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Catechism of the Catholic Church
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Sacraments Overview Welcome to Our Lady of Victory Church. As Catholics, we believe that we experience God in all of creation. We believe that we have experienced God in the person of Jesus Christ. Over the centuries of church history, we have affirmed as a community of faith our communal encounters with God. We call these encounters sacraments. As Catholics, we celebrate seven sacraments. They can be described in three groupings: Sacraments of Christian Initiation · Baptism Sacraments of Healing Sacraments of Service to the Community
We are honored to celebrate these sacramental moments with you as you journey in life. We are honored that you would come to us to celebrate these sacraments. Our Lady of Victory's faith formation team conducts sacramental preparation programs for children, youth, and adults. We gather as a community to celebrate sacramental moments throughout the year. Contact the Parish Center (559) 226-1163 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Baptismal Information Our Lady of Victory Church celebrates the Sacrament of Baptism once a month except during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Children up to the age 6 can be baptized as infants. Children age 7 and older need to attend religious education classes. The parents or legal guardians of the child are the only people who can register the child for the Sacrament of Baptism. Godparents need to be Catholics in good standing: 1. The godparents need to attend a Catholic church regularly. A letter from their Parish Priest stating that they are Catholic in Good Standing is requested. 2. The godparents must have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. A copy of their Confirmation certificate is requested. 3. If the godparents are married (not necessarily to each other), they need to have been married in the Catholic Church. A copy of their marriage certificate is requested. There is a Baptismal Class that both the parents and godparents must attend. If you, the parents, or your godparents live out of town, you/they can attend the Baptismal class at your/their Parish. You/they will receive a letter from your/their Parish stating that you/they have attended the class. If you, the Parents, live outside our Parish or attend another church, you must receive a Letter of Permission from your Pastor for your child to baptize outside of your Parish. Our Lady of Victory asks that you make a donation to our Parish. The average donation is $40.00. If you have any other questions or would like to register for the Sacrament of Baptism, please contact us at either 559/226-1163 or olvchurch@gmail.com . Diocese of Fresno Policy for Infant Baptism 1. Infants should be baptized soon after birth, but sufficient time is necessary for proper instruction. 2. 2. Children who are seven (7) years of age or older must receive instruction in the Church before being baptized (cf adult baptism) 3. 3. The ordinary place for baptism is the parish church of the parents 4. 4. One of the parents or a legal guardian must request baptism 5. 5. There must be founded hope that the child baptized will be brought up in the Catholic religion. 6. 6. Godparents must have received Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist, should be at least 16 years of age, and should be practicing Catholics who are able to give the example of a good Catholic life. There are normally to be two godparents, one man and one woman. 7. 7. A baptized non-Catholic may not be a godparent but may be an official witness to the baptism, as long as there is one Catholic godparent. 8. 8. Baptism is not to be conferred until parents and godparents have attended pre-baptismal instruction. The responsibilities of parents and godparents are to be reviewed, as well as preparation for the celebration of the rite of baptism. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Today, confirmation is often defined as a sacrament of mature Christian commitment. It is the occasion when people, baptized as infants, put their “personal signature” on their parents’ decision. During the Easter season, a bishop comes to the parish and confirms all the teens and adults (The Rite of Confirmation) who have completed preparation for the sacrament. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes confirmation as a deepening of baptismal gifts. It says that the sacrament roots us more deeply in our identity as God’s children; unites us more firmly with Christ; increases in us the gifts of the Holy Spirit; binds us more closely to the Church; and gives us special strength to bear witness to our faith. Candidates For Confirmation The Bishop's scheduled visit to the parish during the Easter season is to confer the sacrament of confirmation on high school students and on the adult candidates of the parish who have completed the Adult Confirmation process. High school confirmation candidates must have participated in and completed the two-year confirmation process.
