Baptism 

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2-38 

Baptism is the first sacrament of Christian initiation. It is the sacrament that frees a person from original sin and makes that person a member of Christ and his Church. It is thus the way to a new and supernatural life. It is administered by immersing the recipient in water or by pouring water on the person’s head “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. One must be baptized before sharing in any of the other sacraments. 

Infants can be baptized soon after birth. At the time of Baptism, parents vow to practice their faith and provide a Catholic upbringing for the child. 

Adults who have never been baptized take part in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), and will typically be baptized at the Easter Vigil. The Catholic Church recognizes the Baptism from other Christian denominations who baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, a person can only be baptized once. 

By appointment. Please call the Parish Office. It is best for expectant and adoptive parents to call the Parish Office at least two months before your child's birth, or in the case of adoption, upon completion of the adoption process. 

Reconciliation 

"Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained." John 20:23 

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is one of two sacraments of healing. It is the sacrament that brings spiritual healing for Catholics who have distanced themselves from God from committing sins. There are four elements involved: 
*The penitent’s contrition for sin 
*Confession to a priest 
*Absolution by the priest 
*Satisfaction 

Confession is available every Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in St. Mary's Church and any time by appointment. 

Making a Good Confession  

To make a good confession it is important to make an Examination of Conscience (for help, download the document in the right-hand column).  Pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate within you your faults and failures in order to make a complete confession.

Reconciliation may be face-to-face or anonymous, with a partition between you and the priest. Choose the option that is most comfortable for you.

The priest greets you and you both make the sign of the cross and you say: "Bless me father, for I have sinned. My last confession was..." (State how long ago.) Confess all of your sins to the priest. The priest will help you make a good confession. If you are unsure about how or what to confess or you feel uneasy, just ask the priest to help you. Following your confession, say: “I am sorry for these and all of my sins." The priest will offer a penance which will help your renewal of life and your resolve to be a better Catholic. Say an Act of Contrition, expressing your sorrow for your sins. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, then absolves you from your sins. 

Confirmation

"The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.' After saying this, he breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:20-22

While Baptism is the gateway to all sacraments, Confirmation enlivens the graces of Baptism to make the other sacraments more efficacious in our lives. As at Baptism, Confirmation places an indelible mark on the soul of the confirmand. This “character” is the seal of the Holy Spirit who clothes the confirmand with power to be a witness of Christ (Catechism, no. 1304). In completion of baptismal grace, Confirmation strengthens our bonds of unity with the Father as his adopted sons, with the Son as he has redeemed us, with the Holy Spirit as he gives us his gifts, and with the Church as we all belong to the family of God (cf. Catechism no. 1303). Furthermore, Confirmation “gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross (Catechism, no. 1303).”

Please visit this webpage for information about Confirmation Preparation for Adults.

Eucharist 

So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." John 6:53-56 

The Eucharist is the sacrament by which Catholics receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. For Catholics, this is the most treasured gift given to the Church by the Lord at the Last Supper. In receiving the Eucharist, we are nourished by the Lord. The bread and wine used in the Mass are transformed in all but appearance into the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is seen as “the source and summit” of Christian life, the participation of the faithful in God’s sanctifying action through worship. 

Marriages 

"They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.", Mark 10:6-9 

Matrimony, or marriage, like Holy Orders, is a sacrament that consecrates for a particular mission in building up the Church. It is seen as a sign of the love between Christ and the Church, which is established between spouses in a permanent and exclusive bond, sealed by God. The sacrament gives couples the grace they need to attaining holiness in their married life and for responsible acceptance and upbringing of their children. 

Please call the Parish Office at (603) 542-9518 six months prior to marriage! Catholics who have been away from the Church and the Sacraments need to re-establish their Church and Sacramental life as a pre-requisite for marriage. 

Annointing of the Sick 

"Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven." James 5:14-15 

Anointing of the Sick is also a sacrament of healing. Anointing of the Sick was once known as "extreme unction." The idea behind this sacrament is that we are all members of the Body of Christ. When one of us suffers, all of us suffer, and all of God's creation suffers with us. 

This is a ministry of comfort. Through anointing, the sick are reminded that Christ and the Church are in communion with their suffering. The Holy Spirit shares the blessings of health, trust in God, and strength against temptation. 

The Sacrament of the Sick may be received by any Catholic who is facing a serious illness or is of advanced years. Individuals who are planning to enter the hospital are particularly encouraged to receive the sacrament before their admission by calling the parish office at (603) 542-9518 to arrange for an appointment with the priest. 

Pastoral staff members and volunteers will visit those who are in the hospital, nursing home, or confined to their own home. 

Please notify the parish office whenever someone enters the hospital or desires a pastoral visit. 

Apostolic Pardon

The Apostolic Pardon (or blessing) is an indulgence given in situations of danger of death, usually after the absolution of the sacrament of penance. The focus is on the remission of temporal punishment due to sin. The words of the prayer explain the meaning of the act: "Through the holy mysteries of our redemption may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May he open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy." Or "By the authority which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a full pardon and the remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

The Handbook of Indulgences #28 states: "Priests who minister the sacraments to the Christian faithful who are in a life-and-death situation should not neglect to impart to them the apostolic blessing, with its attached indulgence. But if a priest cannot be present, holy mother Church lovingly grants such persons who are rightly disposed a plenary indulgence to be obtained in articulo mortis, at the approach of death, provided they regularly prayed in some way during their lifetime. The use of a crucifix or a cross is recommended in obtaining this plenary indulgence. In such a situation the three usual conditions required in order to gain a plenary indulgence are substituted for by the condition 'provided they regularly prayed in some way.'

R C I A (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) 

For adults who wish to become Catholic or have not received the Sacraments of First Communion and/or Confirmation. Please contact the Parish Office at 542-9518 to enroll or click on RCIA for more information.

Funerals 

Please contact the Parish Office to make arrangements. You may request that either Fr. Shawn Therrien or Deacon Paul Boucher officiate.  For guidelines by the Diocese of Manchester, NH, please click on this link: Parish Funerals and Christian Burial.