We welcome you and your family to St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, as you present your child to God the Father in the Sacrament of Baptism. We rejoice with you as you welcome a new life into the world, and in a short time, into the Catholic Church. Baptism is the foundation of all the sacraments and the most important day of your child’s life. Baptism is the beginning of your child’s journey to the Heavenly Father, and during this time of preparation we hope to aid you in giving your child the support and guidance he or she will need to live a life in Christ.
From the earliest times it has been the practice of the Church to administer the sacrament of Baptism to infants. Parents very naturally want to hand on to their children their own faith and the values that flow from their faith. Baptism marks the beginning of this new life in faith.
Pope John Paul II calls the family the Domestic Church - the Christian home where the child begins to experience life as part of a community of families called the Church. At Baptism you the parents, and godparents, along with the whole Christian community, take upon yourselves an important responsibility. You each promise to make the Church and the world a place that will offer the newly baptized child the love and support needed to grow to full Christian adulthood.
Godparents are more than exemplars (or not) of Christian discipleship. They are symbols of the faith community which the infant is being initiated into and which has a sacred responsibility to help and support the parents of the infant. What are we saying about the communal dimension of discipleship when we eliminate this symbol?
THOUGHTS ON GODPARENTS
Perhaps, what Bishop Michele Fusco of Diocese of Sulmona-Valva, Italy is drawing our attention to is how we who are “called” to the “vocation of Godparent” is our own abdicated from the ministry? What does our own Baptisms mean to us? Is it nothing more than a club card? Please admit the bearer of this certificat etc. Do we recognize the Gift of our Baptisms present as Living Water flowing from the Side of Christ?
How do we express our faithfulness to our Baptismal Promises? We can not teach what we do not know! What if across the day, as we experience the presence of water, we received it as a reminder of our Baptism of whom we are in Jesus Christ?
What if each sip of water, our morning shower, that dive into a swimming pool, the rain falling on drought hardened soul were received as a call to offer praise and thanksgiving for the Gift of our Baptism, a Sign of God’s Love for us and the joyful hope that our salvation can not be taken from us?
The solution to this problem surely lies in a more rigorous application of can. 874 § 1, 3°, which states that godparents are to “lead a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on”. Furthermore, how is this decree in keeping with cann. 872 and 892, which state that those who are to be Baptised and Confirmed are to be given a sponsor quantum fieri potest?
If you are interested in having your child baptized at St. Joseph, please fill out a Baptism packet (download one below or contact the office to receive a paper version). After you return the completed packet to the church office, we will schedule you to attend one of Baptism classes.
BAPTISM PACKET
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In addition, special days for Confession are scheduled, especially during the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent. Please check the bulletin for the exact dates and times.
If you are wondering how to take the first step toward Confession, use an Examination of Conscience to guide you though looking internally at your life and recognizing your failures. Remember, our Merciful Father always wants to take you back into His arms! Do not be afraid!
*You may also call the rectory at (337) 667-6344 to schedule an appointment with the Pastor for Confession.
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Holy Mass is celebrated daily and faithful parishioners are invited to this Communion.
When a child reaches an age of reason (2nd grade), he/she is invited to prepare to receive our Lord. The first time he joins the congregation in communion with our Lord is a very special time and preparation is essential.
The child and parent (or a godparent or grandparent) attend a series of classes, much like our Faith Formation sessions during which the parent and child are guided through the process.
Please visit our Faith Formation Page for more information on First Holy Communion. SACRAMENTS HOME PAGE
Confirmation marks an important time when someone becomes fully initiated into the Catholic Church. The confirmand receives the Holy Spirit in a special way and becomes strengthened for ongoing service to the Body of Christ and to live fully in the life of the Church. Confirmation helps to “lay the foundations of Christian life” (CCC 1212), so it really marks a new beginning in the spiritual journey.
Learn more about Confirmation and also where it is referenced in the Bible HERE
At St. Joseph Church, Confirmation is celebrated in the 10th grade. Preparation for Confirmation begins in 8th grade and is a 3-year process involving the parents and the sponsor. Therefore, registration for Faith Formation classes in 8th grade is essential for candidates to prepare spiritually and mentally.
Some Program Requirements:
Candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation are expected to embrace Catholic Church teaching in mind and in practice, including attending weekly Mass. They should seek for themselves some answers to the following questions:
1. What will happen to me spiritually when I am confirmed?
2. What difference is Confirmation supposed to make in my life?
3. After Confirmation, what is my part for the Sacrament to continue making a difference in my life?
To register your child for Faith Formation classes, please contact Heidi Robin, Director of Faith Formation, at 337-230-3549.
We are now offering the opportunity for adults (18 years old and older who have already been baptized) to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Please visit our ADULT CONFIRMATION PAGE for more details.
ADULT CONFIRMATioN PAGE
If you were never baptized, were baptized in another Christian faith, or never made your first Communion, the RCIA Process (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) may be more appropriate for you. Please contact the office at 337-667-6344 for more information.
" 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 sacrament." 1601 CCC
GETTING MARRIED? Learn More about our guidelines
RESOUCES FOR MARRIED COUPLES
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"The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness: the Anointing of the Sick" (CCC 1511).
If you or a loved one requires the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, please call the church office. If it is an emergency and someone is in danger of death, even after hours, call the church office at 337-667-6344.
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“From the very beginning of the Church, there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to be intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming.” (CCC, 1618)
Through consecrated life, the baptized propose to follow Jesus more closely, to give themselves over to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come. (CCC, 916)
If you believe God has placed the call to follow him through Holy Orders or consecrated life, you are encouraged to seek spiritual direction from one of our priests.
Visit the Diocese of Lafayette Vocations Office for more information.
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