(Photo: Crucifix in the Altar Servers' Sacristy)
"We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love. We cannot "see" the love the hug expresses, though sometimes we can see its nurturing effect in the child."
"The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received. The invisible reality we cannot "see" is God's grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers people a share in his life, and shows us his favor and will for our salvation. Our response to the grace of God's initiative is itself a grace or gift from God by which we can imitate Christ in our daily lives."
"Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of Seven Sacraments instituted by the Lord. They are the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments of Service (Marriage and Holy Orders). "
---from The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Sacraments and Sacramentals -->
Registered Parishioners - please call the Parish Office 573-351-1107 for more information about receiving the Sacraments.
Registration Form download (Forms are also available in the church vestibule)
Baptism -->
Parishioners who are registered with our parish and are attending Mass regularly, please call the parish office to schedule a meeting with a priest. No date for Baptism should be set before your meeting with a priest. Special arrangements will be made for babies in danger of death.
Through the Sacrament of Reconcilation we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins.
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. The Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament -->
Confirmation -->
In order to be confirmed, a person must demonstrate a sincere desire to complete initiation into the Catholic Church and become a full, mature, adult member. Each candidate needs an adult sponsor who is a practicing Roman Catholic who will attend the Confirmation preparation classes with him/her.
Couples are to register with the parish and notify a priest six months before a desired wedding date. Other requirements include celebrating Mass each weekend and Holy Day of Obligation and successfully completing preparation work with the priest and with the diocese. For Your Marriage.org-->
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate. (Par. 1547 Catechism of the Catholic Church). Those wanting more information should contact a priest at the Parish Office.
In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. Anointing of the Sick joins the sick person to the passion of Christ, gives peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.
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. Those who may receive the anointing are those whose health is seriously impaired by sickness, or who are about to undergo surgery because of serious illness, or are elderly and weakened by age, even if there is no serious illness.