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 grace proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions (Catechism 1131).
The Church celebrates seven sacraments:
- Anointing of the Sick
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Holy Orders
- Matrimony
- Reconciliation (Confession)
The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life.
The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life.
Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick are sacraments of healing. Jesus forgave sin and healed the sick; in his name, the Church continues those ministries to its people and the world.
Lastly, Holy Orders and Matrimony are sacraments of vocation and focus upon the life experiences of marriage as a natural outflow of love from God and Holy Orders as an image of God in service to his people. If you are interested in receiving Holy Orders in the Diocese of Charleston, please visit the Office of Vocations.
To learn about receiving sacraments at St. Anthony’s, consult the drop down menu or click one of the links below: