Regina Coeli Parish

The Seven Sacraments of the Church

The Latin word sacramentum means “a sign of the sacred.” The Catholic sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. The liturgical life of the Church focuses around the sacraments and the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church ties together the many meanings of sacraments saying, “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.”

All seven sacraments were established by Jesus Christ during His ministry and have been in use by the Church from its inception. The sacraments provide grace, from the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross, to the faithful throughout their lives, from birth to death. Reception of the sacraments in accord with the teaching of the Church is the ordinary means of salvation for all the faithful.

Baptism incorporates us into the Church. From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations, cultures, races, and sexes: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”(1 Corinthians 12:13)” ~Catechism of the Catholic Church – 1267

It has been the tradition of the church to celebrate Baptisms on Sunday. Baptism is the first of the initiation sacraments of the church and has the most symbols associated with it (name, cross, white garment, candle, chrism, water, litany of the saints, word of God, creed, etc.). The Church has encouraged us to celebrate the sacrament with a community rather than celebrate it privately. Thus we schedule Baptisms during one of the weekend Masses unless special circumstances exist.

Baptism Requirements

Godparent(s) Requirements:

The regulations for godparents require that they must be age 16 or older (although exceptions are possible for good reason); they must be Catholic and have received their First Communion and Confirmation; and they must be in good standing with the Catholic Church (e.g., if the Catholic godparent is married, that marriage MUST have been celebrated in the Church, they must be attending church regularly, etc.). One male and one female godparent is permitted, although one Catholic godparent at the minimum is sufficient, and more than two “witnesses” are also allowed.

Baptism Schedule

Baptisms typically take place during a weekend Mass. Private baptisms may be scheduled under special circumstances. Baptisms do not take place during the Season of Lent. Please call the Parish Office (330-821-5880) to begin the scheduling process.

To schedule a Baptism, contact the parish office at 330-821-5880 during regular office hours.

Jesus Christ had the authority to forgive sins on earth and he gave this authority to his apostles when he said “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them receive the Holy Spirit whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:21-23.) “Only priests who have received the faculty of absolving from the authority of the Church can forgive sins in the name of Christ” (CCC 1495).

“The whole power of the sacrament of Reconciliation consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship.” (Roman Catechism) ” Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament” (CCC 1468)

It has been the tradition of the church to celebrate Baptisms on Sunday. Baptism is the first of the initiation sacraments of the church and has the most symbols associated with it (name, cross, white garment, candle, chrism, water, litany of the saints, word of God, creed, etc.). The Church has encouraged us to celebrate the sacrament with a community rather than celebrate it privately. Thus we schedule Baptisms during one of the weekend Masses unless special circumstances exist.

Reconciliation Preparation

In order to make a good confession, an Examination of Conscience is helpful in bringing to mind the times we have sinned against God. Begin with an opening prayer such as: Lord, hear my prayer as I examine my conscience, asking for your merciful help. I know that you desire to forgive me for I am helpless to save myself. May I always remember the goodness you want to see in me in imitation of Your Son Who died to save me from my sins. Amen. We can examine our conscience in light of the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the 7 capital sins which are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

Confessions are heard on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 3:00-3:30 p.m. or by appointment. Call the parish office at 330-821-5880 to make an appointment if needed.

So rich is the mystery of the Eucharist that we have a number of terms to illumine its saving grace: the Breaking of the Bread; the Lord’s Supper; the Eucharistic Assembly; the Memorial of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection; the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Holy and Divine Liturgy; the Eucharistic Liturgy; Holy Communion; and Holy Mass (cf. CCC, nos. 1328-
1332). The use of bread and wine in worship is already found in the early history of God’s people. In the Old
Testament, bread, and wine are seen as gifts from God, to whom praise and thanks are given in return for these blessings and for other manifestations of his care and grace. The story of the priest Melchizedek’s offering a sacrifice of bread and wine for Abraham’s victory is an example of this (cf.
Gn 14:18). The harvest of new lambs was also a time for the sacrifice of a lamb to show gratitude to God for the new flock and its contribution to the well-being of the family and tribe. These ancient rituals were given historical meaning at the Exodus of God’s people. They were united into the Passover Meal as a sign of God’s delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, a pledge of his fidelity to his promises, and eventually a sign of the coming of the Messiah and messianic times. Each family shared the lamb that had been sacrificed and the bread over which a blessing had been proclaimed. They also drank from a cup of wine over which a similar blessing had been proclaimed. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist he gave a final meaning to the blessing of the bread and the wine and the sacrifice of the lamb. The Gospels narrate events that anticipated the Eucharist. The miracle of the loaves and fish, reported in all four Gospels, prefigured the unique abundance of the
Eucharist. The miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana manifested the divine glory of Jesus and the heavenly wedding feast in which we share at every Eucharist. In his dialogue with the people at Capernaum, Christ used his miracle of multiplying the loaves of
bread as the occasion to describe himself as the Bread of Life: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. . . Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (Jn 6:51, 53).  “The whole power of the sacrament of Reconciliation consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship.” (Roman Catechism) ” Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament” (CCC 1468)

It has been the tradition of the church to celebrate Baptisms on Sunday. Baptism is the first of the initiation sacraments of the church and has the most symbols associated with it (name, cross, white garment, candle, chrism, water, litany of the saints, word of God, creed, etc.). The Church has encouraged us to celebrate the sacrament with a community rather than celebrate it privately. Thus we schedule Baptisms during one of the weekend Masses unless special circumstances exist.

