BAPTISM
Please contact the Parish Office regarding a Baptism preparation program.

RECONCILIATION
Saturdays - St. Mary - 4:00pm - 4:30pm or by Appointment with Fr. Parker,   515-367-2685 / rparker@dmdiocese.org.

Preparation for and receiving of First  Reconciliation is in 2nd grade.  Please contact Geneveve Loraditch or Tracy Miller  for more information.

EUCHARIST

In the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”  Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine—the glorified Christ who rose from the dead after dying for our sins. The risen Christ is present to his Church in many ways, but most especially through the sacrament of his Body and Blood.

Preparation for and receiving of First  Eucharist is in 2nd grade.  Please contact Geneveve Loraditch or Tracy Miller for more information.

CONFIRMATION
A Sacrament in which the Holy Spirit is given to those already baptized in order to make them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.  Confirmation imparts an increase of sanctifying grace which makes the recipient a "perfect Christian"; a special sacramental grace consisting in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and notably in the strength and courage to confess boldly the name of Christ. 

Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is in 9th and 10th grade, with the sacrament being celebrated during 10th grade.  Please contact our Confirmation Program Coordinator Nicole Cory for more information.

MARRIAGE

Marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman that reflects the union of Jesus Christ and His Church.  God’s love becomes present to the couple by their permanent, faithful and exclusive giving to each other, revealing something of God’s unconditional love. The Sacrament of Marriage involves their entire life as they journey together; becoming more able to give to and receive from each other. Their life becomes sacramental to the extent that the couple cooperates with God’s action in their life and sees themselves as living “in Christ” and Christ living and acting in their relationship, attitudes and actions.

Arrangements for weddings must be made at least six months in advance with the Pastor.  One of the parties to wed must live within the Parish boundaries, or be a registered member, or be an immediate family member of a parishioner. Please contact the Parish Office to begin necessary arrangements for marriage.

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HOLY ORDERS 
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Christ's priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles; thus, it is referred to as "the sacrament of apostolic ministry."  "Ordination" comes from the Latin word ordinatio, which means to incorporate someone into an order. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ, at one of three levels: the episcopate, the priesthood, or the diaconate.

 

ANNOINTING OF THE SICK

Traditionally referred to as Last Rites, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is administered both to the dying and to those who are gravely ill or are about to undergo a serious operation, for the recovery of their health and for spiritual strength.