Sacraments

• The traditional definition of a sacrament is this: “A sacrament is a visible sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace.”
• The seven sacraments are Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony and Anointing of the Sick.
• Each of the great mysteries or sacraments of the Church consists of a ritual celebration involving a complex of gestures and words that together form the mystery being celebrated. Often these foundational mysteries are common, every day gestures or words that receive added meaning because of the context in which they are used.
• Jesus recognized the extraordinary significance of ordinary things: a simple touch, a gentle word, a shared meal. Throughout His ministry, great significance was given to what may at first have seemed to most ordinary of gestures, objects, or words – and this transfiguration of the ordinary fills us with awe.
• The foundational mysteries common to nearly all the sacraments – such as placing a hand on a person’s head, standing in reverence, walking in procession, greeting and responding, sensing the fragrance of incense or Sacred Chrism – draw us deeper into the great sacramental mysteries we gather to celebrate.
• In summary, a sacrament is one of the primary means God has chosen to influence our life in a tangible and concrete way to give us purpose, hope and most importantly eternal life.

Baptism

Please contact the Parish Office (562) 431-0721 to make arrangements and for more information.

• Baptism marks the entry of the believer into the Christian community. Baptism is the first Sacrament of Initiation before Eucharist and Confirmation which gives us access to the full sacramental life of the Church as Jesus urged: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:19)
• Through Baptism we are freed from sin and joined with Christ, sharing in His divinity and destined for eternal life. Baptism leaves us permanently changed, no longer the person we once were, but a new person, dying to death and sin, and rising to new life in Christ. In the words of St. Paul, “We were buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so too may we live a new life.” (Romans 6:4).
• The rite consists of pouring water over the head while saying the Trinitarian formula. Anyone can baptize in an emergency, although the usual minister of the sacrament is a priest or deacon. Usually the rite includes anointing the forehead with holy oil to indicate that, even as Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so does the candidate now share in His everlasting life, participating in His glory as a member of His body. The newly baptized then receives a white garment and a candle lit from the paschal candle. Like Christ, who is the light of the world, the newly baptized Christian carries the light of Christ out into the world.
• Once the parents and a priest agree that this would be an appropriate time to baptize an infant, parents and godparents are asked to participate in a short preparation program.
• Persons 7 years and older who are not Baptized should prepare for the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation) through a two year process. For more information on programs in the area, please call the Parish Office at (562) 431-0721.

Reconciliation

Please see First Communion Preparation in Faith Formation or contact Amy Papageorges, Director of Faith Formation at (562) 431-0721 Ext. 16 for First Reconciliation information.

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Penance or Confession) celebrates God’s divine mercy and forgiveness to all in need.
• Many of us regret things we have done or fail to do, words we have said or thoughts we have harbored, things we are too embarrassed or ashamed to admit. Sometimes these hidden secrets take on much more importance than they deserve, simply because we keep them bottled up and are unable to speak about them. The Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us the opportunity to express our sorrow for things we have done wrong, to heal broken relationships, to forgive ourselves and others, and to open up the channels of communication between ourselves and God.
• The priest, standing in for Jesus, listens to the cries of the heart and on behalf of the community, speaks the words of absolution that release penitents from the chains and bondage of sin that bind them. Ultimately, through the power of reconciliation the Church stands in the place of the father of the prodigal son to rejoice, “Your brother was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost, and is found” (LK 15:32).
• Confessions times:  Monday through Saturday (8:30 am – 8:50 am). Additionally, communal celebrations of Penance are celebrated during Advent and Lent and also available by appointment.

Eucharist

• The Eucharist is the sacrament in which we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The Church teaches that Christ is really present in the bread and wine that have been consecrated by the priest at Mass. Although the bread and wine still look and taste like bread and wine, the substance, what is actually there, has changed.
• The roots of the Eucharist are in the Jewish Passover meal. This is the meal which commemorates Israel’s delivery from oppression and slavery in Egypt.
• As Jesus celebrated the Passover at his last supper with the apostles, He blessed, broke and shared with them bread and wine, declaring that it was His body and blood. He promised that He would truly be with them when they did likewise and shared bread and wine together in memory of Him.
• The Mass is the new Passover, with Jesus offering His own body and blood so that we, His present-day followers, might go free. For this reason, as well as being a sacred meal, the Eucharist is also a link with Jesus’ death. When we participate in the Mass together with our fellow believers and receive Him in the Eucharist we take part in the Passover meal which He celebrates now, shedding His blood so that we may be saved.
• Catholics are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist each Sunday at Mass.
• Children: Children younger than seven who have not yet made their First Communion participate in First Communion Preparation Classes through the Faith Formation Office. First Eucharist is a two-year process that can begin as early as 1st grade. For more information, please contact Amy Papageorges, Director of Faith Formation at (562) 431-0721 E 16.  More information is also located in Faith Formation under Children.

