Sacraments of the Catholic Church
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions. –CCC 1131
The Holy Spirit prepares the faithful for the sacraments by the Word of God and the faith which welcomes that word in well-disposed hearts. Thus the sacraments strengthen faith and express it. -CCC 1133
The fruit of sacramental life is both personal and ecclesial. For every one of the faithful on the one hand, this fruit is life for God in Christ Jesus; for the Church, on the other, it is an increase in charity and in her mission of witness. -CCC1134
The Seven Sacraments are grouped together as the following:
Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation
Sacraments of Healing: Penance/Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
Sacraments of Service: Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders
For more information regarding the sacraments, email:
Baptism
Baptism is the sacrament of new birth in Christ, as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:3-5. It is through baptism that one is incorporated into the life of the Trinity, echoing the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
This sacrament effects the forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16), sanctifies and justifies the recipient, cleansing them to live a new life in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11). Baptism also marks the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), initiating each Christian into the body of Christ as one, united in faith and mission (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), and enabling them to share in the resurrection life of Jesus, as portrayed in Romans 6:3-4.
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, 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: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word” (CCC 1213). Baptism is indeed a sacrament of salvation as affirmed in 1 Peter 3:21, not merely symbolically but actually bringing about the salvation it signifies.
Through Baptism, high school students are welcomed into a lifelong journey of faith and discipleship, laying the foundational commitment to follow Christ and live out the gospel values.
If your child is 0-6 years old:
Baptism Requirements for Parents
- Registered Parishioner of OLPH Parish
- Copy of Child’s Birth Certificate
- Complete the Baptism Registration Form
- Complete pre-baptismal classes
Requirements for Godparents’
- Must have all sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Communion, Confirmation) and bring copies of certificates
- Must be 16 years of age or older
- (If Single) Living an authentic single life
- (If you are married) Please bring a copy of your marriage certificate
- Letter from their Parish (if not from OLPH) stating:
- They are registered parishioners
- They have permission to act as sponsors
- They have attended pre-baptismal classes
If your child is 7-13 years old
Contact Clair at 619-443-1412 ext 306 or email claire.nochta@olphchurch.org
If your child is 14 -17 years old
If your child is 14-17 years old, contact Jorge at 619-443-1412 ext 303 or email
jorge@olphchurch.org
If 18+ years old
For our 18+ age group, Dcn. Mark is available to provide any support you may need. Please contact him at 619-443-1412 ext 304 or email
deaconmark@olphchurch.org
First Holy Communion
The Eucharist is the sacrament in which the body and blood of Christ are made truly present under the appearances of bread and wine. This miraculous transformation, known as transubstantiation, is rooted in Jesus’ own words at the Last Supper as recorded in Matthew 26:26–29, Mark 14:22–25, Luke 22:14–23, and 1 Corinthians 11:23–25.
In the Eucharist, we receive Christ Himself—His flesh and His blood—as He declared, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (John 6:53–58). This sacrament is not only a remembrance but an actual participation in the body and blood of Jesus, uniting us intimately with Him and each other as the Church (1 Corinthians 10:16).
The celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy is central to our faith, where we proclaim the Lord’s death and celebrate His resurrection until He comes again (1 Corinthians 11:26). As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324). Every celebration of the Eucharist is a direct encounter with Christ, who sacrifices Himself for the redemption of the world and invites us into a deep, personal relationship with Him.
Through the Eucharist, high school students are invited to experience the profound mystery of Christ’s love, deepen their commitment to the Church, and grow in their faith as they are nourished by the very life of Christ.
Children
Contact Clair at 619-443-1412 ext 306 or email claire.nochta@olphchurch.org
High School
Contact Jorge at 619-443-1412 ext 303 or email
jorge@olphchurch.org
Adults
Contact Dcn. Mark at 619-443-1412 ext 304 or email deaconmark@olphchurch.org
Confirmation
Confirmation is a profound sacrament that deepens and strengthens the grace first received at Pentecost, as described in Acts 2:1–4. This sacrament involves the laying on of hands, a symbolic act mentioned in Acts 8:14–17 and 19:6, as well as in Hebrews 6:2, signifying the bestowal of the Holy Spirit.
During Confirmation, the Holy Spirit anoints the confirmands, equipping them with His gifts. This anointing, as mentioned in 1 John 2:20, 27, empowers young Christians to live out and witness to their faith courageously and boldly, inspired by the example of the apostles at the first Pentecost and as called for in Acts 1:8 and evidenced through signs and wonders as noted in Hebrews 2:4.
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace. It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!”, unites us more firmly to Christ, increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us, and renders our bond with the Church more perfect (CCC 1303). This sacrament also gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross (CCC 1303).
Through Confirmation, high school students are called to a greater participation in the Church’s mission and to grow in their personal relationship with Christ, strengthened to live out their faith dynamically in the world.
High School
Contact Jorge at 619-443-1412 ext 303 or email
jorge@olphchurch.org
Adults
Contact Dcn. Mark at 619-443-1412 ext 304 or email deaconmark@olphchurch.org