Holy Name Catholic Parish, Kansas City, Kansas

The preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism depends on the age of the person preparing to receive it. Baptism for infants and children under the age of 5 requires the attendance of birth parents and godparents at a Baptism Preparation Class, which is held at Holy Name Church on the second Saturday of the odd numbered months at 1:00 pm. After completion of the class and registration of the family in the parish, baptisms can be scheduled after the Saturday 5:30 pm Mass or the Sunday 11:00 am Mass, depending on Father's schedule and the liturgical season. Baptism of school age children requires attendance of those children at religious education classes, either through Catholic school attendance or Sunday Religious Education class. Parents and godparents must also take the Baptism Preparation class outlined previously. Baptism of adults over the age of 18 requires attendance at RCIA class (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). In all cases, godparents must be Catholics in good standing with the Church; that is, they must be over the age of 16, have received all their Sacraments, attend Mass regularly, practice their faith consistently and not be living with someone without being Sacramentally married.

Baptism is the sacrament that frees man from original sin and from personal guilt, that makes him a member of Christ and His Church. It is thus the door to a new and supernatural life.



		...... ...
		THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM The preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism depends on the age of the person preparing to receive it. Baptism for infants and children under the age of 5 requires the attendance of birth parents and godparents at a Baptism Preparation Class, which is held at Holy Name Church on the second Saturday of the odd numbered months at 1:00 pm. After completion of the class and registration of the family in the parish, baptisms can be scheduled after the Saturday 5:30 pm Mass or the Sunday 11:00 am Mass, depending on Father's schedule and the liturgical season. Baptism of school age children requires attendance of those children at religious education classes, either through Catholic school attendance or Sunday Religious Education class. Parents and godparents must also take the Baptism Preparation class outlined previously. Baptism of adults over the age of 18 requires attendance at RCIA class (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). In all cases, godparents must be Catholics in good standing with the Church; that is, they must be over the age of 16, have received all their Sacraments, attend Mass regularly, practice their faith consistently and not be living with someone without being Sacramentally married. Baptism is the sacrament that frees man from original sin and from personal guilt, that makes him a member of Christ and His Church. It is thus the door to a new and supernatural life. THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is completed through Religious Education class or RCIA. The sacrament of confirmation completes the sacrament of baptism. If baptism is the sacrament of re-birth to a new and supernatural life, confirmation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age. The real confession of Christ consist in this 'that the whole man submits himself to Truth, in the judgment of his understanding, in the submission of his will and in the consecration of his whole power of love . . . To do this, poor-spirited man is only able when he has been confirmed by God's grace'. Confirmation is offered at Holy Name every other year, according to Archdiocesan schedules. THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST Preparation for the Sacrament of First Eucharist is completed through Religious Education class or RCIA. The doctrine of the Holy Eucharist consist of that of the Eucharist sacrifice, the sacrificial meal, and the sacrificial food, or to express it otherwise, it consists of the doctrine of the Mass, of Communion, and of the Real Presence. There is no presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament that is not meant first and foremost as food for the faithful people, and there is no sacramental union with Christ in Holy Communion that is not to be thought of as a sacrificial meal: 'For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord, until he come' (1 Cor. 11:26). The Eucharistic meal can only be prepared in the sacrifice of the Mass. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Preparation for the Sacrament of Penance is completed through Religious Education class or RCIA. As to Penance. If the Church is to fulfill in its entirely her task of saving mankind she needs the power to forgive sins. It is a power essentially different from her mission to preach the Gospel and baptize. In baptism, indeed all sins and the punishment due to them are remitted. Baptism is the first justification. But the first justification is also the first entry into the realm of the supernatural which works entirely by God's grace and which asks of the person baptized no more than that he turn away from sin and turn in faith to Christ. THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is offered at the Church four times a year after the weekend Masses and may be received by any Catholic who is suffering from complications of illness or old age, is anticipating hospitalization or surgery or feels the need of God's healing grace. Members of the parish may call the office to request the Sacrament if they have been hospitalized or are in hospice care. It is best to call in time for the recipient to be an active and willing participant in the Sacrament. As to Anointing by conferring the Holy Spirit completes the sacrament of baptism, so extreme unction is the complement and completion of penance. Penance restores the justification lost by sin, extreme unction takes away the infirmity left by sin; it 'removes that state which might be an obstacle to the clothing with glory of the resurrection'; and, as every sacrament makes us men in some respect like Christ, 'so we become by extreme unction like the risen Christ because it will be given to the dying as a sign of the glory to come in which everything mortal will be stripped from the elect' (Albertus Magnus). According to the teaching of great theologians, the holy anointing makes the man who stands at the threshold of eternity and loyally cooperates with the grace of the sacrament ready to enter directly upon the Beatific Vision. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS Preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Orders is completed through graduation from seminary. Please call the Vocations Office at the Archdiocese for more information. As to Orders. The supreme task which Christ had to fulfill was his priestly work of atonement which he completed as mediator between God and man. By the union in himself of humanity and divinity Christ is by nature the mediator. As a man from among men, Christ is our mediator with the Father; yet he is also capable of offering a worthy sacrifice to God because, by virtue of the union of his human nature with the Second Person of the Godhead, his human actions have in infinite value. In this fullest sense, the priesthood belongs to Christ alone. THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage begins with an appointment with Evelyn Dye in the parish office, at least six months prior to the wedding date, and preferably a year before. The engaged couple must attend a marriage preparation course through the Archdiocese and be prepared to provide information regarding previous Sacraments received. Only registered parishioners may be married at Holy Name. Matrimony is the marriage contract between Christians raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. The theological and dogmatic treatment of this sacrament does not look very much to its main features of unity and indissolubility which are basic characteristics of all marriage in natural ethics; they are rather premisses, though of course they attain greater significance and depth and stability in marriage as a sacrament. The fact, then, that these features take up a considerable amount of space in Church documents must not be allowed to hid the theological content of this sacrament which comes to us from revelation and belongs to the supernatural order. As a sacrament matrimony is entirely oriented on man's supernatural goal. Matrimony and order are the two sacraments which not only serve the individual in reaching this goal but are there for the benefit of the community. Matrimony is there for the mutual help of the spouses and the increase of the people of God. Devotion to his twofold end is the way of salvation for married couples, a way sanctified by the sacrament. 'Yet she shall be saved through childbearing; if she continue in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety' (1 Tim:2:15).