The liturgical life of the Catholic Church revolves around the
Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. There are seven sacraments
in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing
of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders.
The purpose of the sacraments is to make people holy, to build up
the body of Christ, and finally, to give worship to God; but being
signs, they also have a teaching function. They not only presuppose
faith, but by words and object, they also nourish, strengthen, and
express it; that is why they are called "sacraments of faith." The
sacraments impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of
celebrating them disposes the faithful most effectively to receive
this grace in a fruitful manner, to worship God rightly, and to
practice charity.
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Christ the Redeemer provides formation classes for parents and
Godparents. This formation meets the requirements of the Diocese of
San Bernardino. The two required sessions are scheduled every other
month in preparation for baptism celebrations in the following
month. The due date for submission of the baptismal form is
published in the bulletin.
Parents: To begin the process for the baptism of infants and
children under seven years of age, parents will need to come to the
parish office to complete a Baptismal Information form and bring a
copy of the child’s birth certificate.
Requirements for Godparent are dependent on current status and may
include: 1) Certificates of baptism, 1st Eucharist, and
Confirmation, 2) Certification of Baptism class completion within
past two years or attendance at the CTR class, 3) A letter of good
standing from parish if they are not registered at Christ the
Redeemer.
During the initial appointment the baptismal form will be reviewed
and the schedule of the formation sessions and date of the baptism
celebrations will be provided.
The The guidelines for families involved in sacramental programs at Christ the Redeemer are as follows (all of the following criterion must be met for a child to be eligible to participate):
The child has been baptized in the Catholic Church and a copy of the certificate is on file at our office.
The child is in second grade or higher to receive First Holy Communion.
The child has participated in at least one year of religious education in either a parish program ir Catholic school (if the classes are from another parish we need a letter from the parish where the class was attended).
The child’s family is registered at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church.
The child will participate in their grade level classes and their sacramental classes. Parents will participate in the parent classes at the scheduled times.
We will provide a retreat for each sacrament in which you and your child can participate. Parent and sponsor attendance at these retreats is essential if a child is to adequately be prepared to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation or Eucharist.
Confirmation is a two year process. Candidates must be at least a freshman in high school to start confirmation preparation. Candidates must be baptized in the Catholic Church and must have already received the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. Consistent participation in Youth Ministry and regular Mass attendance is required. At least one retreat must be attended at each year of sacramental preparation for Confirmation.
Your decision to be joined in the Sacrament of Marriage brings many
changes in your lives as Christians and as members of Christ the
Redeemer. It is important therefore, that you spend some time in
preparation for this new role.
We are deeply concerned that a couple wishing to marry understand
the position of the Catholic Church in regard to the sacramental
nature of Marriage, children and the special indissoluble commitment
they will be asked to make to each other and to the Church.
Every couple wishing to marry at Christ the Redeemer must notify the
office at least six months prior to the proposed wedding date; they
must participate in a pre-marriage program and must complete various
documents.
The anointing of the sick is administered to bring spiritual and
even physical strength during an illness, especially near the time
of death. It is most likely one of the last sacraments one will
receive. A sacrament is an outward sign established by Jesus Christ
to confer inward grace. In more basic terms, it is a rite that is
performed to convey God’s grace to the recipient, through the power
of the Holy Spirit.
Contact the parish office to arrange for an anointing.
Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God.
Christ reminded his Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the
harvest to send laborers into the harvest. Those who seek priesthood
respond generously to God's call using the words of the prophet,
"Here I am, send me" (Is 6:8). This call from God can be recognized
and understood from the daily signs that disclose his will to those
in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate.
For additional information visit the
diocesan website.