THE HISTORY OF THE SACRED HEART PARISH

‘God’s Manifestation of His Faithfulness for Forty Years’

The Foundation

The Occupants of Barrio Obrero are a conglomeration of Cebuanos, Boholanos, Leytenos, Ilonggos, Antiquenos, Capizenos, Tagalogs and other ethnic groups. These residents have varying religious fervor towards the patron saints they have long venerated in their provinces. These people, though under the Sta. Ana Parish by jurisdiction, exercise their faith by going to their preferred parishes with their favorite patron Saints. Some are therefore going to the nearby parish like San Pedro Cathedral Parish, San Antonio Parish and Fatima Parish. In their eagerness to carry out their respective family devotions, they, or groups of them, with the guidance of the PME Priests in Sta. Ana Parish, thought that it’s high time to construct a chapel were they can gather to worship God and express their devotions to their Patron Saints.

The first chapel in the barrio was located inside the Trade School site in honor of San Isidro Labrador. Pioneers along this moved were Mr. Pablo Inte, Mr. Victor Gamolo, Mr. Leon Magbanua, Miss Victoria Babao and several others. However, when Manila school authorities learned of the location of the chapel within the school area, they asked for its transfer somewhere else outside of the school campus. Thus, Mr. Pablo Inte, then President of the Barrio Obrero Catholic League offered the only alternative place-a portion of his home-lot on Clarin Street which later was transferred again to the Junction of Inigo-Torres streets.

Another group set up a chapel on Cervantes-New Burgos Streets junction. Construction of the Perpetual Help Chapel, was led by Mrs. Teresita G. Sorongon, Mrs. Magelende delos Reyes, Mrs. Patrocinio Gorre, Mrs. Victoria Olivar and others. Soon after however the chapel was transferred at the dead-end of N. Torres Street where it stayed under the aegis of the Coronel family who led in the devotion of the family patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer. In the meantime, another chapel was set up on the site vacated by the Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel; the Santa Cruz Chapel. Another chapel was also constructed by the Estellore family on Lupo Diaz Street in honor of San Jose, the family’s Patron Saint.



The Conceptualization of the Parish Church

Amidst such groupings and sectoral devotions, a uniting force came into the Barrio. Rev. Fr. Paul Lu Te-Shan PME, of the Foreign Mission Society of Quebec, Canada, was commissioned by the Most Rev. Clovis Thibault, DD, the first Archbishop of Davao, to meet the Catholic lay leaders of the community. They broached the idea of setting up a new parish separate from Sta. Ana parish to which the Barrio belongs. It was met with the immediate approval of the different Catholic organizations which included the Adoracion Nocturna, Barangay sang Birhen, Catholic Women’s League, Cursillo de Cristianidad, Daughters of Isabela, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary and others which was under the Sta. Ana Parish whose some of its members are living in the barrio. To assist Father Lu in carrying out the responsibilities of a new parish community, a Parish Council was organized. It was agreed upon that the name of the parish will be the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. Mr. Reynaldo P. Sorongon was elected President of the council with the officers and other prominent Catholic leaders in the Barrio as members of said council.

Meanwhile, the boundary of the Sacred Heart Parish was defined. It comprises the area bounded by Cabaguio Avenue leading to Bajada, then to San Roque, and finally to Lakandula street adjacent to Lapu-lapu street where the Agdao Public Market is now located.

On February 5, 1967, the Sacred Heart Parish Council, assisted by the Barrio Obrero Civic Organization headed by Mr. Alberto Gelbolingo effected the transfer of the wooden chapel located at the junction of Nicasio Torres-Inigo streets to a new and permanent church site reserved in the Stella Maris Academy of Davao campus. The first Mass celebrated by Fr. Lu in this new location was on Sunday, February 12, 1967 at 6:30 A.M.

The first Fiesta on June 3-4, 1967 was then celebrated and highlighted by a Princess of Charity Contest organized by the Sacred heart Parish Council to raise funds for the construction of a permanent concrete church. The response from the parents and supporters of the different candidates was spontaneous and dynamic. Elizabeth Leonar was crowned Princess of Charity. Accordingly, proceeds from that single benefit was considered the biggest in the whole diocese of Davao.

The temporary church, in which the first Feast of the Sacred Heart is being celebrated, was just the beginning of a new era in the religious unity of the people of Barrio Obrero, Agdao, Bajada, and San Roque districts which were incorporated into the newly established Parish. Envisioned to be constructed in due time is a more or less permanent type structure which the residents, under the leadership of Fr. Lu with the officers and members of the different Catholic organizations, are striving hard to make into a concrete reality. Later a temporary convent was constructed beside the wooden church.

In that same year, Fr. Lu requested Mr. Argelino D. Manajero to design the proposed Sacred Heart Church. After a series of consultations with Engineers and other lay leaders, a concrete steel-fabricated circular structure was decided upon. Through the leadership and guidance of Fr. Lu and the assistance and cooperation given by Engr. Federico A. Raz, who solved the problems encountered in the structural design and stability of the proposed church. Trials, adjustments and modifications to suit the needs of a growing community were envisioned and threshed out before the plan was finalized. Boring tests in the proposed site were made and found satisfactory. Engr. Raz also suggested that a miniature replica of the proposed concrete church be made to give the parishioners an actual perspective view of the church. Fr. Paul Lu, with the help of the carpenter, constructed in five weeks a miniature model which was taken around and presented to prospective suppliers of materials for estimates.

The planning of the construction of the Sacred Heart Church is underway. A portion of the location site was already earth filled and paid for out of the proceeds from the caroling of the various religious organizations.


The Construction of the Church

The actual construction of the Church in 1968 was differed until additional funds could be raised for at least the initial construction expenses. The parishioners again embarked in a raffle fund-raising campaign. Although the proceeds from this, was not that much, it somehow augmented the church fund so as to enable to begin with the first stage of the church construction. At the same time, however, Fr. Lu, with Engr. F. Raz, Mr. Manajero and the architect, C. de la Cerna from Cebu, A. Bundallan and Engr. E. Leuenberger, from Steel Fabricators and Builders found some practical and workable improvements in the structural design of the proposed church. For instance, the crown head of
the church would become dome-shaped. This improvements proves to be not only more elegant but also more economical; so finally in February 1969, the actual construction commenced. The first storey, the concrete Steel-fabricated circular church was finished. By the end of 1969, all electrical installations were made through the kindness and free services of Mr. Johnny Hernandez, Master electrician, a devoted parishioner of the Parish.

The construction of the Church was temporarily stopped when the late Archbishop Clovis Thibault, P.M.E. D.D. appealed to all Priests, religious and laymen to be united together to build the Mother Church of Davao, The San Pedro Cathedral; later, came the construction of St. Jude Parish Church, and Mintal Parish Church. By the end of the year 1977, the three aforementioned churches were almost completed and the facto, they are being used already for religious worship and services.