Our Lady of Victory offers confirmation preparation for youth and adults. For a description of these programs and how you can participate, see: To express your interest in Adult Confirmation, please complete and submit the Adult Confirmation Interview Form Contact Youth Ministry and Youth Confirmation Adult Confirmation <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> First Communion comes from the Greek First Communionia, meaning thanksgiving. Ever since Pentecost, when the Church, the People of God, began building a church, they were sustained with the spiritual food in times of trail and in time of celebration. First Communion is that food, the real presence of the risen Lord. The Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Church, rightly proclaimed that the First Communionic sacrifice is "the source and summit of the Christian life." The First Communion is, for Catholics, both a meal and a sacrifice. The Lord gave us the First Communion at the Last Supper because he wanted us to share in the life of the Trinity, the loving communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We become united to God at our baptism, and receive a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit at our confirmation. In the First Communion we are nourished spiritually, brought closer to God, again and again: "By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ in the First Communion we become united to the person of Christ through his humanity," write the bishops. They remind us of the words of Jesus in John's Gospel: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him". The move also has meaning for the rest of us. We smile at the children in their first Communion finery-not just because they look cute, but because they are joining us at our family table, too: the table of God's family.
First Communion A toddler's move from high chair to the family table is a momentous event. A seat at the table acclaims a new status: big boy or big girl. The move to the table brings new privileges. There, a child can share fully in the family meal, even the icky vegetables, and in the table conversation. The move also brings new responsibilities. The little one must have table manners, get involved in the meal prayer, and perhaps help set or clear the table. First Communion is just such a momentous move. A child, baptized as an infant into the family of God we call Church, at last takes a place at the Lord's table with the grownups. Grandparents, aunts and friends join the youngster's immediate family in celebrating the event.
First Communion at Our Lady of Victory School Children who attend Our Lady of Victory School prepare for first First Communion during through the first and second grade religion curriculum. The second grade teacher does the immediate preparation including a day time retreat, and a special dinner. The dinner includes the child's parents. First First Communion is celebrated during the Easter Season at a special First Communionic Celebration on a Saturday Morning.
First Communion at Our Lady of Victory Religious Education Children who attend Our Lady of Victory Religious Education prepare for two years. Classes are held once a week on Wednesday afternoons, or Sunday mornings. The first First Communion catechists plan a special retreat day for all the children and their families just before first First Communion. First First Communion is celebrated during the Easter season at a special First Communionic celebration on a Saturday morning. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The sacrament of reconciliation is offered at Our Lady of Victory in our reconciliation room, located in the vestibule area of the church. The reconciliation room allows for either an anonymous setting or a face to face approach. Some people find it comforting to make an appointment with one of the priests for individual reconciliation. In this case, one meets the confessor in his office in the Pastoral Center. During Advent and Lent, Our Lady of Victory Church offers a communal Reconciliation Service. Generally, the service includes the Liturgy of the Word, a reflection on the readings, and an examination of conscience. Priests from nearby parishes assist at these services so that there is a sufficient number to hear individual confessions.
Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays, 10:30 p.m.-12:00 Noon. Reconciliation Room, Our Lady of Victory Church.
About the Sacrament of Reconciliation The well-known parable of the prodigal son is perhaps the most strikingly powerful illustration of the human process of reconciliation, and of the theology inherent in the rite of reconciliation. Some of us identify with the prodigal son, the one who sheepishly comes home seeking some mercy; some of us identify with the older son, wanting to list our shortcomings, suffer, and then move on. Few of us identify with the forgiving father who is not at all interested in hearing the transgressions of the son, but would rather celebrate the reconciliation. We are all called to be like the forgiving father and to accept the infinite mercy of God, the loving parent, in the sacrament of reconciliation.
Prior to the Second Vatican Council, we knew this sacrament by another name, "confession," a term that reminds us of verbalizing our wrongdoings, disclosing our failures and telling our sins to a priest, who absolved us from making such bad choices and declared God's forgiveness. Another popular term was "penance," from the Latin meaning "allowing the spirit to be overturned in order to make it turn toward God." Through the ritual of penance we undergo a kind of conversion; we change our hearts under the Lord's grace. Through penance, we turn from being separated from our God, to a closer union with God. Sin means "missing the mark." In missing the mark — the ideals Jesus outlined for us in his life and teaching — we rupture our relationship with God, with one another and with ourselves. Calling the sacrament "reconciliation" focuses our attention on the multiple impact of sin upon relationships and the ability of this ritual to heal those severed or weakened bonds.