Confirmation

• The mystery of confirmation is the mystery of Pentecost, the mystery of the presence of God’s life-giving Spirit empowering Christians to be radical witnesses of life giving Christ’s presence to the world. Before Jesus was put to death, He promised His followers that He would send His Spirit to comfort and strengthen them. True to His promise, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them on Pentecost, forty days after His resurrection from the dead. The Sacrament of Confirmation is our own Pentecost.
• When we are confirmed, we receive the Holy Spirit, through the anointing with oil and the laying on of hands by the bishop or a priest appointed by him. When we receive this sacred seal we show that we belong to God. By their anointing, the prophets, kings and priests of the Old Testament were elevated to a special position in their service of God. So it is with us when we receive the holy oil on our foreheads; we become part of the priesthood of all believers, witnesses to Christ and heirs to His throne.
• Through Confirmation we fulfill the call to be “light of the world” (Mat 5:14) and “salt of the earth” (Mat 5:13) becoming radical witnesses and the shining glimmer of Christ active presence in the world.
• High School: Baptized parishioners who are students in High School may begin the process of confirmation as early as 9th Grade. For more information contact the Youth/Confirmation Director, Reah Garalde (562) 431-0721 Ext. 15.  More information is also located in Faith Formation under Youth.

Holy Orders

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a priest or a deacon please contact the Vocations Office at the Diocese of Orange or contact a priest at the parish at (562) 431-0721.

• As people of God, we all share in the priesthood of Christ, and so the Church speaks meaningfully of “the priesthood of all believers.” Each of us is to exercise our priesthood by strengthening and serving one another. Within the Church there are many means of service. One way of service stands out as a sacrament, namely Holy Orders, which ordains the recipient to the office of bishop, priest or deacon.
• Each in their own way, bishops, presbyters, and deacons, have accepted the task to preach the gospel, to teach the faithful, and to care for the less fortunate. Through their ordination, bishops, presbyters, and deacons have expressed their willingness to imitate Christ as servant and shepherd.
• There is a great need in the Church at this time for priests and deacons to serve a growing Catholic population. Ministry in the Church offers a most rewarding and satisfying vocation to those God has called to serve as shepherds of His flock.

Matrimony

Parishioners who are interested in celebrating matrimony in the Church should begin my making an appointment with a priest or deacon by contacting the Parish Office at (562) 431-0721.

• All love comes from God, and all love reflects the love that God has for His creation. The Sacrament of Marriage is, first and foremost, a sign and symbol of this love. Marriage is a sacrament of the self-giving love which two people offer to each other. The love which a couple have for each other mirrors the love God has for men and women.
• The joy and mutual support of married love can be a source of strength which enables married people to serve others in a very powerful way. It should spill out to their children and to those around them and become a source of life, hope and comfort for others.
• The minister of the Sacrament of Marriage is the couple themselves. The priest or deacon serves as a witness.
• Weddings at St. Anne should be reserved at least six months in advance before the proposed wedding date. We strongly urge couples not to book the wedding reception before reserving the date of the church wedding.
• Your wedding date and time will be reserved upon meeting with the priest or deacon who will assist you through the wedding preparation process.
• To be married in the Church either you or your fiancée are a baptized Roman Catholic and practicing the Catholic faith.
• A preparation program is required for couples requesting the Sacrament of Matrimony.
• Wedding liturgies are celebrated Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Occasionally a wedding may be celebrated on a Friday based on the availability of the church and the priest.

Anointing of the Sick

Please contact the Parish Office at (562) 431-0721 to make arrangements to receive the Anointing of the Sick or Eucharist .

• Part of Jesus’ ministry was to heal the sick, and He went about curing those who were ill or disabled, showing that suffering and death have no place in the Kingdom of God. By His sacrifice of Himself, He took hold of suffering and death and eliminated their power to separate us from each other or from God. Our faith tells us that, indeed, God suffers with us. Through Jesus’ suffering and death, God joins His suffering to the suffering of human beings. And by doing this, He transforms and gives it a new meaning.
• Death is the great unknown, yet for a Christian, Jesus is the source of our hope, since it was through His death that Jesus gained for us eternal life.
• Through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick we are assured that God will raise us up, like Jesus, from our bed of pain and sickness and lead us to eternal life.
• In the Anointing of the Sick, there are three key moments to an integral celebration of this sacrament: the moments of prayer, the imposition of hands, and the anointing.
• The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available at any time for those seriously ill, facing serious illness, medical emergency, or experiencing the burden of years.