Early in that same year, the Parish Council, under the leadership and driving spirit of Atty. Apolinario B. Veruasa, has unanimously decided to resume the construction by seeking the approval of the Archbishop Antonio Ll. Mabutas, D.D. And by May 1977, Fr. Lu had obtained the consent of the Archbishop before his departure for Iloilo to attend the Serra National Convention.

The second phase of construction had begun only on Sept. 1977. The foundations and dome framing was designed by Engr. E. Leuenberger, drafted by Lady Architect, Laila Abatayo and fabricated by the Truscon Steelworks Inc.; And the reinforced concrete spherical lune was designed by Engr. Dominador F. Soriano, Assistant Dean of University of Mindanao Engineering Department and structural Engr. Of the Architect-Engr. Maning Chiew. The foundations and the tied beams were accomplished by December 1977. The installation of dome-framing began only on Jan. 4, 1978. The Church was roofed with G.I. from 6 ½ m. and up provided with sky light dome systems, with Acrylic Plastic, designed and fabricated by Permalin Inc. Quezon City, and installed by Mr. Serapio Sombilon, the construction supervisor.

Then, Fr. Lu, with the support of the present Parish Pastoral Council, with their new President, Mr. Roberto Puentespina, continued the work by extending the concrete flooring to the steel beams; installed the 16 spherical lune opening with curve canopies; and reinforced the concrete gutter ring. The double-stairway that will bring the faithful up for their worship was also completed in that same year.


The completion of the Church

The two-storey Church was finally completed by the second quarter
of 1979. The first floor has a chapel of all Saints, a social hall, the parish office and the meeting hall for the CWL, the Filipino-Chinese Sacred Heart Ladies Circle, the Knights of Columbus and other religious organizations. The second floor is the church proper with an 800 seating capacity. It is practically simple, elegant and modern church; and is in conformity with the liturgical renewal after Vatican II.

In June 4, 1979, twelve-years and four-months after the first mass that was celebrated in that wooden chapel, the first fiesta mass was finally held inside the concrete circular church. It stands as a sign of the collective will, effort unity and cooperation of the Sacred heart of Jesus Parish community.

The present church was built with the guidance of Fr. Lu and under the leadership of the following Parish Council Presidents: Reynaldo P. Sorongon, Sr. (1967-70) Alfrefo U. Tamayo (1970-73): Sotero L. Palabyab (1973-75): Apolinario B. Veruasa (1975-77); and Roberto G. Puentespina (1977-82).

On April 25, 1980, the Most Rev. Antonio Ll. Mabutas, D.D. then Archbishop of Davao, solemnly blessed the newly completed Church. It is a symbol of the parishioners’ ACT OF THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.


The Church Today

Though the two-storey Church was finally completed by the second quarter of 1979, after some years, it already underwent some renovations to accommodate the present needs of the parish. By this time, the first floor has a Chapel of the Saints, a sacristy with comfort room, the Adoration Chapel, the OND sisters’ convent, a social hall, the memorabilia room, and the bodega. The second floor remains the church proper with an 800 seating capacity. It is still simple, elegant and modern church; and is in conformity with the liturgical renewal of Vatican II.

It is also good to note that the parish has two special occasions to be celebrated every year; The Foundation Day every February 11 and its Feast Day every first Sunday of June.

‘FROM THE PME FATHERS TO THE DIOCESAN CLERGY’

The Evolution of the Basic Ecclesial Communities

Rev. Fr. Paul Lu Te-Shan, PME, has started the establishment of the chapels with their respective patron saints. Through his leadership, he likewise builds a new structure for an office, meeting hall and convent. He finished the ground floor in time. In September 1992, when Fr. Lu was transferred to the San Lorenzo Mission Institute (LMI) as their first Rector, Fr. Zenon B. Ampong, was assigned to take over his position in the Parish. It was under his fatherly care that the BECs in its real essence, was finally established. It was also in Fr. Zenon’s time that the present convent was completed with the help of his able Parish Pastoral Council under the Presidency of Mrs. Jovencia Yap. In January 1997, Fr. Nelson N. Lucas was assigned as the acting Parish Priest and after a month, Fr. Ricky T. Flores was installed as the new Parish Priest. In March 1998, Fr. Flores was re-assigned as the new Dean of seminarians in St. Francis Xavier College Seminary. Fr. Peter Paul M. Aleria was therefore assigned as an acting Parish Priest for a month and then came another acting Parish Priest, Fr. Hover P. Jocson, from June to September 1998. In October 1998, Rev. Fr. Guillermo V. Afable, was installed as the new Parish Priest. In his administration, the Basic Ecclesial Communities started to develop strongly. On May 2002, the Society of the Oblates of Notre Dame responded to his invitation to be his mission partners in the parish. He commissioned Sr. Dolores H. Olog, OND, the first parish Sister to help out in strengthening the pastoral programs and services. By this time, the whole parish was divided into twenty-five (25) BECs. And they are strengthened by the establishments of the celda or family groupings. In here, a more personal interaction among the BEC members was facilitated.

Although, in July 12, 2001, Fr. Afable was Ordained Bishop at San Pedro Cathedral and was installed Auxiliary Bishop of Davao, he remained Parish Priest of this Parish until he was appointed Co-adjutor Bishop of Digos in June 21, 2002. (In February 11, 2003 he was installed as Bishop of Digos). In June 2002, Fr. Reynaldo N. Roque was appointed as the new Parish Priest. In May 2003, Fr. Roque was re-assigned as The Archdiocesan Media Director and he highly recommended, his parish vicar—Msgr. Bonifacio L. Burlaza HP. to succeed him. Msgr. Burlaza was then installed Parish Priest in June 2003. Due to some problems with a number of the Parish Leaders, Msgr. Burlaza, HP. was asked by Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla DD. to take a leave of absence in the parish beginning December 2004. In February 2005, Fr. Dionisio Tabiliran was assigned as a Parish Administrator retaining his appointment as the Parish Priest of the Sta. Ana Shrine Parish. In June 2005, Fr. Jesus H. Samaniego was installed Parish Priest with one-year term. In June 2006, the Archdiocese underwent a major re-shuffling of the priests’ assignments. Fr. Jess’ appointment was then renewed for a complete canonical term of six-years.


The Present Situation

Since the establishment of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in 1967,
the Parish became more and more organized with the coming of the Parish vicars and with the succeeding Parish Priests.

Over the years, Davao City has become an ethnic melting pot as it continues to draw migrants from all over the country, particularly people from the nearby provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental; lured by the prospects of striking it rich in the country’s largest city. Many people therefore, have occupied some open spaces or areas in Bo. Obrero and in some nearby Barangays which seemingly not owned by anybody. Nonetheless they were and are still squatters for the fact was the whole of the barrio is already titled and therefore, owned by somebody. Thus, two-thirds (2/3) of its population belongs to the poor level on the poverty line. And about one-third (1/3) only, belongs to the affluent Filipino and Filipino-Chinese families.

