God lavishes His graces in loving and limitless ways all day, everyday. Those graces fall like gentle rain from the sky, giving growth and goodness to all it touches. But occasionally, God pours out those graces in buckets, and Catholics call those divine downpours "Sacraments" The sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick) don't just touch our lives, they transform us, and make us more like our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Baptism

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God has blessed you with a beautiful child! Now, you are presenting him to the Church to give him the greatest gift of all: Baptism.

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If you are not yet members of any church, this is the perfect moment to register at the church you attend or will attend regularly, and become part of the vibrant Parish Life.

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If you would like to register at St. Joseph, please register online here, or stop by the office to fill out a registration form.

Waiting period for new parishioners is only three months. This short waiting period will give you the opportunity to plan the Baptism of your child.

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If your child is seven years or older, please click here to learn about our RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation for Children) program.

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SCHEDULING A BAPTISM AT ST. JOSEPH

Click here to read the Baptismal Pamphlet

When you are ready to schedule the baptism, please contact the Pastoral Secretary, Lucy, at lmorlet@sjfay.com or 442- 0890 x202. Baptisms are typically done on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. or Sunday mornings at 10:15 a.m. (in English) or Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. (in Spanish).

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BAPTISMAL PREPARATION

Baptismal preparation in English for parents of children up to six years of age is currently done online through our parish FORMED subscription. Baptismal preparation in Spanish can be done online or in person. Please contact the Pastoral Secretary at lmorlet@sjfay.com for instructions.

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OBTAINING A LETTER OF PERMISSION TO BAPTIZE AT ANOTHER CHURCH

If your child's baptism will take place at another Catholic Church, you will need a letter of permission from our pastor. It can be obtained from the Pastoral Secretary in the church office after you have attended the baptismal preparation class.

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GODPARENT REQUIREMENTS

Godparents must be sixteen-years-old, have received all of the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation,) and be in good standing. Good standing means a person attends Mass regularly, observes the precepts of the Church; if married, is married in the Church, if single, must be living according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. A person may have one or two Godparents. If two are chosen, they must be one male and one female (CCL 873).

A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community, may be admitted, provided that there is at least a Catholic Godparent, and only as a "Christian witness" (CCL 874.2)

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To be a Godparent at St. Joseph

For a Baptism at St. Joseph, all non-parishioner Godparents must provide a Letter of Permission from their current parish. Please send the letter to the attention of the Pastoral Secretary. Parishioner Godparents simply need to verify that they are in good standing.

 

To be a Godparent at another Catholic church

To be a Godparent at another church, please ensure you fulfill the requirements and contact the Pastoral Secretary to request a Letter of Permission from our Pastor. 

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Holy Communion

Holy Communion is the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist and, more generally, our fellowship and union with Jesus and other baptized Christians in the Church, which has its source and summit in the celebration of the Eucharist. In this sense, Church as communion is the deepest vocation of the Church.

 

Eucharist is the ritual, sacramental action of thanksgiving to God which constitutes the principal Christian liturgical celebration of and communion in the paschal mystery of Christ. The liturgical action called the Eucharist is also traditionally known as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is one of the seven sacraments of the Church; the Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. The Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life.

from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pages 871 and 877.

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For more information on Holy Communion, please call Maria Vazquez at 479-442-0890 x150 or email mvazquez@sjfay.com.

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Penance

Penance is the liturgical celebration of God’s forgiveness of the sins of the penitent, who is thus reconciled with God and with the Church. The acts of the penitent—contrition, the confession of sins, and satisfaction or reparation—together with the prayer of absolution by the priest, constitute the essential elements of the Sacrament of Penance.

 

Reconciliation is the sacramental celebration in which, through God’s mercy and forgiveness, the sinner is reconciled with God and also with the Church, Christ’s Body, which is wounded by sin.

from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pages 892 and 896

 

For more information on preparation for First Reconciliation, please call Maria Vazquez at 479-442-0890 x150 or email mvazquez@sjfay.com.

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Confession times

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered as follows:

• Wednesday  5:00-5:45 p.m.

• Thursday  5:00-5:45 p.m.

• First Friday following 8:20 a.m. Mass

• Saturday 8:30-9:00 .m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m.

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Confirmation

Confirmation is one of the ensemble of the Sacraments of Initiation into the Church, together with Baptism and Eucharist. Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism by a special outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which seal or “confirm” the baptized in union with Christ and equip them for active participation in the worship and apostolic life of the Church.

from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, page 872

Youth and Adults

Preparation for Confirmation in handled through two different programs: Confirmation and RCIA.

• Young people who attend Saint Joseph enroll in Confirmation preparation at the beginning of  8th grade. The Rite Confirmation takes place during Spring of the 9th grade year.  To register online, please click here.

• Adults who wish to be Confirmed participate in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program. For more information, click here.

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Marriage

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Marriage is a covenant or partnership of life between a man and woman, which is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children. When validly contracted between two baptized people, marriage is a sacrament.

from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, page 887

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Before beginning marriage prep, determine that both parties are "free to marry." If either the bride or groom has a previous marriage and civil divorce decree, an annulment must be obtained. Please see the information below and don't be intimidated by the process. You will have an advocate who will step through the process with you.

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To begin preparation for marriage, please contact Lucy Morlet, the pastoral secretary at 479-442-0890 ext. 202 to make an appointment with the pastor at least six months before your proposed date. Catholics wishing to marry are asked to provide their baptismal certificate (recent, with notations) at the appointment with the pastor. Please ensure you are registered in the parish. To register, click here.

If your marriage will be convalidated, please also provide us with a copy of your civil marriage certificate.

 

Annulments

To understand more about annulments, please see 12 Myths about Annulments.

If an annulment of a previous marriage is needed, please contact Lucy Morlet at 479-442-0890 x202 or lmorlet@sjfay.com

 

Wedding Planner

The marriage preparation process, including Pre-Cana and Sponsor Couple programs and information about fees, is detailed in the Wedding Planner.

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Holy Orders

Holy Orders is the Sacrament of Apostolic Ministry by which the mission entrusted by Christ to his Apostles continues to be exercised in the Church through the laying on of hands. This sacrament has three distinct degrees or “orders”: deacon, priest, and bishop. All three confer a permanent sacramental character.

from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, page 890

 

If you are discerning a call to religious life or the priesthood, please call the parish office 479-442-0890 to set up an appointment to talk with the pastor or the associate pastor.

 

Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven sacraments.  Anointing of the Sick is administered by a priest to a baptized person through prayer and the anointing of the body with the oil of the sick. This sacrament provides a special grace of healing and comfort to the Christian who is suffering the infirmities of serious illness or old age, and the forgiving of the person’s sins.

from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, page 866

 

Anointing of the Sick is appropriate if a person is very ill or anticipating surgery. If you have a loved one who is ill, it is very helpful to let the pastor know before the illness becomes an emergency. To schedule anointing, please call the parish office at 479-442-0890.

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Request a Certificate

If you were baptized or made a Profession of Faith at St. Joseph, then St. Joseph is your Church of Record. We will gladly provide you with a copy of your baptismal certificate or Profession of Faith certificate.  If you are preparing for marriage, we will provide an annotated copy of your baptismal certificate.

If you received First Communion or Confirmation at St. Joseph or were married at St. Joseph, we will also provide you with proof of the sacrament you have received here.

To request a certificate, please call the church office at 479-442-0890 x202 or email lmorlet@sjfay.com with the information below:

• Sacrament certificate requested (baptism, confirmation, etc.)

• Full name at the time the sacrament was received

• Date of birth

• Date sacrament was received

• Contact information