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Sacraments
This page provides information on the sacraments at St. Andrew’s.
Select the sacrament for more information on who is eligible and how they are administered:
Baptism
Parish Contact: Carol Blackford, 362-0414, ext. 11 or schedule@saintandrew.org
Our requirements for Baptismal Preparation are as follows:
1. Parents must be registered with the parish. Notify Carol in the Parish Office (362-0414, ext. 11) for details when you know you are interested in scheduling infant baptism.
2. Baptism is scheduled during masses on an assigned weekend for 10 months of the liturgical year, with a walkthrough class on the Monday prior to baptism unless noted otherwise. No classes/ Baptisms are scheduled during Lent or Advent.
3. All parents who are having a child baptized either here at St. Andrew’s or elsewhere, must attend a mandatory educational session/class. The class is taken before your child’s baptism and preferably prior to the birth of your child. Arrangements for these classes are made through the Parish Office with Carol.
4. Godparents are chosen one (1) male and one (1) female to be a spiritual guide and support for the parent and a role model for the child. One godparent must be a confirmed practicing Catholic and the other is the same or can serve as a Christian witness. Care should be taken in choosing godparents. If godparents can not attend, a proxy can fill in.
5. Paperwork for the register is necessary prior to Baptism. The Parish Office provides the forms.
6. The day of Baptism, please arrive 15 minutes prior to Mass and meet in the Gathering Space. A coordinator will assist the family.
See the Baptism page for more details.
First Sacraments (First Reconciliation and First Communion)
Parish Contact: Katie Fortunato, 362-0685, ext. 25, elemfd@saintandrew.org or Mary Stone, 362-0685, ext. 22, fdoffice@saintandrew.org. For more information about the 2008-2009 First Sacraments schedule and registration process, see the Elementary Faith Formation page.
For information about preparation for First Reconciliation or First Communion, please see
Confirmation
Parish Contact: Terri Reed, 362-0685, ext. 26, tym@saintandrew.org
For more information on 2009 Confirmation, see the 2008-2009 Confirmation Information Brochure.
Weddings
Parish Contact: Carol Blackford, 362-0414, ext. 11
Our usual time requirement for booking a wedding is 6 months; due to increasing numbers of parishioners, 8 months to one year in advance is advisable.
1. Who may by married at St. Andrew’s Church?
As a worshiping community of the Catholic Church, St. Andrew is a fitting setting for the celebration of Marriage for persons who are active and committed members of the church. Ordinarily, only one who is a registered member of St. Andrew’s may be married here. If either party has been divorced, the couple my not be married unless prior annulment/nullity has been received from a Diocesan Tribunal.
2. How soon before the wedding do I make arrangements?
At least six months before the wedding. According to our Diocesan regulations, it is necessary to see a priest at least six months prior to the wedding and to begin the counseling and wedding preparations.
3. How do I make arrangements?
The couple who wishes to be married should call the parish office at 362-0414, ext. 11 and make an appointment to see one of the Parish priests. At that initial meeting, a pre-marital counseling program will be arranged, information about a wedding provided, and dates for the rehearsal and wedding may be set. A date is not set until a priest talks with the couple wishing to be married.
Weddings are scheduled at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays only. Remember that there is a vigil mass on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. Weddings may not be scheduled on Dec. 23, 24, 25 or between Christmas and New Year’s. Weddings are also not permitted during Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday).
4. Who officiates?
The wedding ceremony and the rehearsal are normally conducted by the priests at St. Andrew’s. If the couple wishes a priest who is a relative or a special friend to officiate, please discuss this with the Parish Priest at the initial meeting. Ministers of other churches may participate and assist by request of the couple. This should also be discussed at the initial meeting. No altar servers are necessary.
5. What is the ceremony like at St. Andrew’s?
A Catholic wedding is a service of public worship and follows the liturgy of the Church. The marriage service authorized by the Catholic Church is simple and straight-forward and the details of the ceremony are arranged to reflect these qualities. The music minister will help you with the details of the liturgy.