In the year 2000, the legitimate lot owners in Bo. Obrero and in the nearby Barangays started re-claiming their property. By the power of the Court, squatter areas such as in Inigo Extention where the Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel was; in Lakandula, Agdao, where the San Miguel Chapel was; in Villamor where the Sto. Nino Chapel was; and in Dacudao where the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel was; was all demolished. So, the parishioners of the SACRED HEART OF JESUS became fewer due to this sad and dehumanizing situation. And those who have remained in the squatter areas are not at peace because in any given time they might also be demolished. Thus, from the twenty-five (25) strong BECs in Bishop Afable’s time, it was narrowed down to twenty–one (21) and then went up to twenty-three (23) because two (2) new BECs were opened in the time of Msgr. Burlaza.

Even if the parishioners of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish are getting fewer because of that reality, many people from outside the parish are still flocking the Church to attend the Liturgical celebrations because of so many reasons. One maybe because of the parking space; two, because of the STELLA MARIS ACADEMY OF DAVAO (SMAD); three, because of the solemnity of Church; and four, because of the many devotees of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who are convinced that their prayers are being answered.


The Parish Organizations/Movements, Apostolate and Ministries

Aside from the Basic Ecclesial Communities, there are also a lot of organizations, apostolate and different ministries that evolved in the parish.


PARISH ORGANIZATIONS/MOVEMENTS:

The Catholic Women’s League( CWL ); Davao Sacred Heart Ladies Circle ( DSHLC ); Legion of Mary( LM ); Couples for Christ ( CFC ); Oasis of Love ( OL ); Lord’s Flock ( LF ); Neocatechumenal Way ( NW ); Evangelization 2000 ( EV 2000 ) and Mother Butlers’ Guild ( MBG ).


THE PARISH MINISTRIES:

WORSHIP MINISTRY; Lectors & Commentators’ Ministry ( LCM ); Extra-Ordinary Ministers for Holy Communion ( EMHC ); Sacred Heart Altar Boys Society ( SHABS ); Choir, Gift Bearers; and Pangulo sa Liturhiya ( PSL ).

FORMATION MINISTRY: Catechetical Program; Campus Ministry; Basic Seminars and Pangulo sa Panudlo.

FAMILY MINISTRY: Family and Life Apostolate ( FLA ) and Pangulo sa Pamilya ( PSPAM ).

PARISH SOCIAL ACTION MINISTRY: Parish Caritas; Pangulo sa Alagad( PSA ) and Parish Social Action Ministry (PSAM).

PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY: Pangulo sa Batan-on ( PSB ); Singles for Christ
( SFC ) and Parish Youth Apostolate.





The Parish Vision and Our Mission as We Journey Together

In June 2003, a draft of the PARISH VISION-MISSION STATEMENT was made. In March of 2007, it was being corrected and finalized. Let us repeat here the Vision/Mission Statement that we have formulated. Let us live up to it.

VISION-MISSION STATEMENT

VISION

WE, the Parishioners of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Obrero, Davao City, envision ourselves as a community of God–fearing disciples, maturing in faith, witnessing the Father’s love, mercy and compassion in society as revealed in Jesus Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit to achieve unity, peace and harmony as we journey together towards the fullness of life.

MISSION

To achieve our VISION, WE COMMIT OURSELVES:

To live a life of prayer, sharing God’s Word, partaking the Eucharist, and giving importance to the necessity of other Sacraments;

To make the Holy Family our model in strengthening our Christian values;

To empower the basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs’) to be a self-nourishing, self-sustaining and self-governing units of the Parish;

To encourage Church’ Organizations and Trans-parochial Communities to be more involved in our pastoral concerns;

To respond to the needs of the poor and the marginalized towards integral human development;

To enjoin the school, business and government sectors to a more active participation in the parish activities;

To respect and cherish the dignity of God’s creation.


Now, we are guided by this common vision and from this, we are aware that we have a mission to be fulfilled. In our own little ways, we already began to concretize our mission by making some programs to those who are in need.
‘THE PARISH SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR THE POOR’

Alay Sa Bata Aral (ASBA)

In the year 2001, during the term of Bishop Afable, the Parish has launched a project called ALAY SA BATA ARAL (ASBA). He came up to this idea when he noticed that many children from different BECs cannot go to school because of poverty. The idea was to ask from a local benefactor who is willing to sponsor a child for a year for one-thousand pesos. The amount will be used for miscellaneous fee, school supplies, uniforms, bags, etc. Due to the generosity of the people who are church goers, the project started with seventy-one (71) pupils. From then on, these generous people never forget to give their donations especially before the beginning of the school-year. And by the end of the school-year (2006-2007), twenty-one (21) from the pioneering group will graduate from the elementary.

In the year 2003, during the term of Msgr. Burlaza, he felt the need to ask the help of the Educational Research Development (ERDA); a Jesuit Project in cooperation with other world-wide NGOs’ for the children’s scholarship. He was able to obtain their approval and got a commitment from them that they will sponsor fifty (50) pupils in the elementary. Each of them will receive a set of school supplies, bag and uniform with fifty pesos for their miscellaneous fee. Since the financial assistance is not enough, ASBA fund is subsidizing ERDA scholars for additional support.

Beginning last school-year (2005-2006), because a good number of generous local sponsors responded to the project, the parish was able to sustain one-hundred (100) scholars up to the present (50 ASBA scholars and 50 ERDA scholars).

Next school-year (2007-2008), the parish is hoping to start the high school scholarship beginning with the twenty-one (21) pupils who will graduate from the elementary this year. All in all, the parish plans to increase the number to one-hundred and fifty (150) scholars (100 for ASBA and 50 for ERDA). The parish hopes that more generous people will respond to our constant announcement about our financial needs so that we can send more poor children to school.





Parish Caritas Program

His Excellency Archbishop Antonio Ll. Mabutas, DD. organized the Caritas-Davao Foundation in 1972 whose purpose is to promote, assist and carry out projects and programs of activities to give relief to the victims of different calamities, evacuees, refugees, poor prisoners, abandoned and the sick. It has been administered by dedicated lay leaders with one religious Sister and eleven Board Members chaired by His Excellency Archbishop Antonio Ll. Mabutas.

‘The love of Christ urges us. The Heart of Jesus was stretched to the limits of friendship and compassion in the hundreds of sick, crippled, injured and oppressed people He met. He was so closed to them that he felt their sufferings deeply [Archbishop Antonio Ll. Mabutas, DD].’

Through this challenging message, the Sacred Heart Parish initially assists the needy since 1967 when the parish was established. Msgr. Paul Lu has been very much concerned with the poor people who were coming to him begging for help. They experienced God’s compassion for the poor through his generosity. Usually the money he gave to them is coming from his own pocket.

It was only in 1992, during the time of Fr. Zenon Ampong when Caritas program was established with Mrs. Mila Paspe as their first
coordinator, then followed by Mrs. Lucy Fabian, then by Mrs. Debelondo. At present, Mrs. Nene Soliva, the first volunteer of this program became its coordinator.

The services they offered at that time were Free Clinic-Every Wednesday at 8:00 A.M. with Dr. Rolando Fabian, who offered his free service. Then followed by Dr. Bansali who serves up to the year 2005; and giving rice to those who come and ask.

