Christ at Work in His Church
The sacraments are at the heart of Catholic life.
They are not simply religious ceremonies, family traditions or outward symbols. They are sacred signs instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church through which divine grace is given to us.
In the sacraments, the risen Jesus Christ continues to act in his Church.
Through them we are born into the Christian life, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, nourished by the Eucharist, forgiven when we fall, strengthened in sickness, and given grace for particular Christian vocations.
What Is a Sacrament?
A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.
Each sacrament uses visible signs — such as water, oil, bread and wine, the laying on of hands or the exchange of consent — but the reality God gives through them is deeper than what our eyes can see.
The sacraments do not merely remind us of God’s grace.
Christ truly acts through them.
The Catholic Church celebrates seven sacraments:
Baptism · Confirmation · Holy Eucharist · Penance and Reconciliation · Anointing of the Sick · Holy Orders · Matrimony
The Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Baptism
Baptism is the gateway to the Christian life.
Through water and the Holy Spirit, the baptised person is freed from sin, born again in Christ, made an adopted child of God, incorporated into the Church and marked permanently as belonging to Christ.
Baptism is received only once.
Confirmation
Confirmation completes and strengthens baptismal grace through a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The confirmed person is united more firmly to Christ and his Church and strengthened to live and witness to the Catholic faith.
Confirmation leaves a permanent spiritual seal and is received only once.
Young person preparing for Confirmation?
CONFIRMATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Baptised Catholic adult who has not yet been confirmed?
ADULT CONFIRMATION
The Holy Eucharist
The Eucharist completes Christian initiation and is the source and summit of the Christian life.
At Mass, Christ’s one Sacrifice of the Cross is made sacramentally present, and Jesus Christ gives himself to us in Holy Communion.
In the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus Christ is truly, really and substantially present: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
Child preparing to receive Holy Communion for the first time?
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
The Sacraments of Healing
Penance, Confession and Reconciliation
Through the Sacrament of Penance, Christ forgives sins committed after Baptism and reconciles the penitent with God and with the Church.
When sanctifying grace has been lost through mortal sin, sacramental absolution restores it. Confession also strengthens us in the struggle against sin and helps us grow in holiness.
Regular Confession is an ordinary and beautiful part of Catholic life.
PENANCE, CONFESSION & RECONCILIATION
Child preparing to receive the sacrament for the first time?
FIRST CONFESSION
Anointing of the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick gives Christ’s healing and strengthening grace to those who are seriously ill, facing significant illness or surgery, or weakened by old age.
It is not only a sacrament for the final moments of life.
Through the sacrament, Christ gives strength, peace and courage, unites the sick person more closely to his Passion and, when appropriate, brings the forgiveness of sins.
Please contact the parish early when serious illness arises rather than waiting until someone is close to death.
The Sacraments at the Service of Communion and Mission
Holy Orders
Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, bishops, priests and deacons are ordained for service within the Church.
Bishops receive the fullness of Holy Orders.
Priests share in the bishop’s ministry, especially through preaching the Gospel, celebrating the Eucharist, forgiving sins and shepherding the faithful.
Deacons are ordained for service in the Word, the liturgy and charity.
If you believe God may be calling you to the priesthood, permanent diaconate or religious life, you are very welcome to begin a conversation.
Holy Matrimony
Marriage is a lifelong covenant in which a man and a woman freely give and receive one another as husband and wife.
It is ordered to the good of the spouses and to the generation and education of children.
Between two baptised persons, a valid marriage is by that fact a sacrament.
The Sacrament of Matrimony gives husband and wife grace to grow in faithful love, forgiveness, perseverance, family life and holiness.
One Christian Life
The seven sacraments belong together within a single life of grace, worship and discipleship.
Baptism begins the Christian life.
Confirmation strengthens it.
The Holy Eucharist nourishes it.
Penance and Reconciliation heals and restores us when we fall into sin.
Anointing of the Sick strengthens us in serious illness and frailty.
Holy Orders and Matrimony give grace for particular vocations of service within the Church.
The sacraments are therefore not merely milestones or family celebrations.
They are gifts of Christ given for our sanctification and salvation and for the building up of his Church.
When We Ask for a Sacrament
When we ask the Church for a sacrament, we are asking for more than a ceremony.
We are asking Jesus Christ to act in our lives through his Church.
Every sacrament gives a particular grace and therefore points towards a particular way of living.
For that reason, the Church cannot completely separate the celebration of a sacrament from the faith and Christian life to which that sacrament calls us.
Sacramental preparation is not about making people prove that they are good enough.
Nor is it simply about completing lessons, attending meetings or reaching a particular age.
It is about helping each person understand three simple things:
What am I asking Christ to give me?
What does the Church believe is happening in this sacrament?
How am I being called to live afterwards?
That is why sacramental preparation in our parish is centred upon faith, understanding, readiness and accompaniment, rather than simply completing a timetable.
The aim is not merely to prepare someone for the day of the sacrament.
It is to help them begin or deepen the Christian life which flows from it.
Preparation for the Sacraments
The sacraments should be received with faith, understanding and proper preparation.
Preparation is not simply a course to complete or an administrative requirement.
It helps us understand the gift Christ is giving, approach the sacrament with the appropriate disposition and live more faithfully afterwards.
Preparation in our parish is personal, catechism-led and adapted to the age, circumstances and sacramental history of the person.
For children and young people, parents, godparents, sponsors and parish catechists may all have a part in accompaniment.
For adults, preparation is adapted to the individual and to the sacraments already received.
For Baptism and Marriage, preparation also includes the pastoral, practical and canonical matters required by the Church.
Readiness matters more than simply completing a timetable.
Sacramental preparation belongs within the wider life of Sunday Mass, prayer, the sacraments, family life and the worshipping parish community.
Not Sure Which Pathway Applies to You?
If you are:
- thinking about becoming Catholic;
- already baptised and considering becoming Catholic;
- a Catholic who has been away from the Church;
- an adult who has missed one or more sacraments;
- or simply unsure where to begin;
our New Here? page will help you find the appropriate pathway.
Questions About the Sacraments?
If you have a question about receiving a sacrament, preparation, previous sacraments or your particular circumstances, please contact the parish.
The first step is often simply a conversation.
St Mary’s · St John Bosco · St Edward’s
Contact: Fr John Owens
john.owens@dioceseofnottingham.uk
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”
2 Peter 1:3
Through the sacraments, Christ continues to sanctify his people and draw us into the life of God.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 