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Sacraments
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Sacraments are celebrations of important faith events in the life of Catholics. They should be entered into and prepared for with utmost care. We, as the pastoral administrators of the Sacraments, feel a deep responsibility whenever Sacraments are celebrated. Mostly these times are beautiful and memorable occasions in the lives of our parishioners and our various sacramental teams spend long and dedicated hours to make them as meaningful as possible. In order to help you and your family prepare for these important events and to insure that the Sacraments are celebrated responsibly, we at St. John's have developed the following guidelines, which will be strictly enforced.
These guidelines are not presented to you to be restrictive or unbending, but as a means to help you understand the beauty which is our Catholic faith, the deep heritage it holds for all of us and the responsibility it carries for each of us who profess to be Christian.
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Baptism:
- Prior to infant Baptism, the parents must attend an instructional class on the Sacrament of Baptism. This class is held four times annually in January, April, July and October from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and is required for the child's Baptism.
- Arrangements for Baptism and to attend this class should be made two months in advance.
- Parents involved in an invalid marriage or not practicing their faith must have an interview with one of the priests or deacon before Baptism. These parents must give a reasonable assurance that their Catholic faith will be given and transmitted to their children by active example.
- Click here for more information, regarding Baptism and St. John the Baptist Church
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First Communion:
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It is a requirement that children be baptized and enrolled in a formal Religious Education Program for two years before they can be admitted to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation. These two years are interpreted as the year prior to the sacrament. (Grade one for Reconciliation and First Eucharist, and Grade seven for Confirmation.)
- Attendance will be carefully monitored in both years and children must meet attendance requirements before being eligible to celebrate the Sacraments. Only two excused absences (illness or other valid reason) will be allowed for each semester in order to be eligible for the Sacramental Program. More than two absences per semester will seriously jeopardize a child's acceptance in the Sacramental Program.
- Children moving into our program in one of these years of Sacramental Preparation will be required to provide proof from their previous parish that they have attended an approved Catholic program on a consistent basis before being admitted to the Sacramental Program in our Parish.
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Matrimony:
St. John’s has a beautiful modern church and a quaint historic church, both of which are wonderful settings for a wedding. If you are planning on being married at St. John’s we will do all we can to make this day a memorable one for you. Please contact the parish office 717-235-2156 for additional information or to schedule a wedding date.
Please see the Guidelines, Policies, and Preparations links on the left.
Listed below are guidelines that must be followed:
- It is necessary for the couple to contact the priest or deacon at least nine months prior to the anticipated time for the wedding. The actual appointment date with the priest or deacon must be verified for the nine-month period to be in effect.
- The music director should also be contacted once you have finalized your date by calling the parish office 717-235-2156 (This MUST be done no later than 3 months prior to the date of your wedding).
- Dates for all marriages are tentative until finalized by the priest or deacon.
- Diocesan guidelines require that the couple be actively participating in their respective faiths for the proper celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony. For Catholics, this includes regular attendance at Mass.
- In the Diocese of Harrisburg, the Sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony must be celebrated in the parish church.
- Diocesan guidelines do not permit wedding services on Sunday.
- Guidelines, Policies, and Preparations
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