Confirmation, together with Baptism and Eucharist, form the Sacraments of Initiation that are all intimately connected. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ.

The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God’s Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission. Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John.

Jesus’ entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.

Those who believed in the Apostles’ preaching were baptized and received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. The Apostles baptized believers in water and the Spirit. Then they imparted the special gift of the Spirit through the laying on of hands. “The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church.” (CCC, no. 1288, citing Pope Paul VI, Divinae Consortium Naturae, no. 659).

By the second century, Confirmation was also conferred by anointing with holy oil, which came to be called sacred Chrism. “This anointing highlights the name ‘Christian,’ which means ‘anointed’ and derives from that of Christ himself whom God ‘anointed with the Holy Spirit’” (CCC, no. 1289, citing Acts 10:38).

Confirmation Preparation

Confirmation preparation at Regina Coeli invites candidates to explore their personal faith and prepares them for full initiation into our community of faith.

Preparation of youth for the Sacrament of Confirmation is a one-year process, typically completed as a parish-based Faith Formation program in eighth grade. The Sacrament of Confirmation typically takes place early in the ninth grade year.

Confirmation for Adults

The Adult Confirmation program is for adults or those beyond high school age. Adults wishing to receive Confirmation are encouraged to join the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program.

For more about Confirmation for youth at Regina Coeli, please contact the Director of Religious Education: Amy Benedetti-Dike at 330-821-5880 or abenedetti@youngstowndiocese.org.

God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love.(Gen 1:27) Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator’s eyes. And this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: ‘And God blessed them, and God said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.”(Gen 1:28)”    ~Catechism of the Catholic Church – 1604

Weddings at Regina Coeli Church

Please make arrangements six months in advance of the proposed wedding date. The Diocesan marriage preparation program will be required.

Holy Matrimony is a sacrament established by Jesus Christ for the benefit and salvation of the husband and wife, and their children. It is also a vocation that God will call some of us to. Marriage as a sacrament differs from ordinary marriage; it is a true source of grace for the spouses, and unites husband and wife in a holy bond before God. True marriage is only between one man and one woman, and only death can break the bond of this sacrament. Marital relations is a fundamental part of this sacrament: “May marriage be honorable in every way, and may the marriage bed be immaculate.” (Heb 13:4).

Additional Resources Regarding Marriage

• ForYourMarriage.org (USCCB Website)
• Annulment information from the USCCB.org
• Defending Marriage on USCCB.org

For more information, please contact the Director of Religious Education: Amy Benedetti-Dike at 330-821-5880 or abenedetti@youngstowndiocese.org.

“Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.”   ~Catechism of the Catholic Church – 1536

A Definition of the Three Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

Bishops (episcopate) are those who have care of multiple congregations and have the task of appointing, ordaining, and disciplining priests and deacons. They are often called ‘evangelists’ in the New Testament. Examples of first century bishops include Timothy and Titus (1 Tim. 5:19-22, 2 Tim. 4:5, Titus 1:5).

Priests (presbyterate) are also known as “presbyters” or “elders.” In fact, the English term “priest” is simply a contraction of the Greek word “presbuteros.” They have the responsibility of teaching, governing, and performing the sacraments in a given congregation (1 Tim. 5:17, Jas. 5:14-15).

Deacons (diaconate) are the assistants of the bishops and have the task of teaching and administering certain church functions, such as the distribution of food (Acts 6:1-6).

The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient. The Sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after the anointing but becomes ill once

again, or if, during the same illness, the person’s condition becomes more serious. A person should be anointed before surgery when a dangerous illness is the reason for the intervention (cf. Rite of Anointing, Introduction, nos. 8-10).

Moreover, “old people may be anointed if they are in weak condition even though no dangerous illness is present. Sick children may be anointed if they have sufficient use of reason to be comforted by this sacrament. . . . [The faithful] should be encouraged to ask for the anointing, and, as soon as the time for the anointing comes, to receive it with faith and devotion, not misusing the sacrament by putting it off” (Rite of Anointing, nos. 11, 12, 13).

Only bishops and priests may be ministers of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. A penitential rite followed by the Liturgy of the Word opens the celebration. Scripture awakens the faith of the sick and family members and friends to pray to Christ for the strength of his Holy Spirit. The priest lays his hands on the head of the sick person. He then proceeds to anoint, with the blessed Oil of the Sick, the forehead and hands of the sick person (in the Roman Rite). He accompanies these acts with the words, “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up” (CCC, no. 1513).

For those who are about to depart from this life, the Church offers the person Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist as Viaticum (food for the journey) given at the end of life. These are “the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland” (cf. CCC, no. 1525). These rites are highly valued by Catholics as powerful aids to a good death. Since Holy Communion is the effective sign of Christ’s Paschal Mystery, it becomes for the recipient the opportunity to unite one’s own suffering and dying to that of Christ with the hope of life eternal with him. The special words proper to Viaticum are added: “May the Lord Jesus protect you and lead you to everlasting life. Amen.”

For Anointing and Pastoral Care please contact the Parish Office by email or phone at 330-821-5880 if you or a family member is homebound, admitted to the hospital, or becomes a resident at one of the healthcare centers and would like a priest to visit and bring Communion.