Sacramental Preparation

Sacramental Preparation

“The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments.…sacraments are ‘powers that come forth’ from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

There are seven sacraments:

  • Baptism
  • Penance/Reconciliation
  • Eucharist
  • Confirmation
  • Matrimony
  • Holy Orders
  • Anointing of the Sick

Sacraments fall into three categories: the sacraments of initiation (into the Church, the body of Christ), consisting of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist; the sacraments of healing, consisting of reconciliation and anointing of the sick; and the sacraments of service: holy orders and matrimony. At St. Robert, we prepare for the sacraments through:

Initiation

Religious Education

Religious education is available for Parish children in 4K through 8th Grade. Religious Education classes begin in September each year. More details can be found here.

Becoming Catholic – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults/Rite of Christian Initiation for Children

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the Church’s way of guiding adults who have begun their journey of faith to complete initiation in the Catholic Church. The Rite of Christian Initiation for Children is for children preparing to receive the sacraments they have missed since Baptism, or preparing to join the Catholic Church through Baptism. More details can be found here.

Baptism Preparation

In Baptism the Church welcomes with joy a new member of the Body of Christ. Since its first days, the Church has been entrusted with baptizing “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” and teaching what the Lord Jesus had taught his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).

At St. Robert, the baptism of infants and young children includes this important preparation: the sincere desire to raise the child in the Catholic Christian faith; parish membership (or letter of delegation from pastor of current parish) scheduling the baptism and the pre-baptismal orientation sessions; and selection of sponsor(s)/godparent(s) or Christian witness. More details can be found here.

First Eucharist

At St. Robert, the preparation for First Eucharist is done in an all-parish program involving families whose children attend parochial school and those whose children attend public school. It is a family-centered program in which parents play a very important role in their child’s formation. Details on the program are here.

Confirmation

Confirmation celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a Christian in order to strengthen him or her for the Christian life. At St. Robert, confirmation occurs in the context of the High School Religious Education Program. Learn more here. Confirmation for adults occurs within the context of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Learn more here.

Healing

Reconciliation

“The whole Church, as a priestly people, acts in different ways in the work of reconciliation that has been entrusted to it by the Lord.”
–Rites of the Catholic Church

Reconciliation is held every Saturday, at 3:30 p.m. First Reconciliation is typically held in early December. Learn more about Fire Reconciliation here.

Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the sick is administered to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness, especially near the time of death. Requests for anointing can be made at any time through a call to the Parish Office, (414) 332-1164. Anointing is also conducted several times a year at regular Masses (announced at prior Masses).

Service

Marriage Preparation

The marriage preparation process follows the guidelines set forth in The Pastoral Guidelines for Marriage Preparation by the Wisconsin Catholic Bishops Conference, and those set forth in the canons governing marriage that are contained in the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church. Learn more about marriage preparation here.

Holy Orders

St. Robert hosts the John Paul II House of Discernment, a mission of the Vocation Office of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The House provides young adult men a formative experience of intentional Christian community. The JPII House hopes to foster their encounter with Jesus Christ, potentially leading to a priestly vocation.

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