The Value of the Sacrament We unburden ourselves to another caring person, an interested listener, and one who strives to lift us from our troublesome situations. By hearing the words of absolution, we walk away experiencing God's mercy, the knowledge of God's forgiveness, and the feeling of guilt removed. As Catholics, we believe that all sacraments give God's love, grace. The special graces from reconciliation restore us to wholeness. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> About the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick If you close your eyes and picture the sacrament of anointing, what image would come to your mind? Many Catholics would picture a priest standing at a hospital bedside. For an increasing number of Catholics, however, the mental picture would be different. They would picture a parish community gathered for Sunday First Communion, with a number of people — some visibly ill, some apparently perfectly healthy — some older and some children, coming up the aisle to be anointed, some with their spouses, parents, or caregivers. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that when the sick are anointed, they should be "assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial, (church) community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention". "Like all the sacraments, the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration . . . It is very fitting to celebrate it within the First Communion". When first learning about the sacrament of the sick, most think about one being "sick" exclusively in terms of bodily illness. Yet modern science has allowed us to expand our understanding and realize as the holistic unity of body, soul and spirit — does it work? Will everyone experience healing? These are the questions frequently asked regarding the sacrament of anointing. And the answer is "yes." That healing, of course, is not restricted to mere physical healing. When our attention is directed toward physical illness, it is natural to think of the effects of the sacrament in terms of physical healing. Sacraments, however, are celebrations of faith, expressions of who we are before God. This understanding of sacrament, together with the realization that we are more than our physical body, has led us to look again at the effects of the sacrament of anointing.
Communal Celebrations The Sacrament of the Sick is for Catholics who have reached the age of reason and whose health is seriously impaired by illness, accident, or old age, and for those facing surgery when serious illness is the reason. Pastoral Care for the Our Lady of Victory Community Our Lady of Victory's ministry to the sick offers compassionate care and encourages a sense of belonging and connection to the Body of Christ through First Communion and the people of God. To notify us of someone in the parish who is sick, please follow these procedures: Call the Parish Center Monday-Friday if the sick person needs to be visited by a priest. You will be asked a few important questions by the staff person who answers your call, as a form must be filled out. Hospital, Home, Communion, Person's home address and phone, Parishioner or not, Elderly, Name on intercessions. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> A wedding is a day, a marriage is a lifetime! For Catholics, marriage is not only a personal covenant; it is also a sacrament in which God is present in a special way in the lives of the two persons joined with Christ in a union of love. The community of Our Lady of Victory extends a cordial welcome to you who are planning to consecrate your love for one another in the sacrament of matrimony. It is our privilege to help you prepare for this special time of joy and spiritual enrichment.
Marriage Preparation Guidelines The general parish policy is that one party be a registered parishioner at Our Lady of Victory for one year before reserving a wedding date. To begin the marriage preparation process, call the Pastoral Center at least six months before the desired date of marriage. Wedding Times Weddings at Our Lady of Victory normally take place on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Cana Gathering Information meetings, called “Cana Gatherings,” are held regularly. The Wedding Coordinator will let you know the date, time, and place of the meeting. At this gathering, you will receive an information packet covering details of how to proceed with making wedding arrangements. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss matters of special interest. You will also complete a questionnaire and learn about “FOCUS,” an exercise in communication. A wedding date may not be set until the couple has attended the “Cana Gathering” and submitted the required documents. Church Seminar Once the wedding date and time are confirmed, the couple attends the Church Seminar, held in the church on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. This session focuses on the liturgy itself (readings, music, environment, etc.).
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Holy Orders in the Catholic Church includes three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. The Church regards ordination as a Sacrament. The word "holy" simply means "set apart for some purpose." The word order (ordo, in Latin) designates an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordination means legal incorporation into an ordo. In context, therefore, a Holy Order is simply a group with a hierarchical structure that is set apart for ministry in the Church.
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