Sacraments are not private between God and us. They are bestowed upon us in and through the Church. We are the Church: we are the members, Christ is the head. So, all of the sacraments have an ecclesial (communal) aspect to them.

This communal aspect is frequently overlooked when we plan to celebrate a sacrament. Yet this is perhaps the most important aspect of the sacraments. We receive sacraments in order to live holy lives in the community of the Church. Our Tri-Community strives to reflect this communal dimension both in our preparation and in our celebration of our sacraments.

BAPTISM

The Sacrament of Baptism is a family event within the parish faith community, part of the Church throughout the world. Through the Rite of Infant Baptism parents make a public commitment to bring up their child in the way of life and faith presented in the Catholic tradition.

What happens when a child is baptized? The infant is given a new birth as a child of God and as a member of the Church community through the faith of their parents. When the parents bring an infant to the community for Baptism, they testify (give witness) that they will share their faith with the child. Then our community welcomes the child and offers support to the child and parent, committing ourselves to share our faith with the new Christian.

How early are arrangements made? To assure that parents understand the nature of the sacrament and the parental obligations, we provide a preparation process for bringing the child into the family of the Church. Ideally, three to four months should be allowed for this preparation. This process can begin before the child is born.

Our pre-requisites for infant Baptism reflect the importance of the parent’s commitment to share their faith. We try to live as a community of faith. We expect that a family bringing a child for Baptism be a member family within our Tri-Community. This means that a family asking for Baptism within the Tri-Community is expected to be registered in the parish, attending Mass regularly and that at least one parent is Catholic. There needs to be reason to believe that the child will be “brought up in the faith,” that is, raised as a member of the Catholic Church. It is difficult to believe that parents who do not attend church will raise their child in the church.

What is the preparation? At least one parent will be asked to take part in a pastoral visit with a member of the Infant Baptism Team. This visit gives the parent(s) an opportunity to speak of why they desire Baptism for their child, what their own relationship to the Church is, and matters of personal or family concern.

Parents are asked to participate in two sessions of group reflection on the meaning and implications of Baptism. These sessions are scheduled every other month. A letter of participation in comparable sessions at another church may be accepted. Parents must attend. Godparents are strongly encouraged but not required to attend.

CATECHETICAL SESSIONS

10:00-noon in the Parish Center -- both Parts 1 and 2 are required

2006:

Part 1                      Part 2

January 7             January 21

March 11              March 25

May 6                   May 20

July 8                   July 22

August 26             September 9

October 14           October 28

Parents need to contact the parish office to arrange a specific date for the Baptism so the community can welcome its new members. Baptisms are normally celebrated within a regularly scheduled Eucharistic celebration, not during a private ceremony. When you schedule the Baptism, please let us know whether the Baptism will be by full immersion or by pouring water on the child’s head.

Godparents: Only one godparent is needed. When there are two, one is male and one female. They need to be at least 16 years old, Baptized, Confirmed, have received First Communion and be practicing their Catholic faith. If you have one person who meets the criteria for godparent, a second Christian person may be a Christian Witness.

Godparents who are unable to attend the Baptism ceremony may be represented by a proxy, a person who stands in for them. The parish must receive a letter from the godparents stating that they accept the responsibility of being godparents, even though they cannot be present.

A godparent promises to help the parents of a child to raise the child to know Christ and to live as a Catholic Christian. It may be a truism, but we cannot give what we do not have. The church in her wisdom asks that godparents be able to witness faith to the parents and child. A godparent is asked to provide evidence that they themselves are baptized, confirmed, have had First Communion and are practicing their faith. Practically, this “evidence” takes the form of a letter from the pastor of the parish where the godparent is registered and living their faith. This letter should be presented at the parish office no less than 2 weeks before the requested Baptism date. It is the parents’ responsibility to ask the godparents to provide this information to the Tri-Community office.

If the godparents attend one of our Tri-Community churches we expect that they are registered and active members.

CONFESSION / RECONCILIATION / PENANCE

This sacrament has been known by several names throughout the history of the Church because different times emphasized different aspects of it. In the past, some people have focused on the confessing of sins to the priest, others on the penance (prayers or actions the priest suggests to help one’s conversion). Most recently, the Church has focused on the healing/reconciling of the wounds caused by sin. This includes wounds in our relationship with God as well as in our relationships with each other.

According the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church from Vatican II, those who come to confession “obtain pardon (of their sins) from God’s mercy” are reconciled “with the Church which they have wounded by their sins, and which . . . collaborates in their conversion.” (n.11) God constantly offers us His love and forgiveness. To celebrate this, the Church recommends that people come to this sacrament at least once a year.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at Sacred Heart Church every Saturday from 4:00–5:00 p.m., or by appointment with a priest.

Preparing for First Reconciliation: Our Church recognizes the parent’s primary role in the formation of their children. At the baptism of their child, parents promise to train and raise their children in the Catholic faith. Our Tri-Community desires to assist parents in this process. When a child is about the age of 7 and has been part of a structured Religious Formation process for at least a year, parents may begin to directly prepare him/her for the first celebration of Reconciliation/Confession.

To assist the parents, in the Fall we offer an adult program of instruction and make workbooks available for parents to use at home with their children.

Introductory Sessions are held in October each year. First Reconciliation usually takes place in a Family Reconciliation Service before Christmas (with individual confessions).

