“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” John 20:21-23

Those who approach the Sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion. This sacrament is also sometimes referred to as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or simply called confession.

• Confession grants reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace.
• Confession grants reconciliation with the Church.
• Confession grants remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins.
• Confession grants remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin.
• Confession grants peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation.
• Confession grants an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.

Sacramental preparation for First Confession usually occurs during the child’s second grade year, starting in the fall.
Visit the Youth page to learn about current programs for each parish, or contact the parish office to find out more.

For current confession times, please visit the Home page.

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.’” Matthew 26:26-28

Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet: “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.”

• The Eucharist preserves and increases the life of the soul (which is grace) just as natural food sustains and increases the life of the body.
• The Eucharist absolves venial sins and preserves us from mortal sin.
• The Eucharist produces spiritual consolation.

Sacramental preparation for First Holy Communion usually occurs during the child’s second grade year, and begins in autumn.
Visit the Youth page to learn about current programs for each parish, or contact the parish office to find out more.

For adults, preparation for participation in the Eucharist, in full communion with the Catholic Church, is a bit different. The steps vary depending on your circumstances, but normally involve a period of inquiry and education to prepare for this most momentous step in our union with Christ, called the Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults (or RCIA). Click here to learn more about RCIA.

“Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14-18

The reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of Baptismal grace. For “by the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.

• Confirmation builds upon the grace given at Baptism.
• Confirmation gives an indelible spiritual mark, which is characterized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
• Confirmation strengthens the Christian to profess the faith in an open manner, and to fight against all temptations and difficulties.

Confirmation Program

We offer young adults from 7th to 12th grade the opportunity to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation in an annual program. Please see our Youth page for current info for each parish, or contact the office.

For parishioners over the age of 18 who have not yet been Confirmed, we encourage you to contact us for Adult Confirmation programs offered at either parish.

“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (and be joined to his wife), and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” Mark 10:6-9

The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.

• Matrimony sanctifies the love of husband and wife.
• Matrimony gives them grace to bear with each other’s weaknesses.
• Matrimony enables them to bring up their children in the fear and love of God.

This is a joyful time of life, and a busy one. However, prior to setting a date for marriage, the couple must consult with the pastor. A minimum of six months’ notice and marriage preparation classes are required in advance of all marriages.

Please contact us for more information.

“Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters [priests] of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:13-15

By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. She exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and Death of Christ.

• The Anointing of the Sick strengthens, and brings peace and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age.
• The Anointing of the Sick brings forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the Sacrament of Penance.
• The Anointing of the Sick brings the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul.
• The Anointing of the Sick begins the preparation for passing over to eternal life.

Please Note

When it is discovered a surgery will be required in several weeks, or upon a serious diagnosis of a longer-term illness, it is best to schedule a visit as soon as possible, rather than waiting till the day before or of a procedure to reach out. Requests must be made by the person who is ill or their immediate family.

 

This way, when terrible accidents and desperate emergencies of impending death do suddenly arise, our priests will have the best chance of reaching each in need in a timely way. Our priests face an ongoing challenge as they serve both parishes, and desire deeply to serve each person in need to the best of their ability. Your support in this, when possible, helps everyone. Thank you so much for your consideration.

 Please contact us to schedule an anointing.

“Then Jesus approached and said to them, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry.

Today the word “ordination” is reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the community, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a “sacred power” (sacra potestas) which can come only from Christ Himself through His Church. The laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign of this ordination.

Visit the Seattle Archdiocese’s vocations website to explore this sacred call.