Baptism

“Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord’s will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1277)

After the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus commissioned His disciples to preach the Gospel message and baptize. The word Baptism means “immersion.” In Baptism, we immerse ourselves in the water as a sign of death to the old way of life, and come out of the water as new creations in Christ.

Our Baptism has its origins in the Baptism of Jesus. Before He began His public ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Jesus did not need to be baptized because He was free from sin and totally faithful to the will of His Father. Yes, He gave us a model of the need to die to self in order to do the will of God. Through Baptism we begin a new life in Christ.

Baptism if the first of the three sacraments of initiation, which include Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

Boyne Valley Catholic Community requires that all parents participate in a Baptismal preparation session in order for their child to be baptized. The sessions are held the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm. If this time will not fit your schedule, please contact the parish offices to schedule an alternative time.

If your child is of the age of reason (7 years) or older and has not been baptized, then you will be asked to participate in a Rite of Christian Initiation process, where the youth will receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Please call the parish office for more information concerning this process.

Confirmation

“The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace …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” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1285)

The Sacrament of Confirmation is many times referred to as the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus died, He promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon the Apostles and the Church. On the Feast of Pentecost, the Spirit came upon the apostles, as they went out boldly preaching the mighty works of God. Over 3,000 people were baptized in water and the Spirit, and the Church was born.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is performed by the laying on of hands and the anointing with oil, called sacred Chrism. The ordinary celebrant for the Sacrament of Confirmation is the Bishop, although delegation can be given to the pastor.

The Diocese of Gaylord has restored the order of the sacraments, in which Confirmation is celebrated before Eucharist. In this Diocese, both sacraments are celebrated at the same liturgy.

Boyne Valley Catholic Community celebrates the sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion in the third grade. It is required that all candidates for the sacraments participate in a two year formation process. All sacramental preparation is accomplished outside of regular faith formation sessions.

For more information concerning the sacrament of Confirmation or sacramental preparation, please contact the parish offices.

Eucharist

“The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation … The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1322 and 1325)

The foundation of the Eucharist is found in the Last Supper that Jesus celebrated with His apostles. During the meal, He took bread, blessed and broke the bread and shared it with His friends. He did the same with the wine, offering the cup of salvation to His apostles. He then asked them to do this always in remembrance of Him.

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, we read: “I am the living bread come down from heaven…Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you” (John 6: 51, 53).

The Eucharist is our highest and culminating sacrament of initiation. All sacraments lead us to the table of the Lord. In the reception of the Eucharist, we eat His body and drink His blood and become more like our Savior.

The Diocese of Gaylord has restored the order of the sacraments, in which Confirmation is celebrated before Eucharist. In this Diocese, both sacraments are celebrated at the same liturgy.

Boyne Valley Catholic Community celebrates the sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion in the third grade. It is required that all candidates for the sacraments participate in a two year formation process. All sacramental preparation is accomplished outside of regular faith formation sessions.

For more information concerning the sacrament of Confirmation or sacramental preparation, please contact the parish offices.

Matrimony:

“The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations in may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures and spiritual attitudes” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1603)

The very first miracle that Jesus performed was at a marriage feast in Cana. The Church sees this as a confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the importance that marriage is a visible sign of Christ’s presence.

We read in the book of Ephesians that a man will leave his father and be joined to his wife, and that the two persons will become one flesh. With this being said, the love of a man and woman is a reflection of the love of Christ and His Church.

In the sacraments of marriage, a covenant is formed between the man, the woman and God. The three are joined together in this covenant of love which is never to be broken.

Boyne Valley Catholic Community requires six months of marriage preparation before the sacrament of matrimony can be celebrated. The parish offices should be contacted as soon as possible to begin the planning process. The following are a list of guidelines for the celebration of the sacrament.

Boyne Valley Catholic Community
St. Augustine, Boyne Falls, St. Matthew, Boyne City, and St. John, Praga

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