SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION & SACRAMENTAL INFORMATION

           

INFANT BAPTISM     

Baptisms are celebrated after the 11:30 AM Mass ABOUT every six weeks, but never during Lent. They may also take place during Mass, if both parents are Catholic and are able to receive Holy Communion. Parents requesting baptism for a child must be registered Parishioners and must attend the Pre-Baptism Preparation class before a date can be set. Sponsors [Godparents] are strongly encouraged to attend this session, which is held the second Tuesday of every month from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Please call the Parish Office in advance to sign up for this mandatory class. Upon registration, you will receive a Parish Baptism Preparation Booklet which should be read before attending the class or choosing godparents.

According to Canon [Church] Law a Sponsor [Godparent] must:

1.   be a Baptized and Confirmed Roman Catholic who attends weekly Mass and regularly receives Eucharist [The Church, like most groups or organizations, only permit full-fledged. active members to sponsor new members]

2.   be at least l4 years old [exceptions are possible if already Confirmed]

3.   lead a good, moral life one that is consistent with Church teaching, and be a Christian role model

4.   not be one of the parents

5.   if married, the marriage rite must have been performed according to the rites and regulations of the Catholic Church

6.   be a registered member of their own parish from which they must obtain a Sponsor Certificate even if their current parish is Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church

Only one sponsor is necessary for Baptism; by ancient custom two are usually chosen: a godfather and godmother. Hence, if two are chosen, Canon Law requires one to be a female and the other male. In some cultures, numerous godparents are chosen; in this case, the Church may only record one godfather [male] and one godmother [female] sponsor.

Since only one sponsor is needed, a non-Catholic Christian may be chosen AS LONG AS ONE SPONSOR IS CATHOLIC. This `Christian Witness` must be a baptized member of a Christian faith community who fulfills all other sponsor requirements above: #2, #3, #4 & #6. A Catholic can never serve as a Christian witness.

Since godparents join parents in renewing their Baptismal Promises at the Rite of Baptism, the non-baptized cannot be a sponsor. While members of other faiths are warmly welcomed to attend our rites, they cannot partake in Eucharist or serve as godparents, as they cannot renew the Baptismal Promises they never made.

ADULT BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, FIRST EUCHARIST OR BECOMING CATHOLIC THE RCIA: RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS
Journey in Faith

This four step process is designed to welcome new members into the Church. It is a process for anyone desiring to know more about our Catholic way of serving the Lord. The RCIA is for the unbaptized, the baptized non-Catholic and the Catholic preparing for the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. The RCIA team consists of a Director, Sponsors, Sharers of the Word and involved parishioners who are willing and anxious to share their faith with those seeking to make a profession of faith within the Catholic community. The RCIA process is conducted during and after the weekly liturgy.

FIRST RECONCILIATION [PENANCE or CONFESSION]

A Parent Workshop is held for children preparing for First Penance; contact the Religious Formation Office for details. Children must regularly attend and take part in weekly Mass before they are admitted to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Adults wishing to celebrate First Penance, or to return to the Sacrament, should contact a priest.

FIRST EUCHARIST

A parish must be centered around the Table of the Lord`s Word [the ambo] and the Table of the Lord`s Sacrificial Supper [the altar] to reach its fullest potential. Most preparation for First Eucharist takes place at all Masses on select weekends; children are prepared to join the community at its Table at these special `Learning Masses.` Contact the Religious Formation Office for details. Adults wishing to celebrate First Eucharist should enter the RCIA [see above]

First Holy Communion 2007


First Holy Communion Pictures

CONFIRMATION

Candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation, which takes place in this Parish during Eighth Grade, are obligated to actively participate in weekly Mass, attend regular Religious Formation sessions for at least two years, and take part in the additional parish Confirmation Candidate Preparation Program, which includes special Learning Sessions, special rites at Mass, an all-day Retreat and other events. Candidates must carefully review the above-listed `Sponsor Eligibility` requirements, as a Confirmation sponsor must be Catholic and fulfill all the other requirements. Contact the Religious Formation Office for details. Adults wishing to celebrate Confirmation should enter the RCIA [see above.]

