Sacraments of Healing and Forgiveness

Reconciliation
Individual Confession: Saturday 4:00P.M., or by appointment by contacting a priest. Parish celebration of the sacrament is scheduled during Advent and Lent.

Anointing
If you or a family member are ill, contact a priest for Anointing of the sick, Special Masses of healing and anointing are scheduled periodically.

Sacraments of Initiation

Adult Initiation (RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)
If you are interested in joining our parish family, contact Marty Bode (410-461-9111 x204) regarding preparation for Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Initiation of Children (RCIC - Rite of Christian Initiation for Children)
Parents are requested to register for Baptism preparation class by contacting the Parish Office (410-461-9111, x201). Confirmation, Reconciliation, and Eucharist Preparation programs are announced yearly.

Sacrament of Marriage

Couples are asked to contact a priest or deacon at least six months in advance to make arrangements.

Confirmation

In accordance with Archdiocesan guidelines sacramental preparation is done by the home parish and the Confirmation preparation program is held in addition to and separate from classes for religious education or Catholic School.

We prepare for and celebrate the sacrament in the 8th grade (and when necessary -older) for registered Resurrection parishioners.

Invitations are sent out in May of each year to all 7th graders who have completed their 7th grade year of religion in either our religious education program or at Resurrection - St. Paul school. Once they have registered for their 8th grade year in these programs we accept their Confirmation registration. Parents and sponsors attend two meetings; one is held at the end of May or early June and the other  in late August or earlu September just before candidate classes begin.

Candidates attend classes once a week for one and one half hours(11/2) for six consecutive weeks. These meetings include presentations made by professional youth ministers and other ministers from the diocese. Candidates also attend a full weekend retreat (Friday evening to Sunday noon) that is held off site.

Candidates, parents and sponsors attend three large group gatherings. These vary every year and are held after retreats are completed and usually once a month.

Candidates are required to complete 20 hours of service by the deadline which is early December.

Candidates must write a letter to the bishop responsible for our celebrations. This letter is written in response to a letter the bishop writes to the candidates. Again the deadline is early December for the letter.

Candidates are confirmed in January.

Each year as the Confirmation invitations go out in May a notice is placed in the bulletin for those parishioners whose children attend other Catholic schools. If you are a registered Resurrection parishioner and your child attends a different Catholic school then please contact the office for the registration materials.

If you have any questions, please contact Marty Bode at 410-461-9111 x204

First Reconciliation and First Eucharist

Preparation for each of these sacraments begins in the fall of the year when letters and registration forms are distributed through the religious education program and Resurrection - St. Paul school. This distribution occurs around the third week in September. At this time an announcement is placed in the bulletin for those parishioners whose children attend a different Catholic school.

Parents attend two meetings in late October and early November of the year. These are in preparation for working with their children at home. The first meeting discusses the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist and the second deals with readiness and expectations. At the end of the second meeting parents pick up workbooks to begin working at home with the children. The children begin working on these and continue through the Christmas holidays. In January the children come in for 6 one hour meetings over a seven week period. At least one parent stays with the child at these meetings. We then go over activities that reinforce the content and concepts we focus on in preparation for these sacraments. When possible at the 5th meeting we have a "Build-a-Lunch" meeting, where we pray for those in the family of God who have less than we do, we decorate lunch bags, and package a lunch for the homeless and hungry here in Howard county.

The last of these meetings is what we call "Penance Practice." We go over the Act of Contrition, an examination of conscience, and then show the options for receiving the sacrament of reconciliation. We have traditional confessionals, screens, and the face-to-face options. We schedule three "first" reconciliation services so that our young ones each have plenty of time for this experience.

The week before our First Eucharist celebrations we have three separate rehearsals for the three celebrations we have here at Resurrection. Children also have the option of receiving the sacrament for the first time at one of the weekend Masses.