St. Vincent de Paul

"Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." —John 3:5

For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God.

In preparation for infant baptism, parents are required to attend one meeting, held the third Sunday of the month at 9:00am in the Rectory, immediately after the 8:00am Mass. Parents are encouraged to fulfill this obligation prior to the birth of the baby. Reservations are required, please phone Greg Henkel, 392-4711 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other S­­­­­­­­­­acraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission." —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1213

"Jesus came and stood in the midst" of His apostles. "He breathed on them, and said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." —John 20:19, 22-23

"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." —from the Lord's Prayer

The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as the Sacrament of Penance, or Penance and Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God's unconditional forgiveness, and as a result we are called to forgive others.

The Sacrament of Penance is offered at St. Vincent each Saturday at 3:30pm or by appointment.

"Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against Him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion." —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1422

"The forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is conferred by a particular sacrament... a process born of the grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men. One must ask for this precious gift... The penitent's acts are repentance, confession or disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation." —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1486, 1489, 1491

"Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church." —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1497

"Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you." —John 6:54

"Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to His disciples, and said: Take, ye, and eat. THIS IS MY BODY." —Matthew 26:26

Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the Real Presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God.

"The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice." —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1367

"No one may take part in it unless he believes that what we teach is true, and has received Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and new birth, and lives in keeping with what Christ taught." —St. Justin Martyr (+165)

24-HOUR ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT is every Thursday at 5pm through the night until 5pm Friday followed by 5:30 mass. Contact Greg Henkel This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 397-4711 to sign-up for your time with the Lord.

"The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this Sacrament of Love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet Him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease." —Blessed Pope John Paul II

Confirmation is a Catholic sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts. Like Baptism and Eucharist, it is a Sacrament of Initiation for Catholics and a Sacrament of faith in God's fidelity to us.

"For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh."
—Matthew 19:5 (Genesis 2:24)

"What therefore God hath joined together,
let no man put asunder." —Mark 10:9

For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a publicly witnessed sign of one man and one woman making a total gift of self to each other. It is also a public witness of God's creation of man and woman in His image and likeness. The loving covenant union of husband and wife reveals the family values and moral values God has established.

Please make initial arrangement with the Pastor at least 4-months prior to the projected date of Marriage. All couples share in the Pre-Cana program three months prior to their Marriage. Catholics must be regularly attending Mass here.

"The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love... gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved His Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life." —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1660-1 (cf. Council of Trent DS #1799)

"The Lord hath sworn, and He will not relent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek." —Psalm 110:4 (109)

"Holy Orders is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. ... [Ordination is] the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons ... for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a 'sacred power' which can come only from Christ Himself through His Church." —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1536, 1538

"Priests by sacred ordination and mission which they receive from the bishops are promoted to the service of Christ the Teacher, Priest and King. They share in His ministry, a ministry whereby the Church here on earth is unceasingly built up into the People of God, the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit." —preface of Presbyterorum Ordinis, Pope Paul VI

In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, a man is imprinted with an indelible sacred character in conformity to Jesus Christ. The resulting deacon, priest, or bishop is thus made capable of leading other Catholics to holiness in a particular way that differs in kind from the role of the lay faithful. Holy Orders confers specific abilities and duties which depend on the degree of ordination. Deacons are ordained for tasks of service. Ordained priests exercise the power of consecration and absolution in persona Christi. Bishops share in the apostolic succession united under the authority of the Pope.

"The minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is made like to the High Priest and possesses the power of performing actions in virtue of Christ's very person." —from Mediator Dei, Venerable Pope Pius XII