Baptism
By water and the Holy Spirit, we are washed clean of our sins, share in the death and resurrection of Christ and are reborn as sons and daughters of God
Children 0–6-year-old:
The children are baptized on the faith and promise of the parents. The parish needs to have some assurance that the parents are seriously committed to modeling Catholic life for their child by attending Mass regularly, living a virtuous life as best they can and being of service to their neighbors. The child will need a sponsor the be a role model in the faith. There can be two sponsors if you wish, a man and a woman. Sponsors must be at least 16 years old, Confirmed and able to affirm that they are good role models in the Catholic faith. Parents and Sponsors are required to attend 1 preparatory session.
Children 7 +:
These children are prepared through a process of catechesis (instruction and faith formation). When children 7 and older are baptized they receive all the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist & Confirmation) at the same liturgy at the Easter Vigil.
Adults:
Adults are invited to participate in our Alpha Course Dinners to get an initial encounter with Jesus Christ. They are gradually initiated into the Church through a process of Catechesis (instruction and formation) which takes about two years to complete. The Sacraments are celebrated at the Easter Vigil.
Eucharist
A celebration of the Lord’s Supper where we make present the one Sacrifice of the Cross, understand the meaning of Washing Feet and share the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion with our brothers and sisters.
Children 7+ who would like to prepare to make their First Holy Communion must participate in our Religious Education program which includes additional “proximate” sessions of preparation for First Communion.
The Church, usually in the person of the bishop, confirms and completes our initiation into the Catholic Church through the gift and seal of the Holy Spirit.
Confirmation
Children 7+ who would like to prepare to make their First Holy Communion must participate in our Religious Education program which includes additional “proximate” sessions of preparation for First Communion.
Adults who are baptized but have not been Confirmed will have an opportunity to participate in a series of catechetical sessions to prepare them. They can be confirmed by the Pastor on Easter Sunday or Pentecost Sunday or they may join the youth who are confirmed by the Bishop when he comes to the parish.
Flowing from the healing Sacrament of Baptism, and according to Jesus’ command (Matthew 16:19) the Church confers God’s forgiveness for our sins after Baptism.
Penance
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Saturdays after the 8:30 AM Mass (except the First Saturday of the Month) and from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Saturday afternoons.
Annointing of the Sick
The disciples of Jesus continued his ministry of healing the sick (Mark 6:13) and even today, those who are sick are brought to the priests for healing (James 5: 14-15).
The Sacrament of the Sick is for those who are seriously sick or preparing for surgery. This is the sacrament for the living and for their healing.
The Sacrament of the Sick is celebrated at church on the First Saturday of every month after the 8:30 AM Mass. It is also available on an emergency basis for those in a critical situation
Matrimony
The Sacrament that takes Marriage to the next level by adding the presence of Christ given by the Bride and Groom to each other and in service of the world.
Congratulations on your decision to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony!Please download our planning guide that will take you step by step through the process of planning for your celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony.You should also begin the process of meeting with a friar be clicking on the “request” button below.
Holy Orders
Christ called various of his disciples to continue his ministry. Today the Church ordains men to service as Deacons, Priests and Bishops. The call to ordained ministry in the Church is a challenging yet most fulfilling life.
Most priests are ordained for a particular Diocese (region of the Church), usually where they live. There under the leadership of the Bishop they serve in parishes and in other ministries.
It's a little bit different with the Franciscan Friars. Our first and foremost commitment is to the brotherhood we share as friars. Living the Gospel together in community is the heart of our life. We are very much like a family. We are real men and we are real Catholic. We are brothers. As such we are very much attentive to listening to one another and our decision making is very much based in the wisdom of the community together.
We are not restricted to one diocese but mainly move about to various parts of our region, such as the Eastern United States and Canada. Friars get to see so much of the world and share in amazing moments in people's lives. It's an awesome privilege to be a friar; a brother to all.
Some of our friars are ordained Priests in the Church. Others are not. One is not better than the other. It's more a question of God's call to us. Friars can be priests, religious brothers, and as such they can teach in schools, serve as social workers or counsellors, pastor in a parish, work on evangelization. There is no limit to what friars can do.
If you feel called to Ordained ministry in the church, or are at least considering that possibility, you should discuss it with a trusted spiritual director to help you discern that calling. You are welcome to come and talk to one of the friars.
Learn more about priesthood in the Diocese of Brooklyn
Learn more about priesthood and brotherhood in the Franciscans