Baptism

Baptism is the first sacrament of initiation and the gateway to life in Christ. It cleanses individuals from original sin, making them members of the Church and followers of Jesus.

Through the pouring of water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity ("In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit"), the baptized person is reborn spiritually.

In most Christian traditions, baptism can be administered to infants, children, or adults, signifying their new life in Christ and their entry into the Christian community.

Confirmation

Confirmation deepens the grace received at Baptism, strengthening the individual’s connection to the Holy Spirit. It is often considered the sacrament of maturity, as it equips Christians with the spiritual gifts needed to live out their faith with greater conviction.

The sacrament is administered by a bishop, who anoints the recipient with chrism oil and invokes the Holy Spirit. Confirmation grants the individual the courage and fortitude to defend their faith and actively participate in the mission of the Church.

The Eucharist

The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, is a Christian sacrament that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. Coming from the Greek word eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving,” it is considered the central act of Christian worship and is celebrated by most Christian denominations.

The Eucharist involves the eating of bread and drinking of wine, which are thought to transform into the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the ritual. This transformation is believed to have taken place when Jesus enacted it during a Passover meal shortly before his death. According to the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—and Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), he told his disciples to perform this rite in remembrance of him, signifying their continued participation in him through the new covenant God made between himself and humanity.

Historically, the Eucharist has held deep spiritual meaning for Christians. It is believed to be the real presence of Christ and a central act of worship in many Christian churches. Early Christians celebrated it as part of a community meal, recognizing Jesus' presence in their midst. Later theological interpretations, such as Catholicism's doctrine of transubstantiation, began to stress that the substance (or reality) of the bread and wine becomes Christ's body and blood, while their physical "accident" or appearance remains unchanged. This sacrament reflects Christianity's basic conviction about the self-giving love of Jesus and anticipates the heavenly banquet in God's kingdom.

Holy Orders

The sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Jesus Christ’s priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles. Thus, the Church refers to the sacrament of Holy Orders as “the sacrament of apostolic ministry.” “Ordination” comes from the Latin word ordinatio, which means to incorporate someone into an order.

In the sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ at one of three levels: the episcopate, the priesthood, or the diaconate. So, too, do those men/women who continue the apostolic priesthood through ordination today. Through Holy Orders, priests are entrusted with a sacred responsibility — that is, an obligation to lead God’s people by engaging in works oriented to faith, hope, and charity.

Priests pray publicly with us through word (preaching), sacrament (celebrating), and counsel (guiding). They give of themselves unreservedly day in and day out for the spiritual welfare of themselves and their parish families.

The three levels of ordained clergy in the Church are deacon, priest, and bishop. Each level of ordination means a man is being configured to Christ permanently in a way so that he can serve him and his people through his office. Deacons are ordained ministers who perform many of the same tasks as priests and bishops. However, they also have special responsibilities of their own. Deacons minister alongside priests and bishops — in parishes, hospitals, prisons, in the military, and many other contexts.

Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation — also called Penance or Confession — is how Catholics can have their post-baptismal sins forgiven. Those who receive the sacrament of Reconciliation are also then required to do acts of penance. This sacrament reconciles the penitent with God by restoring sanctifying grace to his or her soul. In Reconciliation, the penitent, who examines his or her conscience, confesses his or her sins to a priest to receive absolution and spiritual guidance from the bishop/priest presiding.

The sacrament is based on Christ’s words to His apostles when He granted them the authority to forgive sins (John 20:23). An outward sign instituted by Jesus Christ to impart grace, the sacraments help us with our spiritual journey through God’s creation. They assure us of God’s boundless mercy and His desire that all be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

Marriage

The Sacrament of Marriage represents a covenantal union between two individuals, establishing a lifelong partnership. It is inherently oriented towards the well-being of the spouses. In Christian matrimony, the spouses fully commit to each other in love, mirroring the devotion Christ holds for the Church.

By entering into this sacrament, the couple vows to love and support one another through thick and thin—the very definition of God’s Love. The Church recognizes marriage as both a natural institution and spouses as a sacred union, elevated to a sacrament by Jesus Christ. In this sacrament, the grace that flows from Christ through his Church helps those called to marriage to live out their vocation with ease…well…at least part of the time!

Through the sacrament, God's grace is given to the couple, helping them to live out their marriage vows and carry out the mission they are given together. Marriage is not only a partnership, in which we help one another. It is also a vocation through which one or both people. serve God and the community by living out Christ’s love for us in their relationship.

The sacrament makes the love of the couple holy, a conduit of salvation and spiritual life. As they grow in faithfulness to one another and to the mission that they are meant to accomplish together, their marriage becomes a sign of God’s presence among us, an indication of the deeper realities of love, forgiveness, and grace that come from God.

Anonting of The Sick

The Anointing of the Sick, historically known as Extreme Unction, is a sacrament in which the Church offers spiritual healing and strength to those who are seriously ill or near death. Rooted in Christ’s healing ministry, this sacrament provides comfort through the anointing of the forehead and hands with blessed oil, accompanied by prayers for the sick person’s health, peace, and spiritual well-being. According to James 5:14-15, the sacrament involves calling upon the elders of the Church to pray over the sick, anointing them in the name of the Lord. The primary grace of this sacrament is the strengthening of the soul, giving the recipient courage, peace, and, if it is God’s will, physical healing.

Anointing of the Sick also prepares the faithful for the final journey toward eternal life. It unites the suffering person with Christ’s own suffering and redemptive death, offering comfort and hope in the face of illness and mortality. When administered at the point of death, this sacrament is sometimes called the Last Rites, accompanied by Confession and the Eucharist, known as Viaticum, as spiritual preparation for passing into eternal life. Through this sacrament, the Church expresses Christ's compassion and mercy, providing the individual with grace and strength, whether for physical recovery or for a peaceful and holy death.