Confirmation Candidates 2007

MATRIMONY

Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays beginning at 11:00 AM, the last wedding on Saturday is 2:30PM; Friday weddings may be celebrated at any time, but may not include a Mass; Sunday weddings are celebrated after 2:00 PM but may not include a Mass. A parishioner requesting Marriage must contact the Parish Office a minimum of one year in advance of the proposed wedding date. Please call the Parish Office for a definite date before making any other arrangement, as the church and/or officiant is not available at all dates or times. Please see the right side bar for more Church policy information on getting married at our Church.

ANNULMENTS AND DECLARATIONS OF NULLITY

There is much misinformation and confusion concerning Church teaching on divorce, annulment and remarriage. To be VALID, a marriage must be freely, truthfully entered into by two persons who know each other as best as possible and who intend to fulfill the ideals of marriage. If a Bride or Groom is CATHOLIC, the marriage MUST be performed in a CATHOLIC church, by a VALID CATHOLIC PRIEST or DEACON, according to rites of the CATHOLIC CHURCH or with EXPLICIT PERMISSION elsewhere/by another officiant. The marriage of two Catholics who marry in any other way may be INVALID. Such marriages are readily validated by a priest or deacon as long as there is no other invalidating factor, such as a previous valid marriage. Catholics in an invalid marriage may not receive Eucharist or serve as a sponsor or godparent - but they are NOT excommunicated!

To dissolve an invalid marriage, the Church simply declares it NULL since it did not take place properly from the start; the fee for a Declaration of Nullity is $100.00 and takes about two weeks to process.

When a valid marriage ends in civil divorce, divorced or separated Catholics MAY continue to receive Communion, serve as a sponsor, etc. Their status only changes if they enter another marriage before the previous marriage is officially declared NULL or is ANNULED.

An annulment does NOT say the marriage never took place, which denies reality. An annulment rules a marriage non-binding because it was not properly entered into: one or both parties were not free, truthful or lacked full awareness of self or the other; the ideals of marriages were not understood; etc. A marriage performed by a valid priest or deacon [not a so-called `rent-a-priest` - usually a former priest who hires himself out for a fee] or the marriage between two non-Catholics is presumed VALID and needs an ANNULMENT to be dissolved. The fee for an annulment in this diocese is $600; financial difficulty will not stop the process, which can take up to one year. Please speak to a priest or deacon for more information or clarification. Every Catholic in a broken marriage is strongly urged to seek guidance on this important issue.

HOLY ORDERS

All Catholics are obligated to pray for Vocations to the Priesthood, Diaconate or Religious Life, and to prayerfully support those who have answered God`s call. Anyone who feels called by God to serve the Lord and the Church as a priest, deacon, religious sister or brother should speak to someone who is already serving the Lord in these ways. They should also contact the Vocation Office of the Diocese of Metuchen at 732-562-1990 x 1700 or via the diocesan website, www.diometuchen.org - click on the Vocation Information page.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

All Catholics should avail themselves to the grace of the sacraments in times of sickness or in preparation for death. Sadly, there is much confusion about the Sacrament of the Sick or Anointing of the Sick which is not necessarily a preparation for death. The Church no longer speaks of Extreme Unction; the prayers and intentions of the revised Anointing are for the recovery, comfort and spiritual strength of those who bear the cross of illness or infirmities of old age. Those in danger of death should receive Eucharist in a special service called Viaticum, literally, `food for the road` - which a priest, deacon, or special lay minister of the Eucharist may lead. Please do not delay in celebrating these uplifting, hope-filled rites in times of sickness or death; contact the Parish Office as soon as someone is sick or in danger of death. The Parish has an active Prayer Chain which offers intercessory prayer for any petition.

PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK & DYING

Roman Catholic chaplains, assigned to most hospitals, should be contacted through the hospital`s Pastoral Care Office upon admission. The Patient Privacy Act forbids chaplains and visiting clergy from using hospital rosters to find parishioners, so as not to breach the privacy of those who wish confidentiality. Our parish ministers try to visit area hospitals, so please notify the Parish Office when you or a loved one is hospitalized-and make sure you give the patient`s name, hospital, and room number.

HOME BOUND PARISHIONERS

The Eucharist is brought to the homebound by special ministers of the Eucharist at mutually agreeable times. Please contact the Parish Office to make arrangements to have the Eucharist brought to the homebound.

THE RITE OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL