This page provides information about the requirements and administration of sacraments at St. Andrew the Apostle Church.
Baptism
It is with great joy that our parish welcomes new life into the Church through the waters of Baptism.
The information below will help you plan and prepare for Baptism for children under age 7. If you are an adult, or if you have older children who have not been baptized, please click here to view our RCIA information page.
REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULING
- Carol Blackford is our Baptism Coordinator and will assist you with registration and scheduling your child’s baptism. She may be contacted by phone: 919-362-0414, x 111 or email :
- If you are not already a member of St. Andrew, please register now:
* New Parishioner Form (printable)
* New Parishioner Form (online) - Please complete the Baptism Data Form.
* Baptism Data Form (printable)
* Baptism Data Form (online) - Baptisms are celebrated during our regular weekend Masses. Please contact Carol Blackford for Mass availability and scheduling. Please note that dates and times are subject to change. Here are our future 2023/2024 dates:
* April 13 – 5:00 p.m. (full)
* April 14 – 9:00 a.m. (full)
* May 11 at 5:00 p.m. (full) & May 12 at 11:00 a.m.
* June 16 – 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.
* July 21 – 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.
Preparation
- A parent is required to participate in baptismal preparation prior to a child being baptized. If you have not completed preparation at St. Andrew within the last two years, we ask that you participate in our two part preparation process which includes an online video and virtual gathering.
- Part One – Online Video
St. Andrew has a parish-wide subscription to a Catholic media platform called FORMED. Because the parish pays an annual fee, there is no cost to you. Please follow these steps to sign up for FORMED.- Go to https://formed.org and click Sign Up.
- In the box under Create a New Account , enter St. Andrew Apex.
- Select St. Andrew the Apostle (3008 Old Raleigh Road Apex NC) and click Next.
- Enter your name and email address in the appropriate areas.
- Click Sign Up.
You do not need to submit any credit card or payment. We have covered this for you. If you have trouble with this process, please contact us.
Once signed up, please watch a video in the series titled Reborn. Please find the second session, Entering the Mystery: The Rite Explained. The link is provided here.
You are most welcomed (and encouraged!) to watch all of the videos in this series; however, this second video is required viewing prior to Part Two.
- Part Two – Virtual Gathering
A virtual gathering will be held to provide you with a walk-through of the Baptismal Rite and to answer any questions that you may have. Please sign up with Carol Blackford, schedule@saintandrew.org and a Zoom link and date information will be emailed to you.
Here are the upcoming dates:
* Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m.
* Monday, June 10 at 7:00 p.m.
* Monday, July 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Godparents
- Godparents are chosen to be a support for parents and a spiritual guide and role model for the child. Families choose two godparents, although having one Catholic godparent and a Christian witness is allowed. If godparents cannot attend, a proxy can fill in. Roman Catholic godparents must meet these guidelines:
* Of different genders when two are chosen
* At least 16 years of age
* Have received the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation
* If married, be in a marriage recognized by the Catholic Church. Click here view our Baptismal Godparent Testimony Form.
First Sacraments (First Reconciliation and First Communion)
Parish Contact: Katie Fortunato, phone: 919-362-0685, ext. 125, or e-mail: , or Christine Wagner, phone: 919-362-0685, ext. 122, or e-mail: .
For information about preparation for First Reconciliation or First Communion, please see
- Additional information on our First Sacraments webpage
- Elementary Faith Formation page
Confirmation
Parish Contact: Donna Shinn, Assistant Youth Minister, 919-362-0685 x123
For more information on Confirmation, please see our Confirmation page.
Reconciliation
Click here to link to Reconciliation information.
Weddings
Parish Contact: Carol Blackford, phone: 919-362-0414, ext. 111, or e-mail:
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.
Please refer to our Sacrament of Marriage reference page for a full guide to planning a wedding at St. Andrew.
Vocations
Parish Contact: Please contact the Parish Office, phone: 919-362-0414, to set up an appointment to with one of our parish priests.
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: Please contact one of our parish priests by calling the parish office, phone: 919-362-0414.
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