Faith Education

Baptism of children in the Catholic Church is about our commitment as parents to raise and teach our children about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and to help them understand and practice the teachings of the Catholic Church. Baptism removes all sin and makes a person a child of God and a member of the Church. A pre-baptism meeting is required for parents who have not already participated in a pre-baptism program. Arrangement for this meeting is made by contacting your parish. This meeting should be scheduled during the pregnancy.

The Sacrament of First Eucharist or First Communion is received in the spring of 2nd grade for children. Classes run from the fall thru the first Sunday in May.

This program conforms to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and brings children and their families to a joyful reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. There are many requirements for the students and families; watch for the First Eucharist Student Handbook at the Parent Meeting.  For further information, contact the Faith Formation Director of your parish or the Principal of St Mary's Catholic School.

Along with Baptism and Eucharist, Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation. Through these sacraments, a person is incorporated into the Church and welcomed to participate as part of the Body of Christ.

Confirmation is a time to increase and deepen the grace one receives at Baptism. Confirmation is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit, which is called upon to strengthen the candidates bond with the Church and its mission. The congregation, pastor, and the bishop ask for God to send upon the candidates the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to empower them to become stronger in their faith.

The Catholic Church welcomes new members & forms disciples for a lifetime relationship with Christ in the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). RCIA is a process of intellectual, spiritual, and moral formation that prepares adult individuals for full initiation into the Catholic Church.  New members are welcome at any time!

RCIA is designed for those who have not been baptized; for those who have been baptized in another faith tradition; and for Catholics who were baptized as Catholics but never received Holy Communion or Confirmation. 

We look forward to meeting you and accompanying you on your journey into the Church!

For more information or to sign up, contact us!

Congratulations on your engagement. This is a very special time in your life. There is much for you to do and to consider. You are preparing for a marriage as well as a wedding. A wedding is a day, marriage is a lifetime. Our preparations are focused on the wedding celebration but the Catholic Church also looks at this time as a time to prepare for your marriage which is the rest of your lives.

You must make arrangements for your wedding at least six months prior to the proposed wedding date. However, contacting the priest 9 to 12 months before your wedding date is not too early for the initial contact. Pre-marriage instructions are required for all Catholics whether they are marrying another Catholic or a person of a different faith. Preparation with a Catholic priest is required even when the marriage will take place in a non-Catholic church.

For weddings at  one of our parishes, contact us!  

The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick make up the Sacraments of Healing. God’s design is intended that all people be saved by Christ’s self-sacrificial love. Through the Holy Spirit, we have the Sacraments of Healing to restore us to physical and spiritual health.

Communal celebrations of this sacrament are scheduled at a daily Mass and for individual celebrations of this sacrament call the parish office at 320-523-2030 or 320-365-3593.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is offered to those who are suffering from any illness, and or old age. Any Baptized person who is seriously or chronically ill or in danger of death from a surgery or advanced age may receive this Sacrament. 

To quote the Catechism;

The Anointing of the Sick “is not a Sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time to receive this Sacrament has certainly already arrived. “ (CCC, no. 1514, citing SC, no. 73)

Last Rites:

When a person is close to death, the Church fortifies the faithful in their last hours by offering them the Last Rites. Catholics highly value this group of Sacraments which includes Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and Eucharist known as Viaticum (Communion for the dying.). Together, these holy moments form the Sacraments of departure which unifies us all once again with the sufferings of Christ Jesus, who’s grace and power leads us to the next life. Last Rites are holy celebrations of life and healing.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders is offered to those men who are called to the priesthood or to the permanent diaconate. Contact our Diocese Vocations office for specifics by going to their web page at: http://www.dnu.org/admin/vocations.html

Please pray for vocations to the priesthood.  If you know a boy or a young man you think would be a good priest, tell him you think he would be a good priest.  Include him in your prayers.