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Sacraments and Devotions at OLPH
HOLY DAY MASSES:
Always check the Weekly Church Bulletin. Our Mass schedule may vary for any Holy Day, especially at Christmas time. However, here is the way we usually schedule Holy Days:
HOLY DAY MASSES
9 AM, 12 Noon, 7:30 PM, in the Main Church (**8:15, 12 Noon & 7:30 pm - August 15th)
(No Vigil Mass the night before)
January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Saturday: 4 – 4:30 PM (In the Main Church)
Between Masses or upon request.
MARRIAGES
Arrangements must be made at least 6 months in advance to allow participation in our parish program (Pre-Cana) before marriage – "Perspectives on Marriage"
Please call the Parish Office to make an appointment to meet with the Pastor. Bring a current copy of your Baptismal Certificate. You can obtain this by calling the Parish that you were baptized.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Men and Women in the parish who have commited to spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament on Tuesday Evenings (7-10 PM) in our Little Church.
DIVINE MERCY The Second Sunday of Easter is the octave of Easter-the eighth day (octave meaning “eight”) of the Resurrection of Christ. Recall that the “Eighth Day” was an image used by the early Church to speak about the eternal day that Christ will establish when he returns in glory at the end of time.
It is this image from early Christianity that the Church uses talk about Easter and the Resurrection. In our celebration of the Paschal Mystery, we experience a foretaste of that final day on which God’s great love will establish his kingdom forever.
In the context of this day and its celebration our late Holy Father Pope John Paul II called the Church to remember the Divine Mercy of God through which Christ was raised from death. Divine Mercy Sunday, then, reminds us that it is because of God’s great, eternal mercy that he has promised a day of new creation, a final forever Sunday. It is a day in which his divine mercy will wipe away—forever—all sin, all suffering, all sadness, all illness. As a celebration of Easter, John Paul reminds us that this day recalls God’s great love, which is stronger than sin and death.
The Resurrection of Christ is the very miracle of mercy that has forever changed our destiny as God’s sons and daughters. In Easter joy we recall that great miracle and its promise to us. In this celebration, we go forth “loving God, and loving one’s neighbor and even one’s ‘enemies,’ after Jesus’ example: (Homily of Pope John Paul II on the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, 2001).
Written by D. Todd Williamson. Copyright © 2006, Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications; www.LTP.org
We also need to understand from the numerous directions by St. Sr. Faustina and those connected with Divine Mercy that there is no magical formula that produces our conversion. Conversion is God’s work, but we cooperate by repenting of all our sins and completely trusting in Jesus. Therefore, the immediate preparation for Divine Mercy starts with us becoming more merciful in our thoughts and actions. The reception of the Sacraments and the veneration of the Image are aids and means to that end.
A "Mercy Team" is being formed at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, with monthly meetings where the Chaplet will be recited. For more information, call Donna Marie Chmiel @ 627-4187. For more information regarding the Divine Mercy, click on these links:
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
A Letter of Recommendation is required for those who are to be a Godparent for Baptism or a Sponsor for Confirmation. The pastor must follow the New Code of Canon Law, stating that you are in good standing with the Church in order to give the Letter of Recommendation.
You are required to respond in the affirmative to the following:
I am 16 years of age or older.
I have received the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist & Confirmation).
I worship faithfully by attending weekly Mass.
I have made my Easter Duty (Confession & Communion).
I am registered in my parish. (Adult children should be registered on their own.)
I am receiving Church Envelopes and using them regularly. (Even if empty, they are still an indicator that you are attending Mass.)
I am validly married in the Roman Catholic Church.
Letters of Recommendation state that the parish priest knows or has evidence that the person(s) requesting the letter are practicing Catholics. Please make sure that there is “evidence” that you are registered, practicing member of the parish and you will have no difficulty in receiving a letter of recommendation to act as a sponsor. Please call the Parish Office (627-2910) for your Letter of Recommendation. Fr. John must approve all letters.
Out-of-town college students should receive a letter from their Campus Minister. People in the military should receive a letter from their Chaplain.
In the case of Baptismal sponsors, two Catholic Godparents (1 male, 1 female) is the norm. By exception, there may be one Catholic Godparent and one Christian Witness (Baptized Protestant). Christian Witnesses are also required to present a Letter of Recommendation from their pastor stating they are in good standing as members of their respective Church.
BAPTISMS & CHOOSING GODPARENTS
Are you expecting a baby soon or recently had a new addition to your family? Baptisms are generally done at any of the regular weekend Masses because the Sacrament of Baptism is a community Sacrament. We do limit one baptism per Mass. To schedule a baptism, please call the Parish Office @ (716) 627-2910.
A Pre-Baptism class is required prior to having your child Baptized. If you have not taken one yet, or it has been longer than 3 years, please call or email the Parish Office to schedule a class. If possible, this class may be taken prior to the baby’s arrival.
When choosing Godparents, it is important to not get caught up in the “popularity contest” within family and friends. According to the Code of Canon Law, "Insofar as possible, one to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who is to assist an adult in Christian initiation, or, together with the parents, to present an infant at the baptism, and who will help the baptized to lead a Christian life in harmony with baptism, and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it" (No. 872). This statement clearly reflects the historical roots of the role of sponsor.
To be a sponsor, a person must be chosen by the person to be baptized, or by the parents or guardians of a child, or, in their absence, by the pastor or minister of the sacrament. The sponsor must not only have the intention of being a sponsor but also meet proper qualifications. The sponsor must have completed his sixteenth year unless the Bishop has established another age for sponsorship, or the pastor or minister judges that a just cause warrants an exception to the rule. He must be a Catholic who has received the sacraments of holy Eucharist and Confirmation, and "leads a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken." Moreover, the sponsor cannot be impeded by some canonical penalty. Ideally, this sponsor at baptism should also be the sponsor for confirmation. Note that the mother and father of the child cannot serve as sponsors. Also note that these are the same requirements for confirmation sponsors. (Cf. Code of Canon Law, No. 874.1). Strictly speaking, a person only needs one sponsor for baptism — male or female, but the preferred is to have two sponsors, one male and one female. Also, in the case of an emergency, such as imminent death, no sponsor is needed.
Here we should pause to clarify who qualifies as a Catholic godparent. A Catholic who does not practice the faith by regularly attending Mass or who is in an invalid marriage disqualifies himself from being a godparent. Moreover, if a person is Catholic but antagonistic to the faith, i.e. has the attitude "I am a Catholic but...," and would not be a good example and witness to the faith also disqualifies himself. If a person is not striving to fulfill his own obligations of baptism and confirmation, he will not fulfill the responsibilities of helping another to do so.
Letters of Recommendation are required for sponsors. At least one of the Godparents must be a practicing Catholic, who is able to get a letter of Recommendation. For those who are protestant and will be a “Christian Witness”, a letter is also to be requested from their Pastor.
If you have any questions, please call the Parish Office @ (716) 627-2910.
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