The Sacraments of the Catholic Church
...the Church teaches, are "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions." Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1131.
Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Baptism
Eucharist
Confirmation
Sacraments of Healing
Penance & Reconciliation
Anointing of the Sick
Sacraments at the Service of Communion
Holy Orders
Matrimony
Baptism
Infant Baptisms
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Infant Baptisms are celebrated in the Chapel on the 1st Saturday of the month, and 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month at 2:00pm.
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Parents must contact the parish Office at (650) 756-3223 for Baptism Preparation class information.
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The Church expects that the parents and the sponsors attend the preparation class so that they are prepared for this first sacramental encounter and celebration with their child.
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Pre-Baptismal instructions are given on the 2nd Saturday of the month in Wing A. The parents and the sponsors are invited to gather in Wing A at 11:00 a.m. The classes last approximately two and a half hours.
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Please read the Baptismal Registration Instructions below, download the Registration Form and submit the form to the Parish Office along with a copy of your child's birth certificate.
Christian Initiation of School Age Children
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The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults with adaptations for Children is celebrated year round. Parents requesting the Baptism for their school age children (first grade and beyond) are asked to call Deacon Noel at (650) 991-2937.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
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The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process is in session from September to May every year. All candidates are asked to meet with the program facilitator to register. The culmination of the process comes with the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday Night).
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The RCIA program meets on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm.
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For more information, please contact the parish Office at (650) 756-3223
Who is the RCIA process for?
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If you are 18 or over and have not been baptized
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If you are baptized in another Christian tradition and would like to become a Catholic
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If you are a registered parishioner at St. Andrew's and a baptized Catholic and have not made your First Communion and Confirmation, but would like to do so.
First Communion
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Children should be in their second consecutive year of religious education.
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A child must be baptized. A baptismal record is necessary if not baptized at St. Andrew.
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Attendance at weekly Mass is an integral part of the preparation process for this sacrament.
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Children should be interested in receiving his/her First Communion.
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Children should have prepared for and had an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
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First Communion classes are held on Saturday mornings at 10:30 am from September to May each year.
Eucharist
First Reconciliation
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Children should be in their second consecutive year of religious education.
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A child must be baptized. A baptismal record is necessary if not baptized at St. Andrew.
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Attendance at weekly Mass is an integral part of the preparation process for this sacrament.
Penance & Reconciliation
High School Program
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Young adults, in first year of high school or in higher grade levels, can enroll in our two year Confirmation program.
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Confirmands are required to be enrolled in Religious Education, attend a Confirmation Retreat, and be a practicing Catholic.
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The high school Religious Education/Confirmation Program meets on Sundays from 10:45 am to 12:30 pm from September to May each year.
Confirmation
Anointing of the Sick
From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
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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.
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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.
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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.
Holy Orders
From the Archdiocese of San Francisco
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What is a priest in the Roman Catholic Church?
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A priest in the Roman Catholic Church is a man, who through the divine power of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, exercises the ministry of teaching, leading worship, and pastoral leadership for the People of God. He exercises this ministry most especially through the proclamation of the Word of God and the celebration of the Sacraments.
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How do I go about discerning?
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The Archdiocese of San Francisco Office of Vocations sponsors monthly discernment gatherings that bring together men who are thinking about the priesthood. Our local seminary of St. Patrick’s also hosts an annual weekend discernment retreat that is a great opportunity for men to explore the call to the priesthood. If you would like more information on exploring the call to the priesthood, please call (415) 614-5684 send an email to vocations@sfarchdiocese.org
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From the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Marriage is a community of life and love, for the healing, perfecting, and exalting of the spouses.
So you are planning to get married - Congratulations!
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The Church teaches us the marriage was God’s "original gift" to humanity, and that, lived correctly, it is intended to be a "foretaste of heaven." We wish you every blessing as you prepare for this holy commitment of love to each other.
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Below you will find the requirements for marriage in the Archdiocese and a list of marriage preparation programs (2017).
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God bless you as you prepare for this beautiful sacrament.