Baptism is the Sacrament by which someone becomes a child of God and an heir of heaven, the life of grace begins, original sin and any personal sins are forgiven and the one baptized becomes a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Parents should not unnecessarily postpone the baptism of their child.
Children should be baptized as soon as possible after birth.
For a child to be baptized at Most Sacred Heart Parish, the parents should be registered, practicing members of the parish.
To arrange for a baptism, call Deacon Tom (636-938-6966) or the rectory. The parents are expected to attend a baptism class. The schedule for these classes are in the bulletin.
According to Church law, a child must have at least one godparent. Godparents must be: a baptized, confirmed Catholic; at least 16 years old; a practicing member of the Church; not the child's mother or father. One who is not Catholic may act as a witness to the baptism during the ceremony.
When naming a child, parents are advised to use a recognizable form of a saint's name so that the child will have a patron saint who can serve as a hero or guide for the child in his or her Faith. The patron Saint need not be the child's first name.
Those who are not registered parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish need permission from their own Pastor if the baptism is going to take place here.
Baptisms are usually held on Sunday afternoons after the last Mass. There will be no baptisms during the season of Lent.
No specific offering is expected for a baptism.
Anyone who is at all interested in becoming a member of the Catholic Church will be warmly welcomed by all of us at Sacred Heart. Our Parish is a family as is the whole Catholic Church. We'd love to share the warmth and stability of the Church with anyone who is searching for the Truth.
If you know someone interested in joining the Church, please refer them to the Pastor. Sacramental preparation ordinarily takes place in the modern catechumenate process where unbaptized adults are properly prepared by religious instruction and spiritual formation to receive the Sacraments of Initiation and take their place in the membership of the Church. Members of the parish pastoral staff and their parishioner volunteers help to sponsor candidates for preparation for the Sacraments.
Unlike former private instructions, the catechumenate process seeks to acquaint the candidate with the parish community. Adults who have been baptized in another Christian tradition and are discerning the decision to come into full communion in the Catholic church also benefit from this model of religious instruction and formation.
Unlike the practice of Infant Baptism, Adult Christian Initiation celebrates all three Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at once, usually at the Easter Vigil celebration. Inquiry sessions usually begin in late August or early September. Please contact Father Schilli for information.
In the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist we truly become one with Christ as we receive His Body and Blood. His Real Presence is a gift not only to the Church, but to us as individuals. Reception of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church signifies and is communion with God and communion with the rest of the Church.
Reception of Holy Communion is regulated by, among other considerations, this 1986 statement from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops "Guidelines for Receiving Communion":
- For Catholics
Catholics fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when they receive Holy Communion in fulfillment of Christ's command to eat His Body and drink His Blood. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, communicants should not be conscious of grave sin, have fasted for an hour, and seek to live in charity and love with their neighbors. Persons conscious of grave sin must first be reconciled with God and the Church through the sacrament of Penance. A frequent reception of the sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all.
- For Other Christians
We welcome to the celebration of the Eucharist those Christians who are not fully united with us. It is a consequence of the sad divisions in christianity that we cannot extend to them a general invitation to receive Communion. Catholics believe that the Eucharist is an action of the celebrating community signifying a oneness in faith, life and worship of the community. Reception of the Eucharist by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist, and for which we must all pray.
- For Those Not Receiving Communion
Those not receiving sacramental communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another.
- We also welcome to any celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus. While we cannot extend to them an invitation to receive Communion, we do invite them to be united with us in prayer.
Ordinarily speaking, Catholics may receive Holy Communion any time they attend Mass, even if it is more than once a day. This is a change in Church law from previous practices.
Likewise, Catholics should not receive Holy Communion in a non-Catholic church. If you have any questions in this regard, please contact Father Schilli.
The children of Sacred Heart Parish are prepared to receive their First Holy Communion in classes presented in Sacred Heart School or the Parish School of Religion. The 2nd grade Communion Class of both Sacred Heart School and the Parish School of Religion makes their First Holy Communion the first sunday in May.
Those not registered in SHS or PSR for the entire Communion Class will receive private instructions and can make arrangements to receive First Holy Communion individually at the time and date of their choice.
Those who are unable to attend Mass at Sacred Heart can arrange to have Holy Communion brought to them in their homes. Please call the rectory.
Catholics are obliged to receive Holy Communion once a year during the Easter Season.
The Lord gave us Confession as a means of being cleansed of our sins. The Sacrament of Penance (Confession or the Sacrament of Reconciliation) is routinely scheduled on Saturday afternoons from 4-4:45. Our confessionals provide for confession on a face-to-face basis or, if you prefer, from behind a screen if you wish to remain anonymous. Catholics are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Penance regularly, at least during Lent and in preparation for Christmas. By Church Law, those conscious of serious sin must confess as soon as possible and may not receive our Lord in Holy Communion until they have received absolution sacramentally. If you have any questions in this regard, please contact Fr. Schilli.