The Caritas apostolate was re-defined in the year 2005 under the care of Fr. Jesus H Samaniego. He assigned Sr. Susan Bonje, OND to work as a full-time in-charge. The Caritas office was then renovated and the Caritas Program and Services are re-launched to become more functional through holistic and integral response to the needs of the beneficiaries. The Parish Caritas finally started its services last August 28, 2005. The generosity of the parishioners and some benefactors sustained the program making it continue the services amidst the existing economic crisis.

The Conclusion

“For every house has had a builder, and the builder of all things is God (Heb 3:4).” Fr. Mike Murphy, SVD (+), former History Professor in the Regional Major Seminary; always end his class by saying: ‘The only thing that we’ve learned in History is that, we never learn.’ This professor may be right because along the course of history, people always commit the same mistakes; but it cannot be denied that in every particular event, we can easily notice the guidance of the Almighty. The personalities involved in the history of our parish may not be perfect; some may be unfaithful in the process; other may not be that cooperative, but still, in this parish, God’s manifestation of His Faithfulness for the past forty years can be clearly seen. And we are grateful to say that we will strive to do our best and learn from our experiences as God’s lowly servants.


Sources:

The Sacred Heart Parish, Souvenir Program, 1967

The Growth of the Sacred Heart Parish, Souvenir Program, 1968

The Birth and Growth of the Sacred Heart Parish, by Msgr. Paul Lu, PME, 1978

From Wood to Steel and Stone, Souvenir Program, by Msgr. Paul Lu, PME, 1980

The Growth of the Sacred Heart Parish in Retrospect, Souvenir Program, by Mrs. Patrocinio Hernandez, 1985

The History of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (The Mustard Seed and Its Growth), Souvenir Program, by Msgr. Bonifacio L. Burlaza, HP, 2004

Caritas History, by Sr. Susan Bonje, OND. 2005

Personal Interview with the Pioneering Leaders and Factual knowledge of the Researcher about the Parish, 2007

Online Study Bible. New International Version, 2007

VISION-MISSION STATEMENT

SACRED HEART OF JESUS PARISH
N. Torres St., Bo. Obrero
8000 Davao City


VISION

WE, the Parishioners of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, envision ourselves as a community of God–fearing disciples, maturing in faith, witnessing the Father’s love, mercy and compassion in society as revealed in Jesus Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit to achieve unity, peace and harmony as we journey together towards the fullness of life.


MISSION

To achieve our VISION, WE COMMIT OURSELVES:

To live a life of prayer, sharing God’s Word, partaking the Eucharist, and giving importance to the necessity of other Sacraments;

To make the Holy Family our model in strengthening our Christian values;

To empower the basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs’) to be a self-nourishing, self-sustaining and self-governing units of the Parish;

To encourage Church’ Organizations and Trans-parochial Communities to be more involved in our pastoral concerns;

To respond to the needs of the poor and the marginalized towards integral human development;
To enjoin the school, business and government sectors to a more active participation in the parish activities;

To respect and cherish the dignity of God’s creation.

Hail Mary

The Ave Maria is perhaps the most popular of all the Marian prayers. It is composed of two distinct parts, a Scriptural part and an intercessory part. The first part, the Scriptural part, is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke and joins together the words of the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation (Lk 1:28) together with Elizabeth's greeting to Mary at the Visitation (Luke 1:42). The joining of these two passages can be found as early as the fifth, and perhaps even the fourth, century in the eastern liturgies of St. James of Antioch and St. Mark of Alexandria. It is also recorded in the ritual of St. Severus (538 AD). In the west it was in use in Rome by the 7th century for it is prescribed as an offertory antiphon for the feast of the Annunciation. The great popularity of the phrase by the 11th century is attested to in the writings of St. Peter Damian (1007-1072) and Hermann of Tournai (d.c. 1147). Later, probably by Pope Urban IV around the year 1262, Jesus' name was inserted at the end of the two passages.

The second half of the prayer (Holy Mary..) can be traced back to the 15th century where two endings are found. One ending, Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, is found in the writings of St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444 AD) and the Carthusians. A second ending, Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis nunc et in hora mortis nostrae, can be found in the writings of the Servites, in a Roman Breviary, and in some German Dioceses. The current form of the prayer became the standard form sometime in the 16th century and was included in the reformed Breviary promulgated by Pope St. Pius V in 1568.


AVE Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

(HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen.)

Sign of the Cross

The Sign of the Cross is not only an action, but a statement of faith itself. In this simple gesture one is not only making a sign of our redemption, the Cross, but is also expressing faith in the Blessed Trinity. It was with this simple action that the faithful of the early Church fortified themselves despite difficult times. Tertullian, writing in the third century, tells us that Christians made the Sign of the Cross upon rising, as they were dressing, upon entering or leaving their houses, on going to the bath, on sitting down at the table, on lighting their lamps, in fact, at the beginning of every action. St. Augustine tells us that "It is by the sign of the Cross that the Body of the Lord is consecrated, that baptismal fonts are sanctified, that priests and other ranks in the Church are admitted to their respective orders, and everything that is to be made holy is consecrated by the sign of our Lord's cross, with the invocation of the name of Christ." (Serm. LXXXI).

The original Sign of the Cross was a "mini-cross" made by tracing a cross on the forehead. lips, or breast with the thumb, as is the custom today of doing so before the Gospel is read. It is difficult to determine exactly when the current custom of blessing oneself with a large cross going forehead to breast and then from shoulder to shoulder came about. Historical records in this regard are open to multiple interpretations and Church historians have divergent views on the subject. That the written record is unclear on the subject is to be expected, since such a custom would more likely be taught by example than by written instruction. It is likely that this large cross was first used in formal blessings by the clergy starting sometime during the Arian controversy of the fourth century and then eventually adopted by the laity. Clearly written instructions for using the large cross form to bless oneself appear by the 12/13th century, by which time it is also clear that the custom had been in use in some form or another for a long time, possibly since the 8th century.

As noted by various Medieval authors, this large Sign of the Cross is rich in symbolism. When Christ came to redeem the world, He descended from the Father, was born of the Virgin Mary, died, was buried, and descended to the dead. He then rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father. Thus when making the Sign of the Cross, one uses the right hand, which symbolizes Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father. Starting at the forehead, which symbolizes the Father, the Creator and source of all things, one then descends to the lower chest. This symbolizes the Incarnation, for Christ came down from heaven from the Father and became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the West, one then proceeds from the left shoulder to the right shoulder to finish the Sign of the Cross. The left in this case is usually associated with death and darkness, while the right symbolizes truth and light. Thus the action represents the transition from misery to glory, from death to life, and from hell to paradise. As Christ passed from death to life and sits at the right hand of the Father (left to right), so too may we pass from death to life in Christ through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. In Eastern Christian traditions, the opposite direction is taken. One proceeds from the right to the left, so the symbolism is somewhat different.

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly make a sign of the cross.

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:19)


IN nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

(IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.)

