In the Church's Sacrament of 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 of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-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.

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | en español

The priests of St. James the Greater and Epiphany of Our Lord encourage you to reach out to us before major surgeries so that we can perform the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick before the surgery.  We also encourage you to alert us to any hospital stays or long term illnesses so that we may give you the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick when appropriate.  We also encourage you to work with a hospital's pastoral staff.  They maybe able to assist you in finding a priest for the anointing before one of us can arrive. Finally if there is a true Sacramental Emergency please call the parish office and follow the prompts to reach our answering service who will then reach out and get in touch with us.  

The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus.  Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist.  The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters.  . . .  Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin.  However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | en español

If you desire to have your child baptized please call the parish office and they will advise you as how to arrange a Baptism with one of our priests or deacons.  They will also assist you in signing up for a Baptism Class.  Baptism Classes take place normally on the First Sunday of the month.  Baptism Classes at Epiphany of Our Lord count for St. James the Greater Parish and vice versa 

    January 9:15 AM at St. James the Greater Parish          February 9 AM at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish
     March 9:15 AM at St. James the Greater Parish              April 9 AM at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish
     May 9:15 AM at St. James the Greater Parish                 June 9AM at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish
     July 9:15 AM at St. James the Greater Parish                 August 9AM at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish
     September 9:15 AM St. James the Greater Parish           October 9AM at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish
    November 9:15 AM St. James The Greater Parish           December 9AM at Epiphany of Our Lord

If you are an adult who wishes to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, please scroll down to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)

First Reconciliation
Not only does the Sacrament of Penance free us from our sins but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us.  We are liberated to be forgivers.  We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."

Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church.  The Sacrament of Penance is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven.  In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins.  With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). 

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | en español

First Eucharist
In the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. The whole Christ is truly present -- body, blood, soul, and divinity -- under the appearances of bread and wine, the glorified Christ who rose from the dead. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist.

Preparation
Children who have completed First Grade can prepare for their First Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Communion by participating in our Dynamic Catholic Blessed Program.  Two programs about eight week long prepare the child to receive these two great Sacraments.  Please call the parish office for more information.

If you are an adult who wishes to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Eucharist for the first time please scroll down to the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)

The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God's Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission.  Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John.  Jesus' entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church.  After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.

Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.  . . .  We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | en español

Anyone interested in learning more about the Sacrament of Reconciliation should contact Fr. Pastorius at one of the parish offices.  

If you are an adult who wishes to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Eucharist for the first time, please scroll down to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)

Among the many blessings that God has showered upon us in Christ is the blessing of marriage, a gift bestowed by the Creator from the creation of the human race…

It is a source of blessing to the couple, to their families, and to society and includes the wondrous gift of co-creating human life.

Indeed, as Pope John Paul II never tired of reminding us, the future of humanity depends on marriage and the family."– U.S. Catholic Bishops, 2009 Pastoral Letter: Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan

Marriage Preparation
Both St. James the Greater Parish and Epiphany of Our Lord Parish are blessed to have beautiful Church buildings.  The true beauty of a marriage though comes not from the building that the marriage is celebrated in but from the holiness of the couple who will be enteirng into the covenant of marriage.  Please contact the parish office of the Church that you desire to have your wedding at and please let us know when you would like to have the wedding, if you are a parishioner, and who will be the priest or deacon offficiating at your wedding.  If you do not have a priest or deacon please let the office know and they will connect you with one of the clergy assigned to the parishes.  

Sparks of Fire

Prior to beginning the process of becoming a Christian, an individual comes to some knowledge of Jesus Christ, considers his or her relationship with Jesus Christ and is usually attracted in some way to the Catholic Church. This period is known as the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate. For some, this process involves a long period of searching; for others, a shorter time. Often, contact with people of faith and a personal faith experience lead people to inquire about the Catholic Church. To facilitate with period we invite you to attend one of our Sparks of Fire Nights.  These nights are informal question and answer times and a chance to get to know priests and other Catholics better.  

After a conversation with a priest or a parish director of Christian Initiation, the person, known as an "inquirer," may seek acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, through the Rite of Acceptance. During this Rite, the inquirer stands amidst the parish community and states that he or she wants to become a baptized member of the Catholic Church. The parish assembly affirms this desire and the inquirer becomes a Catechumen.

New Fire

The Period of the Catechumenate can last for as long as several years or for a shorter time. It depends on how the person is growing in faith, what questions they encounter along the way, and how God leads them on this journey. During this time, the Catechumens consider what God is saying to them in the Scriptures, what changes in their life they need to make to respond to God's inspiration, and what Baptism in the Catholic Church means. When a Catechumen and the priest and the parish team working with him or her believes the person is ready to make a faith commitment to Jesus in the Catholic Church, the next step is the request for baptism and the celebration of the Rite of Election. Even before the Catechumens are baptized, they have a special relationship to the Church.

The Rite of Election includes the enrollment of names of all the Catechumens seeking baptism at the coming Easter Vigil. Typically, on the first Sunday of Lent, the Catechumens, their sponsors and families gather at the cathedral church. The Catechumens publicly express their desire for baptism to the diocesan bishop. Their names are recorded in a book and they are called the Elect.

The days of Lent are the final Period of Purification and Enlightenment leading up to the Easter Vigil. Lent is a period of preparation marked by prayer, study, and spiritual direction for the Elect, and prayers for them by the parish communities. The Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation takes place during the Easter Vigil Liturgy on Holy Saturday when the Elect receives the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. Now the person is fully initiated into the Catholic Church.

Ablaze

As a newly initiated Catholic, they continue their formation and education continue in the Period of the Post-Baptismal Catechesis, which is also called Mystagogy. This period continues at least until Pentecost. During the period the newly baptized members reflect on their experiences at the Easter Vigil and continue to learn more about the Scriptures, the Sacraments, and the teachings of the Catholic Church. In addition they reflect on how they will serve Christ and help in the Church's mission and outreach activities.