CONFIRMATION

Diocesan guidelines recommend a two-year preparation program and require that youth be at least 15 years old upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. In keeping with these recommendations, Confirmation is a two-year process in our parish. Generally open to sophomores and juniors; freshman will be considered after a preliminary interview.

Confirmation candidates meet for formation twice per month within the regularly scheduled Wednesday Youth Ministry sessions. Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation into a faith community. Confirmandi are strongly encouraged to participate in the many facets and events of Youth Ministry--not just on formation nights. Participation in service projects, diocesan and/or regional events and the Spring Retreat is required.

Candidates, their sponsors and parents will journey together in this exploration and renewal of faith. Sponsors are designated in the second year. There will be a training session for parents/sponsors in the Fall, a Confirmation Commitment Mass for sponsors, Candidates and families, and several simple soup suppers for sponsors and candidates throughout the year.

EUCHARIST / COMMUNION

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:26-28, Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:17-20, 1 Cor 11:23-25)

Believing in the words of Jesus, the Catholic Church professes that through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the celebration of the Eucharist. Although the bread and wine continue to appear, or have the physical attributes, of bread and wine, a fundamental change has taken place. They now have become, on the deepest level--the level of substance--the body, blood, soul and divinity of the glorified Christ who rose from the dead after dying for our sins. Because it is the actual Body and Blood of Christ, the Church teaches that this sacrament is “the source and summit” of our Christian faith.

This sacrament is also called Holy Communion. Receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus in this sacrament increases our union with Jesus who said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (John 6:56). It also unites the Church more deeply as the Body of Christ (“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we partake of one bread” 1 Cor 10:16-17). From this unifying aspect of the sacrament, both with Christ and with the Church, we call this sacrament Holy Communion.  

Preparation for First Communion: Our Church recognizes the parent’s primary role in the formation of their children. At the baptism of their child, parents promise to train and raise their children in the Catholic faith. Our Tri-Community desires to assist parents in this process. When a child is about the age of 7 and has been part of a structured Religious Formation process for at least a year, parents may begin to directly prepare him/her for the celebration of First Communion. Usually this follows a child’s First Reconciliation.

To assist the parents in teaching their children, we offer an adult program of instruction (usually beginning in early February). We also make workbooks available for parents to use at home with their children. First Communion is arranged individually when the child is ready.

HOLY ORDERS

Holy Orders is the sacrament by which people called by God are ordained for ministry in the Church to serve God and all of God’s people. It is called Holy Orders, in the plural, because there are three different ministries, or orders: episkopos (bishop), presbyter (priest), and diakonos (deacon).

There are two kinds of deacons: permanent and transitional. A transitional deacon is a man who either has completed or is completing his seminary training and intends to be ordained a priest. A permanent deacon is a man (who may be married) who has discerned that he wants to serve as an ordained minister in the Church; however, he does not intend to become a priest. Deacons proclaim the Gospel and preach homilies, witness marriages, baptize, and assist the priest in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Deacons are also assigned by the bishop to pastoral care ministry, such as to a hospital, prison, hospice, Life Support Center, etc.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs has entrusted the care of the Tri-Community to the Congregation of Holy Cross. For more information about this religious community, and about its formation programs to become a priest or brother of Holy Cross, please visit www.nd.edu/~vocation.

You may find more information about becoming a priest of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, how to become a permanent deacon in this diocese, or more about other religious communities serving in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, at www.diocesecs.org.

MARRIAGE

The sacrament of matrimony beautifully celebrates the love and union of a woman and man. In this irrevocable covenant, the unity and love of the couple is meant to signify and share in the mystery of unity and fruitful love that exists between Christ and the Church. Husband and wife are called by God to help each other grow in holiness in their life together. They also help each other to raise any children God gives to them in the love and knowledge of God, who is the source of all love.

The Catholic Church views matrimony as an immensely important gift to the whole Church. Therefore, we pledge our prayers and resources to those preparing for this sacrament, and to those already married.

Knowing the many challenges facing married couples today, we believe that a solid and practical preparation to receive the Sacrament of Christian Marriage is more important now than ever. The marriage preparation program focuses on helping a couple attain the skills needed to allow their union to flourish in their life-long commitment as a married couple.

Preparation Details: The policy of the Diocese of Colorado Springs is that an engaged couple should present themselves to the parish minister at least six months prior to the intended wedding date. Call the parish office at 633-8711 to talk to a priest or deacon.

1. There will be an initial meeting with the priest/ deacon who will preside at the wedding.

2. FOCCUS Instrument. FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication Understanding & Study) is a self-diagnostic instrument designed to help couples learn more about themselves and their unique relationship. The FOCCUS takes approximately 2 hours and is offered the 4^th Tuesday of every month.

3. The engaged couple will meet about 5 times for two hours with a host couple.

4. There will be an additional meeting or two with the presiding priest/deacon to discuss the sacramental nature of marriage and the wedding ceremony itself.

 Other arrangements are possible for couples living out of town or in separate cities.

 Reserving the Church: A wedding date and time is not considered "firm" until the couple has completed “Use Agreement” and “Guidelines for Use of the Church for Weddings” forms, and paid the required fees (which cover the Wedding Coordinator, a use fee, and a refundable damage deposit).