The Lord's Prayer

This prayer was given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself when the apostles asked Him to teach them how to pray (Mt 6:9-13) and thus the prayer has been a part of the Church since the very beginning. The Didache (1st-2nd century) commends the prayer to be recited by the faithful three times during the day. In the latter part of the 4th century it became an official part of the Mass and was recited after the breaking of the bread. Later, Pope St. Gregory the Great, influenced by St. Augustine, moved it to just before the breaking of the bread where it has been ever since. Today, the Didache's tradition of reciting the prayer thrice daily continues in the Church with the Lord's Prayer being recited at Mass and then twice more during the Liturgy of the Hours, at Lauds and Vespers.

Prior to the Protestant Reformation, the Our Father was universally recited in Latin in the West by clergy and laity alike. The rather curious English translation we have today is due to Henry VIII's efforts to impose a standard English version across his realm.


PATER noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

(OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.)

Why Do Catholics Honor Mary

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Among the various characteristics which prove the Catholic Church to be the one, true Church of Christ (the fours marks of the Church — one, holy, catholic, apostolic), there is also a particular characteristic which is manifestly based on Holy Scripture and which is unique to Catholicism — the honor and devotion of the Catholic Church to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. There is not a single month in the year without several feasts in her honor. Consider the months of August and September, for example, in which there are seven feasts on the ecclesiastical calendar dedicated to her.

This honor and devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, is one of the many things rejected by Protestants. Protestants claim that the Catholic Church’s devotion to Mary is not based on Sacred Scripture, that it is an offense to Christ, that no one should pray to Mary because “there is only one Mediator with the Father,” that Mary did not always remain a virgin, etc. How important it is for Catholics to know Sacred Scripture and to respond to these attacks on the Mother of Jesus Christ, especially in these times, when there has been such a surge of non-Catholic sects who zealously proselytize their heretical teachings.

Let us begin our defense of the Catholic Church and its devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by the consideration of the similarities between the Fall of Man and the Redemption of Man.

In the Book of Genesis, we read how our first parents, Adam and Eve, fell into original sin. Satan, in the form of a serpent, first tempted Eve. When Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, she then offered it to Adam, who also partook. Adam, as Head of the Human Race, brought about the Fall of Mankind; it was, however, through the cooperation of Eve.

When Adam and Eve had fallen, Almighty God not only punished them and their progeny for this original sin, but He also promised to send a Redeemer.

“And the Lord God said to the serpent... I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel” (Genesis 3:13-15).
Who is the “woman” in the text of Holy Scripture of whom Almighty God set enmities against Satan? Who is “her seed”? What is meant by the words “and she shall crush thy head”?

In the Old Testament, Adam brought about the Fall of Mankind with the cooperation of Eve. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, the God-Man, brought about our Redemption with the cooperation of the Virgin Mary. Eve, our first parent, was tempted by a fallen angel to disobey the command of God, and she subsequently led Adam into sin. In the New Testament, another angel, the Angel Gabriel, announced the will of God to the Virgin Mary and she, unlike Eve, humbly submitted.

In the Gospel of St. Luke, we read:

“The Angel Gabriel was sent to a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David; and the Virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27).
How did the Angel Gabriel then address her? The Gospel of St. Luke continues:

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women!”

“Fear not, Mary, for thou has found grace with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His Name, Jesus... The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy One which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Who can deny the dignity of the Virgin Mary — chosen to be the Mother of Jesus Christ? The Angel Gabriel, who was sent by God Himself, honored and praised her.

Furthermore, when the Virgin Mary visited her cousin, St. Elizabeth

“was filled with the Holy Ghost, and she cried out with a loud voice and said: ‘Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?’”
Once again, honor and praise is rendered to the Virgin Mary by St. Elizabeth, “who was filled with the Holy Ghost”

Then during this same visitation, the Virgin Mary responded to her cousin’s praise of her by the prayer so full of humility and of praise to God:

“My soul doth magnify the Lord... because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me.”
As Catholics, members of the one, true Church of Christ, we honor the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. We call her the Mother of God, because she indeed is the Mother of the one Divine Person, Jesus Christ, Who has both the nature of God and the nature of Man. By this title of “Mother of God,” we simply refer to the Virgin Mary as St. Elizabeth did when “filled with the Holy Ghost she cried out... Whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Catholics do not, as Protestants falsely believe, worship the Blessed Virgin Mary. We honor her who was so intimately connected with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Yes, there is only one Mediator with the Father — Jesus Christ. Only the God-Man Jesus Christ could have redeemed mankind. Nevertheless, we pray to Mary that she may intercede for us with her Divine Son. How often we request the assistance of prayers from our fellow men — how much more powerful are the prayers and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary! In the Old Testament, we read how Moses prayed with arms outstretched and interceded with God to procure the victory of the Israelites over their enemies in a crucial battle. As long as he prayed, they were victorious. When he ceased his prayers, the Israelites began to lose. Because of this, it was necessary for two men to hold up Moses’ arms in prayer until the battle was won. Also, we read in the Old Testament how Josue prayed to God to have the day prolonged in order to win another crucial battle. If Moses and Josue could have such intercession before God, how much more powerful are the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

The Gospel of St. John relates two significant accounts which relate to Mary — the wedding feast of Cana and the Crucifixion. Of the first account we read:

“There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the Mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what is it to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come.’ His Mother said to the waiters, ‘Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye’” (John 2:1-5).
Jesus Christ then proceeded to work His first public miracle at His Mother’s request. Everything related in the Gospels is inspired by God, and there is a reason for it. Does not this narrative of the wedding feast manifest the intercessory power of Mary with Jesus Christ, her Divine Son?

In the second account, also take from the Gospel of St. John, we read:

“There stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother... When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother: ‘Woman, behold thy son...’” (John 19:25-27).
Just as Eve cooperated with Adam in the Fall of mankind, the Blessed Virgin Mary cooperated with Jesus Christ in our redemption. She “stood by the Cross of Jesus.” What anguish, what sorrow did the Mother of Jesus experience at the foot of the Cross as she witnessed the sufferings and death of her Divine Son!

In both accounts, Jesus addressed Mary by the term woman. In Hebrew the word used by Jesus was a term which would be addressed to a queen or a woman of high rank. It was a term of great respect.

But why did Jesus Christ address His Mother by the term woman at these two significant moments in His life — at His first public miracle, and at His Crucifixion on the Cross?

Our Divine Lord wanted to clearly indicate that His Mother was the Woman spoken of in the Book of Genesis:

“I will put enmities between thee (Satan) and the Woman, between thy seed and her seed, and she shall crush thy head.”
Lastly, Catholics firmly believe that Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, was “ever Virgin.” That Mary was a virgin before and after the miraculous birth of Jesus can be demonstrated from the passage of the Prophet Isaias:

“The Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel.”
Note well that the virgin is the subject of the verbs conceive and bear.

