BAPTISM

Baptism 

is the first of the Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. 

It is common to nearly all Christian churches.

Instituted by Christ Himself,  it is often referred to as the

“Initiation Sacrament.”

In its fullness, the Sacrament of Baptism
is a call, a response, a birth and a death,
and a welcome all wrapped up into one beautiful
symbolic action of the believing community that expresses
and deepens our relationship with God and each other.

The sacrament of reconciliation reconciles the person to the body of the Church.

This sacrament is a concrete action of God,
absolving us of our sins and restoring our ability
to celebrate fully with His Church.

Preparation for Children 

All children wishing to celebrate the Sacrament of Communion for the first time must first prepare for
and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation

In most cases, children at St. Alphonsus Church prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Grade 2.

All children wishing to celebrate the Sacrament of Communion for the first time must first prepare 

for and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments 

celebrated in the Catholic Church.

It is a repeatable sacrament, 

which means a person may receive it and is encouraged to receive it on a regular basis.

To receive communion is to celebrate fully in grace offered at the last supper.

It is receiving the true presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine.

Preparation for Children

Interested in Celebrating the Sacrament of Communion
for the First Time

Generally children at St. Alphonsus prepare for the Sacrament of Communion for the first time 

in Grade 3. All children wishing to celebrate the sacrament of Communion for the first time 

must first prepare for and celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation.

Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments celebrated in the Catholic Church. 

It is not a repeatable sacrament, which means it can only be celebrated once in a person’s life. 

This sacrament is one of the three sacraments of initiation in the Church. 

It confirms the candidate’s baptism and reignites the flame for building God’s Holy Church.

Candidates preparing for this sacrament are encouraged to share their gifts to build the Church. 

As baptized and confirmed people of the Church, we are needed to build the Church.

Preparation for Children Interested in Celebrating

the Sacrament of Confirmation

Preparation for this sacrament at St. Alphonsus usually occurs in the adolescent years (grades 6-8).

Preparation includes workshops/classes with parents, candidates, and sponsors 

and an at home workbook.

The Sacrament of Matrimony

"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."84

From Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Celebration of the Christian Mystery

Celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage at St.Alphonsus

What should you do when you decide that you want to marry in the Catholic Church?

Please contact the parish as soon as possible.

We will explain the process of marriage preparation at our parish and make an appointment 

for you to talk with the priest.

Why does the church require engaged couples to participate in a marriage preparation program?

Marriage preparation offers couples the opportunity to develop a better understanding 

of Christian marriage; to evaluate and deepen their readiness to live married life;
and to gain insights into themselves as individuals and as a couple. 

It is especially effective in helping couples to deal with the challenges of the early years of marriage.

Holy Orders
1536         Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ
to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time:
thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry.
It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.

1549         Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests,
the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community
of believers. In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is
typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father.

taken from
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Chapter Three, The Sacraments at the Service of Communion

Article 6 - The Sacrament of Holy Orders

Interested in a Vocation?

All Catholics are called, by baptism, to the vocation of holiness.
Some Catholics are called to a particular vocation of a lifetime commitment 

to the service of God and his Church.

If you are thinking about such a call, please contact the parish office contactstals@gmail.com.
We would be happy to meet with you.

Alternately, you might be interested in contacting the Vocational Director 

at the Archdiocese of St. Boniface
at www.twitter.com/Stboniface1
or vocations@archsaintboniface.caars of marriage.

Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum

"By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. 

And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God 

by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ."   98

The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:

• the uniting of the sick person to the passion
  of Christ, for his own good and that of the
  whole Church;
• the strengthening, peace, and courage to
• endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of   
  illness or old age;
• the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able
  to obtain it through the sacrament of Penance;
• the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the
  salvation of his soul;
• the preparation for passing over to eternal life.

If  you or a family member are experiencing illness or facing death,

please contact our parish office at 204.667.9580 and leave a message with a contact number.

We will ensure you receive the pastoral care you need.

Things to consider when a loved one is ill

In case of grave illness . . .

1514     The Anointing of the Sick "is not a sacrament
for those only who are at the point of death. Hence,
as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger
of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him
to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."130

1515     If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case 

of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. 

It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. 

The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.

taken from
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Chapter Two, The Sacraments of Healing

Article 5 - The Anointing of the Sick