Sacraments

First Communion

The Eucharist is the "source and summit of the Christian life" (CCC 1324). The life of the Church and all of her members is sustained by the Eucharist. It is truly the heart of the Church.

At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist and instructed His Apostles to continue this memorial. He gives us His Body and Blood because He desires to remain with us. In His great love, He wants to be in communion with us. We call this sacrament "Holy Communion" because by it, we are intimately united to Christ. Jesus tells us: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (John 6:56). When we receive the Eucharist, we are receiving a taste of heaven, where we will spend eternity in communion with God.

Furthermore, our reception of this sacrament separates us from sin and unites us more closely to the Body of Christ, the Church. We meditate continually on the image of the True Vine (John 15:1-11) as we strive to "remain" connected to the Vine and thereby produce good fruit. As the grace of God, the sap, flows through us, we are truly in Communion with Christ and with His Church.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Record of baptism; if not baptized at St. Peter’s, parents must contact the church of Baptism and request that a verification of Baptism be sent to St. Peter’s.
• The student and/or student’s family must be registered parishioners of St. Peter’s in order to participate in this program. If he or she is not registered, we must receive a letter from the pastor of the parish in which the student is registered, stating that the pastor approves of this student participating in a sacramental preparation program outside of his/her parish.

To register your child for First Reconciliation and First Communion programs, please click on Religious Education/Faith Formation Registration, then register your child for the Grade 2 program. All children in Grade 2 will be prepared for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Contact Karen Cronin at (651) 905-4314 for more information.

First Reconciliation

At Baptism, we become a part of God's family, the Church, and receive sanctifying grace: God's life within us. Through sin, we can dim or even lose the life of God within us. In His great love, God gives us the possibility of renewing baptismal graces through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Jesus gave us this sacrament in order that our friendship with Him might be restored. He told his Apostles: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). He entrusted His Apostles - the first bishops - with this great task that is passed down to all priests and bishops through their priestly ordination. When celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the priest is acting in the person of Jesus Christ. When we receive this sacrament, we encounter the person of Jesus Christ and His infinite mercy. Through the words of absolution pronounced by the priest, we are reconciled to God and to the Church. This sacrament is a gift that helps us grow in holiness.

While absolution is given by God through the priest, there are three requirements that we carry out in order that we might receive the grace of forgiveness. We must first have contrition: sorrow for our sins and a resolution to not sin again. Secondly, we must confess our sins. Confession to a priest is an integral part of this sacrament. The sacramental seal of confession means that the priest must keep anything said in the confessional private, without exception.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Record of baptism; if not baptized at St. Peter’s, parents must contact the church of Baptism and request verification of Baptism be sent to St. Peter’s.
• The student and/or student’s family must be registered parishioners of St. Peter’s in order to participate in this program. If he or she is not registered we must receive a letter from the pastor of the parish in which the student is registered stating that the pastor approves of this student participating in a sacramental preparation program outside of his/her parish.

Registration for this program begins in April and May of the previous school year. To register your child for the First Reconciliation and First Communion programs, please click on Religious Education/Faith Formation Registration, then register your child for the Grade 2 program. All children in Grade 2 will be prepared for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Please contact Karen Cronin, (651) 905-4314, in the Religious Education/Faith Formation office for further information.

Confirmation

Confirmation is one 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 empowers them for active participation in the worship and apostolic life of the Church.

The goal of St. Peter’s Confirmation program is to assist young people in their preparation to participate in the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Because the candidates are being confirmed into a faith community, it is important that the candidates belong to and worship with this faith community. The candidate’s sponsor plays a major role in this program and is expected to attend specific events and meet with the candidate on a regular basis. 

Those preparing for Confirmation are required to fully participate in Perissos, our high school group which meets on Wednesday nights. In addition, there are a handful of Confirmation-specific events throughout the year. Click here for more information on Perissos!

REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.

• Record of baptism
• The student and/or student’s family must be registered parishioners of St. Peter’s, in order to participate in this program. If he or she is not registered, we must receive a letter from the pastor of the parish in which the student is registered, stating that the pastor approves of this student participating in a sacramental preparation program outside of his/her parish.

Please contact Elizabeth McCanna at (651) 905-4312 for further information.

Christian Initiation

If you or someone you know is interested in taking the steps to become a full member of the Catholic church or learn more about it, call Deacon Tim Hennessey at (651) 905-4301, or Lisa Fontecha, Pastoral Associate, at (651) 905-4304 or email her at lfontecha@stpetersmendota.org.

Because everyone who approaches the Church comes to us from their own unique circumstances and with their own individual needs and questions, we would like to encourage you to meet with the pastor or pastoral associate for a conversation regarding your own experiences and hopes for living out your faith.

Our process for preparation encourages prayer, participation in community events and ministries, and group and individual learning about Christianity and Catholic teaching.

Those preparing for reception into the Catholic church, both the baptized and unbaptized, work with our team of volunteers, as well as the pastor and pastoral associate to complete a course of instruction customized for them.

Marriage

Marriage is a covenant or partnership of life and a commitment between a man and woman, which is ordered to the unity of love of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children. When validly celebrated between two baptized people, marriage is a sacrament.

Information about getting married at St. Peter’s is available in our online wedding guidelines. There you will learn about who is eligible for a wedding here, what our preparation requirements are and how to begin planning your ceremony. 

Arrange with the priest or pastoral associate at least 6 months in advance.

Call Lisa Fontecha at (651) 905-4304 to make arrangements.