Catholic belief is succinctly expressed in the profession of faith or credo called The Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The sacraments in the Catholic Church are sacred rituals established by our Lord Jesus Christ to impart divine grace to the faithful. They serve as visible manifestations of the invisible presence of God, guiding us through pivotal moments in our spiritual journey. Each sacrament holds a unique and profound purpose.
“The Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.” –Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1131*
Sacraments of Initiation
The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life. Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism, which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation, which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist, which nourishes the disciple with Christ’s Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ.
Baptism
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission:
“Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.” – The Vatican
Where is Baptism in Scripture?
Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19-20, John 1:32, John 3:3,5, John 3:22, John 4:1, Acts 8:36, Acts 1:47, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16 and many more!
Resources
Interested in getting your child baptized? Congratulations! Contact your local parish for next steps:
Never been baptized? Join the Church! Our doors are always open. Our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) sessions run from the fall through the spring.
Have Additional Questions about Baptism?
The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life. Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which nourishes the disciple with Christ’s Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ.
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For “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. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.
This information as well as additional information about the Sacraments of the Church can be found at: The Vatican Website
Has your child recieved the other Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism and Holy Communion) but hasn’t received the Sacrament of Confirmation? They’re always welcome! You’ll need to get in contact with your local parish to get this set up.
Resources
Are you an adult that was raised Catholic and received the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism and Holy Communion) but never received Confirmation? Know that you’re always welcome back! Our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) contains classes and teachings on Confirmation and other topics that is necessary for full formation in the faith.
Have more questions about Confirmation?
Holy Communion
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. The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ’s Passover, that is, of the work of salvation accomplished by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, a work made present by the liturgical action. The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.
Where is the Eucharist in Scripture?
Matt. 26:26-28, Mark. 14:22,24, Luke 22;19-20, John 6, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 and many more!
Resources
Has your child been baptized but hasn’t received his or her First Holy Communion? Contact your local parish for next steps.
Have you been baptized already (in the Catholic Church or another Christian church) and desire to receive or learn more about Holy Communion? We welcome you! Our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) contains classes and teachings on Holy Communion and other topics that is necessary for full formation in the faith.
Have you been away from the Church for a while and/or aren’t sure if you’re able to receive Holy Communion? Know that you’re always welcome back and God’s Love and Mercy is always available to you! The Sacrament of Reconciliation must be taken prior to partaking in the Eucharist.
Have additional questions about Holy Communion?
Sacraments of Healing
The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
Reconciliation (or Penance):
Reconciliation (or Penance): The forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is conferred by a particular sacrament called the sacrament of conversion, confession, penance, or reconciliation. One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. The confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.
The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:
Where is the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Scripture?
Matthew 9:8, Luke 5:24, John 20:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18, and many more.
Resources
Contact your local parish for reconciliation times or personal guidance. Search Parish Directory
Have additional questions about reconciliation?
Healing
Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death. The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace on the Christian experiencing the difficulties inherent in the condition of grave illness or old age. The proper time for receiving this holy anointing has certainly arrived when the believer begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age. Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also when, after he has received it, the illness worsens.
Only priests (presbyters and bishops) can give the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, using oil blessed by the bishop, or if necessary by the celebrating presbyter himself.
Resources
Does one of your friends, family members or loved ones need Anointing of the Sick? Get in contact with your parish priest to administer the sacrament.
Never been baptized? Join the Church! Our doors are always open. Our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) sessions run from the fall through the spring. More Info on RCIA
Have Additional Questions about Annointing of the Sick?
Sacraments of Service
The Sacraments of Service, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God.
Holy Orders
The whole Church is a priestly people. Through Baptism all the faithful share in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called the “common priesthood of the faithful.” Based on this common priesthood and ordered to its service, there exists another participation in the mission of Christ: the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders, where the task is to serve in the name and in the person of Christ the Head in the midst of the community.
The Church confers the sacrament of Holy Orders only on baptized men, whose suitability for the exercise of the ministry has been duly recognized. Church authority alone has the responsibility and right to call someone to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Resources and Next Steps
Do you feel that you’re being called by God to the holy priesthood? Congratulations on taking the next step in your discernment! Here in St. Louis, we’re blessed to have Kenrick-Glennon Seminary right here in our city to form men to the holy priesthood.
Have additional questions about Holy Orders?
Congratulations on Your Engagement!
The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator. By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament. 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 thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life.
Married couples will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith. The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family home is rightly called “the domestic church,” a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.
Resources
Are you ready to start the process of getting married? Learn the steps and preparation involved:
The Archdiocese of St. Louis offers Marriage Prep classes through the Office of Marriage and Family Life. Click the link below to see the class schedule and register!