As for after the birth of Jesus, Protestants reject that Mary remained a virgin by their false interpretation of Holy Scripture. To summarize briefly their arguments, they claim that in the Gospel of St. Matthew, we read:

“He (St. Joseph) knew her not till she brought forth her first-born son” (Matthew 1:25).
It is falsely argued on two points — “knew her not till” and “her first-born.” In Scriptural usage, until expresses what has occurred up to a certain point and leaves the future aside. Thus for example, God says in the book of Isaias, “I am till you grow old” (Is. 46:4). From this are we to infer that God would then cease to be? Of course not! Again in the Book of Psalms, God the Father said to His Divine Son: “Sit Thou at My Right Hand, until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool” (Ps. 109). Will the Messias, once His enemies are subdued, relinquish His place of honor? Of course not! So when St. Matthew records, “He knew her not till she brought forth her first-born Son,” his principal aim was to tell his readers that Christ’s birth was miraculous and that St. Joseph had not part in the conception of Mary’s Child. As for the term, “first-born,” this was a legal term and did not imply that Mary had other children. The child is called first-born from the fact of its opening the womb and not to contra-distinguish it from subsequent issue.

Protestants also make reference to various passages in the Gospels which refer to “the brethren of the Lord,” and from this, they infer that Mary had other children. Once again they falsely interpret the Scriptures. The Hebrew words ahh, which is the word for “the brethren,” is applicable not only to a brother in the strictest sense, but also to a nephew (see Genesis 14:16); a cousin (see Numbers 16:10); a husband (see Canticles 4:9; Esther 16:12); members of the same race (see Numbers 20:14); an ally (see Amos 1:9); and a friend (see Job 6:15). There are no Scriptural references which refer to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as having other children. Why did Jesus, when dying on the Cross, give the care of His Mother to His Apostle St. John? This would not have been necessary if there were brothers in the strict sense.

The constant tradition of the Church of Christ from the earliest ages of Christianity has always upheld this prerogative of Mary. This is amply proven by the writings of the early Popes, early Councils of the Church, and early Fathers and Doctors of the Church. In conclusion, let us, as members of Christ’s one, true Church, fulfill the prophecy made by the Blessed Virgin Mary during her visit to St. Elizabeth — “Behold henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

In Christo Jesu et Maria Immaculata,
Most Rev. Mark A. Pivarunas, CMRI

The Nicene Creed: Ancient Symbol of the Catholic Faith

Christians of all regions and denominations recite the Nicene Creed (also called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, because the complete present form was defined by bishops in both Nicaea and Constantinople) weekly. Catholics, Orthodox, and many Protestants all revere the ancient Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed was written in AD 325 and completed in its present form in AD 381. Over 300 Church leaders from all over the world gathered to write the creed. It was written in response to a heresy called "Arianism" that denied Jesus was fully God. The Nicene Creed is ultimately about the Trinity, but it also affirms historical realities of Jesus' life. The creed is purposely based on the Bible, the story of God and Christ. We have broken the creed down line by line with explanations.

We Believe in One God

As Christians, we, like Jews and Muslims, believe that one God exists. The creed states the assumption of the Shema: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Notice the English translation of the creed says "we" believe. The creed is an act of unity, and is both my confession and our confession.

The Father, The Almighty

Jesus frequently calls God "Father" in the Scriptures, and this usage implies a loving God active within His creation. God the Father is the first person, or distinction, within the Godhead. The Father is in a sense the "origin" or "source" of the Trinity. God the Father is often called "God Unbegotten" in early Christian thought.

Maker of Heaven and Earth, of All That is Seen and Unseen.

We believe that God created the visible and invisible elements of the cosmos. Thus, God created everything. Some early sects, the Gnostics and Marcionites, believed that God the Father created the spirit world, but that an "evil" god (called the demiurge) created the similarly evil material world. The creed dispels such a notion.

We Believe in One Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Lord of all. The title Lord means Jesus is master of all, and the title has connotations of deity, since the Hebrew title adonai and Greek title kyrios (both meaning Lord) were applied to Yahweh in the Old Testament. However, unlike earthly rulers, Jesus is a friend to the oppressed and a servant to all.

The Only Son of God

Jesus is in a unique relationship with God. While Hebrew kings were considered sons of God symbolically (see Psalm 2), Jesus is the only true Son of God.

Eternally Begotten of the Father

Begotten has the meaning of born, generated, or produced. God the Son is born out of the essence of God the Father. Just as a child shares the same humanness as his or her parents, the Son shares the essential nature of God with the Father. Since God is eternal, the Son, being generate from God, is also eternal. The Son is often called the Only-Begotten God in early Christian literature, including John 1:18 in many manuscripts.

God from God, Light from Light

God the Son exists in relation to God the Father. The Son is not the Father, but they both are God. Just as a torch is lit one to another, the Father and Son are distinct, but both light. Some Christians, called Sabellians or Modalists, said that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God who changes roles. So when God creates, he is Father, while on earth, he is Son, and so forth. However, the Scriptures have all three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, interacting at the same time, as shown at Jesus' baptism. The language of scripture also suggests that the Father and Son are somehow two as well as one. In John's gospel, the Father and Son testify as two witnesses, not one (John 8:17-18). Related to this, St. Athanasius, writing during the Nicene era, reportedly said that the Father and Son are one as "the sight of two eyes is one." Another illustration is the musical chord. Think of a C-chord. The C, E, and G notes are all distinct notes, but joined together as one chord, the sound is richer and more dynamic than had the notes been played individually. The chords are all equally important in producing the full, dynamic, sound of the chord, but the sound is lacking and thin if one of the notes is left out.

True God from True God

God the Son is not a half-god or inferior to God the Father. God the Son is fully and utterly God, distinct from the Father, yet not divided from the Father. The ancient Arians believed Jesus could be called god but not true God. In other words, they believed the Logos (the Word) was the first creation of God, necessary to mediate between the unknowable distant God (a concept borrowed from Platonic thought) and creation. Because God knew the Logos would be perfect, the title god could be given to the Son "by participation," but "true God" was a reality reserved only for the unknowable Father. This is the Ante-Nicene "Logos Theology" of St. Justin and Athenagoras taken to an unintended extreme.

Begotten, Not Made

Some Christians today and in the past (the Arians) said that God created Jesus, like God would an angel. The creed tells us that just as when a woman gives birth she does not create a child out of nothing, being born from God, the Son is not created out of nothing. Since the Son's birth from the Father occurred before time was created, begotten refers more to a permanent relationship as opposed to an event within time.

One in Being (homoousia) with the Father

God the Father and God the Son are equally divine, united in substance and will. Father and Son share the same substance or essence of divinity. That is, the Father and Son both share the qualities and essential being that make one in reality God. However, sharing the same substance does not mean they share identity of person. While certainly an inadequate example, think of you and I. We are both fully human, possessing the essential qualities and essence of humanity, but not the same person.

Through Him All Things Were Made

The Bible tells us that through The Son, as Word of God, all things have been created. As Logos, the Son is the agent and artificer of creation.

For Us Men and for Our Salvation, He Came Down from Heaven

Jesus came from heaven, from a numinous reality other than our own. While the creed says "down," it is important to remember that our language is limited by our own time and spatiality. Heaven is not up, anymore than God is biologically a male father. However, due to the limits of language, we are forced to describe heaven spatially.