Vocations
Parish Contact: One of our parish priests, 362-0414
Note: This information is from the Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
What qualities does the Church look for in evaluating candidates for the seminary?
“A Future Full of Hope” notes these characteristics of good priests: experience God’s love; view Jesus as a model for their behavior; are spiritual (including a love for the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance); possess a strong sense of the mysterious presence of God in their lives; enjoy challenges; thrive on change; manage their time; maintain their humor; keep a sense of balance. [From Grace Under Pressure, an NCEA study of effective priests ordained ten to thirty years.]
What qualities does the Church look for in evaluating candidates for religious life?
According to the National Religious Vocations Conference, the following are mentioned: generally good health; adequate intellectual ability; healthy relationships, including good friends; sense of humor; ability to make a positive choice for celibacy; member of the Catholic Church; faith and sense of integrity; relationship with God; responsiveness to others; capacity to serve a variety of people; leadership ability; collaborative worker; ability to live simply, sharing a common life; can compromise for the common good.
What is the difference between a religious order priest and a diocesan priest?
A religious order priest belongs to a religious community, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, etc., who strive to live out the charism of their founder and often have a particular type of ministry, e.g., education, health care. They usually live in community and they take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Diocesan priests, also called secular priests, are ordained for a local church, a geographical area, and generally serve in parishes, although they also assist in schools, hospitals, prisons, etc., depending upon the local needs. Although they do not take the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, diocesan priests do promise: to lead a celibate life; to respect and obey their diocesan bishop; and to live a simple lifestyle.
What is a deacon?
A deacon is an ordained minister of the Church who can preach, baptize, witness marriages, and preside at burials. There are two types of deacons: permanent deacons, who are often married and have another occupation to support themselves; and transitional deacons, who are studying for the priesthood. Deacons provide a sacramental witness to the Church in three areas: word (preaching, teaching, etc.); liturgy; and service.
What is the difference between a deacon and a priest?
Both are ordained, but a deacon is a sacramental sign of the service which all Christians are to offer to the world and a priest is to represent Christ as the head of the Church through the three-fold ministry to teach, sanctify and lead. In terms of the sacraments, both deacons and priests can preach, baptize, witness marriages and preside at burials; only priests can celebrate the Eucharist, Penance (confession) and anoint the sick.
What is the role of parents in encouraging vocations?
The primary role is to provide an authentic witness to the importance of faith, prayer, and service to others. This includes teaching their children that all that one is and has comes from God, and that if we truly want to be happy, we will discover how God wants us to use the gifts we have received. Making their children aware of the nature of vocation, a "calling" from God, is a crucial first step. After that, it is a matter of inviting, raising the question with their children whether God might be calling them to be a priest, sister, or brother. Indirectly, attitudes and comments regarding the Church, priests, religious women and men, either foster or weaken the image of such a life of service.
What is the role of a parish in encouraging vocations?
The parish is where most people, especially young people, experience the Church, which includes worship, education, community, and service. Vocations thrive in a parish where there is active and full participation in these dimensions of Church life. In particular, it is important that Catholic education, in Catholic schools or religious education programs, clearly teach about what a vocation is (a calling from God), what types of vocations there are (marriage, priesthood, deaconate, consecrated life, and single life), and how one makes a good decision (the process of discernment). Beyond the general awareness of vocations, parents, priests and parishioners need to invite, encourage, and nurture vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
For more information on vocations in the Diocese of Raleigh, see the Diocese page on vocations.
Anointing of the Sick
Parish Contact: One of our parish priests, 362-0414
NOTE: This information is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of the Sick.
Who Receives and Who Administers This Sacrament?
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." (SC 73; cf. CIC, cann. 1004 § 1; 1005; 1007; CCEO, can. 738)
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.
Only priests are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick. The faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to receive this sacrament. The sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention.
How Is This Sacrament Celebrated?
Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration, (Cf. SC 27) whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum" for "passing over" to eternal life.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000
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