Sacraments

 

SACRAMENTS AND WORSHIP

As Catholic Christians, the people of Holy Spirit Parish are a worshiping community and a sacramental people.  As a people who have passed through the waters of baptism, we are called to celebrate our faith in a public manner.  We are sacramental in our belief that all life is sacred and that it is possible to meet Jesus Christ in others and in our everyday experience.

The purpose of our liturgy is to proclaim and provoke the reign of God; to do what Jesus has done and what He has commanded us to do in His memory.  To accomplish this, the liturgy requires the full, active, conscious participation of the assembly.
Because we understand baptism to be primary, we also hold that the ministry of the assembly is primary.  As all ministries derive from baptism, so all ministers come out of the assembly of the baptized.

Our sacramental tradition also allows us to be public persons of faith, to experience God and reflect on that experience in deeply powerful ways.  Theologian Bernard Cooke says: “Sacraments are moments of reflection, shared with one another in celebration, that bring together and deepen all our other reflections about life,”

Preparation for the celebration of the sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation and Confirmation are two year processes.  It is the policy of the Diocese of Richmond that candidates for these sacraments be enrolled and in regular attendance in Christian Formation classes the year prior to, as well as the year of, the celebration of the sacrament.  It is also expected that children and their parents will participate in preparation in addition to their regular class time.

• Baptism
• Reconciliation
• First Eucharist
• Confirmation
• Matrimony
• Holy Orders
• Annointing of the Sick