By the Power of the Holy Spirit, He was Born of the Virgin Mary and Became Man

God the Son became incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He was born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit. God truly became man in Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was and is a real human being, not simply a spirit or ghost. The incarnation of God in Christ is the ultimate act of love, because rather than sending an angel or good human to accomplish the redemption and restoration of creation, God Himself became human. Some religious groups denied that Jesus was born of a virgin, such as the Jewish-influenced Ebionites. The virgin birth seems to be the first doctrine many modern day skeptics reject. Even today, many who say the creed weekly do not believe Mary was a virgin. However, in the mind of the Church, Mary's status as virgin remains an essential Christian belief.

For Our Sake He Was Crucified Under Pontius Pilate; He Suffered, Died, and Was Buried

Jesus died on a cross, suffered as humans do, truly died, and was laid in a tomb. Despite what some critics will level against it, the Nicene is creed is more than just metaphysical speculation, and includes important historical confessions. Notice that in addition to being "true God from true God," Jesus is fully human as well. The early Docetists, named from the Greek word dokeo, "to seem," believed Jesus only seemed to be human, but was not, and simply went through the motions of being human. Thus, when Jesus ate, they said, he only pretended to eat. Docetism is a very early heresy, fought by the Gospel and Letters of St. John, as well as in St. Ignatius' letters in AD 110.

On the Third Day He Rose Again in Fulfillment With the Scriptures

Jesus was resurrected bodily as the scriptures say. One day he was dead, the next day he is alive. The bodily resurrection is the keystone of Christian doctrine and experience. However, Jesus was not just physically resuscitated as was Lazarus, but rather his body was also transformed at the resurrection. Rejection of the bodily resurrection is a rejection of the foundation of ancient Christianity.

He Ascended Into Heaven and Is Seated at the Right Hand of the Father

In ancient science, heaven was thought to be situated above the sky dome (notice how on a starry night the sky looks like a dome that one could pierce through if one could get that high, e.g. by building a large tower). So in the scriptures, Jesus is said to ascend to heaven. Whatever happened that day, Luke had to render the event into his own scientific paradigm, so he said Jesus "went up" to heaven. Again, we are limited by our concept of spatiality. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, i.e. sharing authority with the Father, and not literally sitting next to the Father.

He Will Come Again in Glory to Judge the Living and the Dead and His Kingdom Will Have No End

Jesus is coming again to righteously judge the living and dead. His kingdom cannot be destroyed, despite all of mankind's efforts. The creed says Jesus is coming; it does not say when or how, nor does it say to speculate on the date or make money doing so!

We Believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life

The Holy Spirit is also called "Lord." The Holy Spirit sustains our lives as Christians, illuminating us after the new birth. The original Creed of Nicaea simply ended with "We believe in the Holy Spirit." The other additions were approved at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. However, most scholars believe that the text of the full creed dates prior to this council, and that the bishops simply gave their approval to a creed already in use.

Who Proceeds from the Father and the Son

The Son is said to be begotten, while the Spirit is said to proceed. Both words are used to say that the Son and Spirit are in special relationships to the Father, yet also fully divine. The phrase "and the Son," in Latin, filioque, is not in the original creed, but used in many Western Churches. The addition developed over time, probably as a tool against Arians in the Gothic lands. There are theological and historical justifications for the addition or exclusion of the filioque. Actually, despite current division on the matter, the issue has been pretty much theologically resolved. The Catholic Church acknowledges that the Father is the sole source within the Trinity, and admits that "proceeds from the Father and the Son" means "proceeds from the Father through the Son." They also acknowledge that the procession through the Son is not metaphysical, but refers to a sending forth. Also, Eastern Catholics (those Eastern Churches in communion with Rome) do not say the filioque, and remain in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Churches seem willing to allow the interpretation "through the Son," because it does not destroy the monarchy of the Father within the Holy Trinity. However, the filioque remains a major division between Eastern and Western Christianity, mainly because the filioque was added to the Western version of the Nicene Creed without Eastern input. Hopefully it will be resolved in the future, as the current environment is far less political than it was a thousand years ago.

With the Father and Son, He is Worshiped and Glorified

The Holy Spirit is God as are the Father and the Son, and worthy of the worship due to the Father and Son. These additions at Constantinople in AD 381 were directed at various heresies, particularly those who denied the full divinity of the Holy Spirit. The names given to these heretics were Macedonians (named after a heretical bishop) or pneumatomachi ("fighters against the Spirit").

He Has Spoken Through the Prophets

The Spirit inspired the prophets of old, and inspires the Church today.

We Believe in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church

We believe in the holy Catholic (universal) Church, whose origins are ancient and historical. The church was built upon the faith and witness of the apostles. This witness survives through Apostolic Succession, wherein apostles appointed leaders, who appointed leaders, who appointed leaders, etc, to the present day. This line survives today primarily in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches

We Acknowledge One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins

We believe that sacramentally through the waters of baptism, God forgives our sin, and that there is only one baptism necessary. This belief in baptism's power is ancient and practically universally acknowledged in the early Christian writings. If someone has been baptized in the name of the Trinity, generally rebaptism is a scandal, no matter in what church the baptism took place.

We Look for the Resurrection of the Dead, and the Life of the World to Come

We as Christians always hope for the end, where the universe is fully reconciled to God. The creed seems to affirm both the existence of a soul-filled heaven and the later resurrection of the dead when soul meets glorified body.

Concluding Remarks

We hope you enjoyed this primer on the Nicene Creed. Remember that the creed is ultimately derived from the worship of Christians, who baptize in the name of the Trinity, and pray to the Father in the name of the Son, through the Holy Spirit. Being born from experience, the creed tries not to define God's nature exactly and precisely like a science textbook would describe something. God's threeness and God's oneness are concepts we can begin to grasp, but never fully comprehend. Just as the mind cannot fully intellectualize love or joy, neither can the mind fully intellectualize God. The creed is a framework, but is not meant to be a detailed scientific analysis of God. God's nature is ultimately a mystery as comprehended by our limited minds. So if someone says he or she fully understands the Trinity, chances are, that person has no clue what the Trinity is actually about. The creed is also lived out and experienced, rather than simply intellectually processed. In this vein, please take a look at Prayers to the Trinity.

Written by David Bennett

A Guide for Confession

The basic requirement for a good confession is to have the intention of returning to God like the "prodigal son" and to acknowledge our sins with true sorrow before the priest.

Sin in my Life

Modern society has lost a sense of sin. As a Catholic follower of Christ, I must make an effort to recognize sin in my daily actions, words and omissions.

The Gospels show how important is the forgiveness of our sins. Lives of saints prove that the person who grows in holiness has a stronger sense of sin, sorrow for sins, and a need for the Sacrament of Penance or Confession.

The Differences in Sins

As a result of Original Sin, human nature is weakened. Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, takes away Original Sin, and turns us back toward God. The consequences of this weakness and the inclination to evil persist, and we often commit personal or actual sin.

