Baptism
Parents are responsible for bringing their child to the Sacrament of Baptism as soon after birth as possible. In order that a child be baptized, it is necessary that the parents consent, and that there is reasonable hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith. Parents will be required to meet with Father and fill out a baptism application one month before the projected baptismal date. Please contact the office to set up an appointment.
It is extremely important to take your faith life seriously because, before God, you have taken on an awesome responsibility for the salvation of another: your own child!
FAQ:
-Godparents. A person may have one or two godparents; if two are chosen, they must be one male and one female. In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent they must be chosen by the parents, have the ability and the intention to fulfill the role, be at least 16 years of age, and be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist, is leading a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith (including Marriage) and will be a good role model for the one being baptized, and be neither the father nor the mother of the child. A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a “Christian witness” (not a godparent) provided that there is at least one Roman Catholic godparent who fulfills the above criteria.
-Are you living in a parish other than the one in which you wish to have your child baptized?
You are required to take your Baptismal Preparation in the parish in which you reside and then receive a testimonial letter from your Parish Priest to have your child baptized in another parish. This requirement respects the reality that pastors normally have sacramental jurisdiction only over their own parishioners. Therefore, when one seeks a sacrament outside of one’s parish, the proper pastor’s permission is necessary.
First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion
Preparation for these second grade sacraments takes place during CCD. Parents must attend a parent meeting in the fall, and will be given a schedule, as well as the expectations for their child's preparation. If your child still requires these sacraments but is older, please contact the office.
Confirmation
Preparation for this eighth grade sacrament takes place during CCD. Parents must attend a parent meeting in the fall, and will be given a schedule, as well as the expectations for preparation. If you are an older student or an adult who requires confirmation, please contact the office.
Marriage
The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament” (Code of Canon Law, c. 1055, §1). Because Christian marriage is a sacrament, the Catholic Church wants couples to be wellprepared. The Church offers marriage preparation to help couples develop a better understanding of the sacrament; to evaluate and deepen their readiness to live married life; and to gain insights into themselves as individuals and as a couple. Couples planning to marry at St. Francis, St. Mary or St. Martin's Chapel should contact the office, 605-720-3579, at least six months before their anticipated wedding date to begin the marriage preparation process. Diocesan guidelines do not permit us to set a definite date for the wedding until the pre-nuptial questionnaire has been completed and marriage prep has begun.
Anointing of the Sick
In the Church's Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin, and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising. The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient. When the Sacrament is given, the hope-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. Anointing of the Sick is offered during Mass on the First Friday of each month, or by request.