Our Lady Star of the Sea | St Bernard of Clairvaux | St Saviour
Parish Sacraments Programs
The sacraments in the Catholic Church are considered essential rituals and acts of divine grace. They were instituted by Jesus Christ and are vital for spiritual growth and salvation. The Catholic Church recognises seven sacraments, each serving a unique purpose in the life of a Catholic.
Holy Communion
The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ The other sacraments, [and indeed all other aspects of the Church’s life], are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself’ - CCC 1324.
Sacrament of Confession
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, Jesus showed himself to his apostles. He breathed on them, and said to them: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ (John 20:19, 22-23).”
Sacrament of the Sick
The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ The other sacraments, [and indeed all other aspects of the Church’s life], are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself’ - CCC 1324.
Marriage
The Sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life - CCC 1661.