In Advent and Lent, the parish offers Penance Services in Church so that greater numbers of penitents can be accommodated. Several priests are available at these times. Check the bulletin for times and dates.
The children of Sacred Heart are prepared to make their first Confession in Second Grade, either in Sacred Heart School or in the Parish School of Religion. First Confession is usually held before Advent.
Those not enrolled in SHS or the PSR for the first Confession program will receive private instructions and can arrange to make their first Confession at a time and on a date of their choosing.
Since Catholics are obliged to receive Holy Communion once a year during the Easter season, those in the state of mortal sin must go to confession in order to make their Easter duty.
Confirmation, along with Baptism and Holy Communion, is one of the Sacraments of Initiation. Confirmation is the Sacrament by which we receive the Holy Spirit in a special way.
Children: The Children of Sacred Heart Parish are confirmed in the 8th grade soon after Easter. The date is determined in conjunction with the Chancery Office on the basis of availability of the Bishops of the Archdiocese.
The Confirmation program extends the two years of 7th and 8th grade. Seventh grade serves as a time to review the fundamental beliefs and practices, morals and teachings of the Catholic Church. Eighth grade provides an opportunity to put the Faith into practice by 1.) becoming more familiar with ways in which the Church needs the active involvement of all of its members and 2.) actually providing opportunities for "hands on" practice of the Faith in prayer and charity.
Those not enrolled in Sacred Heart School or the Parish School of Religion can take private instructions for Confirmation. Those not in the Confirmation Class can be confirmed at the Cathedral of St. Louis on Pentecost Sunday, fifty days after Easter.
Adults: Those adults who have not yet been confirmed can arrange to be confirmed by contacting the rectory. In the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the usual "make-up" date for Confirmation is Pentecost Sunday at the St. Louis Cathedral. At Easter time a notice will appear in the bulletin reminding those who have not yet been Confirmed to contact Father Schilli. Private instructions or a Confirmation Class for Adults will be arranged prior to the reception of the Sacrament.
Those who are becoming Catholic as adults have the option of being confirmed at the Cathedral on Pentecost Sunday or receiving the Sacrament at the time of their adult baptism or Profession of Faith in the Catholic Church.
In the Sacrament of Matrimony a man and a woman commit themselves to a perpetual, faithful and fruitful life together and, in so doing, the two become one in Christ.
For a complete copy of marriage policies at Sacred Heart, please
contact the rectory. In brief, however, the following should be kept in mind:
The Common Marriage Policy of the State of Missouri was written to guide and direct marriage preparation in every Catholic Church in our State. What is not covered by the
Common Policy is governed by the universal law of the Church, Canon law.
The Common Policy calls for the couple to contact the Church at least six months prior to the proposed date for the wedding. This is to guarantee that the couple has enough time to adequately complete the following: 1.) a marriage "inventory" administered by the priest to help the couple determine their readiness for marriage; 2.) marriage classes which serve as an instruction on the spiritual, financial, emotional, relational, child rearing and everyday aspects of married life; 3.) planning for the wedding ceremony.
One of the parties to the marriage must be a registered member of Sacred Heart Parish, the son or daughter of a Parishioner, or have a letter of permission from the Pastor of the Parish where he or she is registered. Parishioners are given priority of wedding dates. No one may register in the parish for the purpose of getting married here. One must be registered in our parish for a year before being able to make arrangements to be married here.
Weddings can be planned for Friday evenings or Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (starting time).
Catholics marrying another Catholic are always married at Mass. Those marrying a baptized Christian may be married at Mass if the couple so chooses. Those marrying someone who is not baptized are not married at Mass but at a simpler ceremony.
Those Catholics who marry someone other than a Catholic must promise to do all within their power to raise the children born to the marriage Catholic.
Should a Catholic wish to marry someone who is not Catholic and have the wedding take place in a church which is not Catholic, permission (under certain circumstances) can be given by the Bishop.
While weddings can be held during Advent and Lent, there are certain restrictions (size of the wedding party, decorations, music, etc.) which should be taken into consideration because of the penitential nature of these times in the Church year.
The usual offering for a wedding is $100.00 for Parishioners and $400.00 for non contributing, non-active and non parishioners.
The Sacrament of the Sick is given to us by Christ to strengthen in body and in soul those who are in immediate or even proximate danger of death. Generally speaking, those who are over the age of 75, those facing major surgery, those with a terminal illness or those facing a life-threatening situation may be anointed. One can be anointed again each month for the same sickness or immediately in danger of death.
Those who are already obviously dead may not be anointed. However, the priest should still be called to pray over the one who has died and to bring comfort and consolation to family and friends.
Call the rectory any time of the day or night in an emergency situation. If no one answers the phone at Sacred Heart please call Sacred Heart Parish in Valley Park (225-5268), St. Bridget in Pacific (271-3993), Our Lady Queen of Peace in House Springs (671-3062) or St. Alban in Glencoe (458-2977).
