins (cf. the Gospel of John 20:22-23) so that we could hear with our own ears that we have been forgiven through Christ’s and the Church’s minister.

Making your first Confession
Children in second grade either in a Catholic school or our PREP program will prepare for their First Confession. Parents of all other minors will need to contact our Director of Religious Education.

Adults seeking to make their First Confession? Visit Becoming Catholic/Returning to Your Faith under the Education tab.

How to Make a Good Confession
Examine your conscience
Detailed Catholic Examination of Conscience
Examination of Conscience Based on the Seven Deadly Sins
Have sorrow for your sins (Act of Contrition)
Make a firm resolution not to sin again.
Confess your sins to the priest.
Accept the penance which the priest gives you.
Make a good Act of Contrition
Receive God's absolution and reconciliation with the Church.

Eucharist

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)

For Children
First Holy Communion is either prepared through
- Our Religious Education Program (PREP)
- Holy Family Regional Catholic School
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) formerlly RCIA if you are over 12 years old
For Adults
First Holy Communion is prepared through
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) formerlly RCIA if you are over 12 years old
Communion Calls For the Homebound
Each Sunday, Eucharistic Ministers take the Holy Eucharist to the sick and homebound in our parish. Please have a family member call the parish office 610-497-3340 when a member of the parish is in the hospital or if someone is unable to attend church and wishes to receive Holy Communion or has need for the Sacrament of Anointing.

Additionally, you can please contact the Parish Office 610-497-3340 if you or your homebound family member would like to have a priest visit.

Confirmation

“By the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. They are true witnesses of Christ who spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” (CCC1285)

As fully initiated members of the Church, those receiving confirmation are expected to continue to deepen their relationship with Christ, to continue to serve His Church, and to lead others to Jesus Christ. Confirmed individuals are not “graduating” from religious education, but instead are “graduating” into adulthood in the Church.

Confirmation is the beginning of a new journey as active members of the parish community, which includes serving the parish and continuing to grow in the faith.

For the children of our parish, Confirmation is either prepared through:

Our PREP program

Directly through the school if your child attends Holy Family Regional School, or

Our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program if you’re over 12 years old

Holy Matrimony

God who created man out of love also calls him to love. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is Himself love. Since God created them man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes. (CCC1604)

First Time Getting Married
Congratulations on your engagement! Engaged couples should call the parish office before making any other arrangements at least six months in advance of their desired wedding date. A prospective bride or groom must be registered in the parish to arrange for the wedding.

The Pre-Cana class is an exciting opportunity to learn more about the Sacrament of Marriage and to spend some time strengthening your relationship. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia offers Pre-Cana classes regularly. For upcoming dates, please contact the Parish Office. You may also take the Pre-Cana class at any parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as long as it is an Archdiocesan sanctioned course. You will need to bring the certificate of completion that you receive from the coordinator of the course with you and present it to the priest who his preparing you for marriage.

FOCCUS Survey
The FOCCUS survey is a resource to ensure engaged couples have talked about all the important issues as they prepare to enter the Sacrament of Marriage. All couples may complete this survey online prior to Pre-Cana classes. Contact the Parish Office to register for the survey. Please provide both bride and groom’s email address for the survey. Cost is $20 (payable at time of online registration).

Want Your Marriage Blessed?
If you have never had your marriage blessed by the Catholic Church (meaning that you are simply civilly married), you are welcomed to contact a priest of our parish to discuss how you might receive this wonderful sacrament of grace. It could be a lot easier than you think! Please contact the Parish Office.
Seeking Marriage Annulment Information?
If you have been married before, have achieved a civil divorce, and now seek an annulment, please contact one of our priests who can guide you through this process.

Some ask why we need to get an annulment before marrying again in the Church. Yet we rarely question the need for a civil divorce and lawyers before civilly marrying again. The civil separation process requires time, defenses and arguments, lawyers and investigations. But that only really addresses part of the separation. For the believer, marriage is meant to last till death do us part. There was also a commitment made either explicitly or implicitly before God in the intention of getting married. This dimension must also be investigated and pondered to see which, if any, reasons could lead to a declaration of annulment.

Annulments are not simply a “church-sanctioned divorce.” Divorce is not sanctioned by our Lord. Annulments go back to declare there never really was a marriage in the first place. This might seem technical, but it is radically different. In order to confer the sacrament, the spouses must truly intend what the Church intends for marriage. It must also be said in the same breath that once an annulment is declared, none of the children from such a union are considered in any way “illegitimate.” Every human life and every human child is precious and valued in the eyes of God and the Church.

We deeply understand that annulments can be a painful process. For this reason, it is vitally important to have a priest accompany you gently and compassionately on this road of healing. Sometimes the issue can be resolved locally in the parish (this is called an annulment by lack of form) and other times you will be counseled and guided to go through the Archdiocese. We prefer to accompany you locally as best we can. Even though this process can be difficult, please know that the Church wants to accompany you down the path towards peace and grace in your marriage and your family life. For more information, please contact the Parish Office.

Note: There are no costs attached to this process, though donations to cover Canon Lawyer fees are appreciated if their services are needed.

Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the Sick
"By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests, the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ.
"98 (CCC1499)

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available for Catholics who are sick or elderly. To make arrangements for this powerful sacrament, please call the Parish Office at 610-497-3340. If you are admitted to a hospital, please notify the staff if you wish to have a visit from a priest. Our area hospitals have clergy assigned on a daily basis. Please call the Parish Office in advance of a hospital stay if you would like to receive the sacrament of the sick.

Holy Orders

This sacrament configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church. By ordination, one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple office of priest, prophet, and king. (CCC1581)

Thinking About Becoming a Priest?

The call to follow Christ as a priest is both a great gift and a mystery. We would encourage any young man as early as high school, thinking about this possibility, to reach out to the Archdiocese as many programs exist to help men discern this possible calling. You can also always reach out first to one of our own priests in the rectory who would be glad to share with you the ways you could explore this vocation. Visit heedthecall.org for more resources on discerning a vocation to the priesthood.

Interested in Becoming a Permanent Deacon?

Catholic men (and their wives if married) with a deep spiritual life who are between the ages of 29 and 55 might feel a call to serve Jesus Christ and His Church within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as permanent deacons. These are men who feel called to serve the people of God as ministers of the Word, of the Altar and of Charity. They assist the priests in their role of caring for the Lord’s flock. Contact one of our parish priests at the Parish Office if you are interested in learning more. You can also visit scs.edu/diaconal-formation.

Church of St. Joseph

3255 Concord Road | Aston, PA. 19014
(610) 497-3340