SACRAMENTS
| The staff personnel along with the volunteers actively prepares candidates
for the reception of the various Sacraments. Through homilies, from the
Altar, and bulletin announcements, parishioners are notified of the offering of
individual Sacraments and the times for instruction. St. Joseph's Parish
prepares children for reception of the Sacraments in its
religious education programs.
Baptism
Infants:
About seventy infants or pre-school children are baptized each year, which
ordinarily takes place on the first Sunday of the month. Parents wishing
to have their children baptized are to call Deacon John Jennette to make arrangements.
There will be an instruction class on
the Friday evening before the baptism for the parents and godparents.
Along with Deacon John Jennette are volunteer parents who give a witness talk on "Why Baptism
was important to them". The baptism is conferred by one of the Priest or
the Deacon on a rotating basis.
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School Age Children:
Children from Grade 3 through age 16 seeking baptism are
given special instruction either through our religious education program or
volunteers.
Adults: For those age 16 and up who wish to be baptized (as well as those
baptized in another Christian faith community and wish to enter into the
Catholic Faith are encouraged to enter into our Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults (R.C.I.A.) program.
Please click
here to learn more about our R.C.I.A. program.
Eucharist
The most important aspect of Sacramental life is the reception of Holy
Communion. Each weekend, four Masses are celebrated for our parish
community and the Eucharist is dispensed by the Celebrant, the Deacon, and
trained Eucharistic Ministers. For those in the local hospital, a lay
chaplain that is paid for by all the Quincy parishes brings the Eucharist to the
hospitalized in the City of Quincy. For those that are sick or
homebound in the parish, our pastoral associate or trained volunteers bring the
Eucharist to them. For those in hospitals or nursing homes outside of the
City, special arrangements are made through our pastoral associate.
First Communion
Second graders in the religious education program are
trained in the reception of Holy Communion. This usually takes place in
May at various weekend Masses with their entire family receiving with the first
communicant.
Reconciliation
Adults:
Confessions are heard each Saturday from 3:00 to 3:30 or by
appointment. Penance services
are held during Advent and Lent.
First Reconciliation:
Second graders in our religious education program are prepared for the
reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Confirmation
The bishop confers confirmation yearly, usually in October. Volunteers
in our religious education program provide preparation to the youth in a two-year program,
which culminates in receiving Confirmation in the beginning of their junior
year. Attendance at the confirmation classes during the 9th grade year is
required of all students, except those who are currently attending a Catholic
high school. Attendance in the 10th grade is mandatory for all.
Students in that grade are also required to make a retreat together provided by
the Pastor.
Marriage
Couples contemplating marriage are required to contact one of the priests or
the deacon at least six months before the desired wedding date. The couple then generally meets with the
deacon to review the requirements of the Church and of St. Joseph's.
Information is given to the couple of locations of marriage preparation courses
that are being held. The couples are free to choose the celebrant that
they desire to perform the Sacrament of Marriage. For individuals that had
their marriage end, the priests are available to assist in the annulment process.
For more information, please click here to
view our Marriage Preparation Page.
Sacrament of the Sick
For those parishioners whose health
is seriously impaired by sickness or old age, the Sacrament of the Sick is
available at any time. A communal celebration is
held after all the Masses of a weekend in the season of Lent and Advent.
Hospital Coverage
The priests at St. Joseph's also take turns with the other parish priests of
churches in the City of Quincy to confer this sacrament for those in need at
Quincy Medical Center.
Holy Orders
Prayer requests for increase in vocations for the priesthood, the deaconate,
religious or laypersons is made at various Masses throughout the year.
Presently, St. Joseph's has two men in formation, one in the Deaconate and the
other in the Priesthood.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
(R.C.I.A.)
This is a process where non-Catholic adults (16 years or older) go through a
course of study and are introduced to the concept of Catholic faith to become
members of the Catholic Church. The course starts in October and leads up
to the reception of the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.
It is also available to Catholics that are baptized Catholic but are unchurched,
which would lead them to First Eucharist and Confirmation. However, St.
Joseph's is always ready to welcome new members into the church at any time and
assist them in the reception of any sacrament.