Posted on July 1, 2018 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus! Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo! Praised be Jesus Christ!
I wish each of you a happy upcoming Fourth of July. Please be sure to pray for our nation this upcoming week, for our government, our military, and our fellow citizens. While our country may be flawed in many ways, it remains one of the greatest nations on earth. Pray and give thanks for the blessings and opportunities offered here, and pray that our country will do the will of God!
Following up regarding the reception of the Sacraments, that I mentioned two weeks ago. In the coming weeks, we will begin registration for Catechism in the fall. If you have a child who will be receiving a Sacrament, please be sure to enroll them in Catechism. First Confession and First Holy Communion are received in the second grade, and the Sacrament of Confirmation is received in the eighth grade. For those who would like to receive Confirmation in the Traditional Rite, we do not have a standing practice at this time. This past year, Bishop Perry from Chicago came to Dayton to offer the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is something they offer every three years. I am sure they would welcome us again when a bishop visits. For those would prefer not wait a few years, it would be possible to obtain faculties from the Archbishop. The registration form will include this pertinent information, so please be sure to indicate the preference, and we will begin planning appropriately.
Concerning the other Sacraments. For the Sacrament of Baptism, please contact the parish office before the birth of the child, especially if you hope for a quick baptism. This helps us to collect the information we need before the baptism but also gives us the opportunity to verify that the godparents are Catholics in good standing if we do not know them. Without this certification from their pastor, the baptism can’t take place with them as the godparents.
For the Sacrament of Marriage, please note that marriage prep is at a minimum six months. So please contact the parish office with plenty of notice for this preparation and also to secure your desired date.
Regarding both Baptism and Marriage, I can not promise or guarantee who the minister will be. I realize that parishioners feel a connection with this or that priest, but I also have to ensure that the schedule is fair between the priests. So while you can suggest, for both Baptism and Marriage, the minister schedule is on a rotation, and the assignments go through me.
For Holy Orders, or if someone feels called to Religious Life, please speak to one of the priests for direction, advice, and assistance. The Church needs good and holy priests and religious, so please consider such a vocation!
For the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, please do not wait until the last final moment to try to contact a priest. Both Old St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart have emergency options on their auto-attendants. Please call as soon as possible and leave as much information in the phone message. We try to respond within an hour.
I hope that this helps answer some questions and clarify a few things for you. Have a blessed week ahead!