Actual sin is sin which people commit. There are two kinds of actual sin, mortal and venial.

Mortal sin is a deadly offense against God, so horrible that it destroys the life of grace in the soul. Three simultaneous conditions must be fulfilled for a mortal sin: 1) the act must be something very serious; 2) the person must have sufficient understanding of what is being done; 3) the person must have sufficient freedom of the will.

Remember

If you need help–especially if you have been away for some time–simply ask the priest and he will help you by "walking" you through the steps to make a good confession.

Before Confession

Be truly sorry for your sins. The essential act of Penance, on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sin committed, together with a resolution not to commit it again, out of the love one has for God and which is reborn with repentance. The resolution to avoid committing these sins in the future (amendment) is a sure sign that your sorrow is genuine and authentic. This does not mean that a promise never to fall again into sin is necessary. A resolution to try to avoid the near occasions of sin suffices for true repentance. God's grace in cooperation with the intention to rectify your life will give you the strength to resist and overcome temptation in the future.


Examination of Conscience

Before going to Confession you should make a review of mortal and venial sins since your last sacramental confession, and should express sorrow for sins, hatred for sins and a firm resolution not to sin again.

A helpful pattern for examination of conscience is to review the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church:

Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in Christ been the goal of my life? Have I denied my faith? Have I placed my trust in false teachings or substitutes for God? Did I despair of God's mercy?

Have I avoided the profane use of God's name in my speech? Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?

Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding unnecessary work, celebrating the Mass (also holydays)? Was I inattentive at, or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early? Have I neglected prayer for a long time?

Have I shown Christlike respect to parents, spouse, and family members, legitimate authorities? Have I been attentive to the religious education and formation of my children?

Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and all others? Did I abuse drugs or alcohol? Have I supported in any way abortion, "mercy killing," or suicide?

Was I impatient, angry, envious, proud, jealous, revengeful, lazy? Have I forgiven others?

Have I been just in my responsibilities to employer and employees? Have I discriminated against others because of race or other reasons?

Have I been chaste in thought and word? Have I used sex only within marriage and while open to procreating life? Have I given myself sexual gratification? Did I deliberately look at impure TV, pictures, reading?

Have I stolen anything from another, from my employer, from government? If so, am I ready to repay it? Did I fulfill my contracts? Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?

Have I spoken ill of any other person? Have I always told the truth? Have I kept secrets and confidences?

Have I permitted sexual thoughts about someone to whom I am not married?

Have I desired what belongs to other people? Have I wished ill on another?

Have I been faithful to sacramental living (Holy Communion and Penance)?

Have I helped make my parish community stronger and holier? Have I contributed to the support of the Church?

Have I done penance by abstaining and fasting on obligatory days? Have I fasted before receiving communion?

Have I been mindful of the poor? Do I accept God's will for me?
During Confession

After examining your conscience and telling God of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.

Begin your confession with the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _________ weeks (months, years) ago."

The priest may read a passage from holy Scripture.

Say the sins that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."

Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. When invited, express some prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition such as:

An Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all because I have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.

At the End of Confession

Listen to the words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained priest.

As you listen to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest. If he closes by saying, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good," answer, "For His mercy endures forever."

After Confession

Give thanks to God for forgiving you again. If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess it in your next Confession.

Do your assigned Penance.

Resolve to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. We Catholics are fortunate to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our sins forgiven. This sacrament is a powerful help to get rid of our weaknesses, grow in holiness, and lead a balanced and virtuous life.

Ecumenical Christian Creeds

Dennis Bratcher

The first creeds of the Christian Church are called ecumenical creeds because they were decided upon in church councils that represented the entire church at the time before the church permanently spilt into Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman) factions in AD 1054. Later creeds reflect the diversity of the Christian tradition and tend to become more specialized expressions of particular doctrines for various groups.

The Apostles' Creed:

The Apostles' Creed is one of the oldest creeds of Christianity, dating in an early form to at least the middle second century with roots in the biblical traditions of the Gospels. Some phrases were added for clarity as late as the fourth century, but the basic creed remained intact. The clearly Trinitarian structure was likely intended to counter the teachings of Marcion who denied that the God of the Old Testament was the same God revealed in Jesus the Christ. This Trinitarian formulation would remain the basic structure of all the early creeds. The Apostles' Creed has often been divided into 12 sections for catechesis, instruction for new converts or children.

There has been some misunderstanding surrounding the phrase "he descended into hell." In fact, some church traditions omit this phrase from public recital of the Creed because some see this phrase as confirming an early belief that Jesus preached to the dead during the time between his crucifixion and resurrection (cf. 1 Peter 3:19, 4:6). However, many biblical scholars do not agree that the biblical traditions actually describe Jesus preaching to the dead, and therefore understand the phrase to be a metaphor for burial: "he descended into the realm of the dead," that is, that he spent the time among the dead (see "He Descended into Hell": Sheol, Hell, and the Dead). Some Protestants have also objected to the phrase "holy catholic church," assuming that this is a reference to Roman Catholicism when in fact the term simply means "universal," "inclusive," or "unified" (see Catholic Spirit).

1. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord,
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell.
5. The third day he rose again from the dead;
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
7. From there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9. I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
10. The forgiveness of sins,
11. The resurrection of the body,
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed:

The Nicene Creed was developed by the early Church largely in response to the teachings of Arius. Arianism taught that Jesus was not truly divine and of a different "substance" than God, which challenged the developing doctrine of the Trinity in the early church. The emperor Constantine, newly converted to Christianity, called a Church Council at Nicæa in AD 325 to bring some unity to the church amid developing controversies and false teachings. The Council at Nicæa adopted an early form of the creed, although the basic present form emerged from the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. It was officially adopted by the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.

A major controversy in the church has swirled around one phrase of the creed, the so-called filioque clause. In the phrase, "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son" the debate concerned whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from only the Father, or from the Father and the Son [filioque in Latin]. The phrase "and the Son" was not in the original Greek version of the Creed accepted at Nicæa and Constantinople. It was added in the Latin versions used in the Western (Roman) church in AD 589 as an attempt to clarify the relationship of the three persons of the Trinity. The concern was that the original wording made Jesus the Christ subordinate to the Father, a view that the Western church felt endangered the doctrine of the Trinity.

However, the Eastern tradition was committed to the earlier Greek version of the Creed and resisted any change. This highlighted the growing rift between the Eastern and Western traditions that would eventually lead to a permanent break in AD 1054. As a result, the Eastern Church has never used the version with the filioque clause, while most churches that derive from the Western tradition use the creed with the filioque clause. However, the Episcopal Church has recently approved omission of the filioque clause in new editions of the Book of Common Prayer.

The Church has widely used the Nicene Creed since the fifth century. In some liturgical churches, for example the Episcopal/Anglican Churches, it is recited every Sunday. In others, the Nicene Creed is alternated with the Apostles’ Creed for Sunday worship, although the Apostles’ Creed is more often used at Baptismal services. The Eastern Orthodox tradition uses only the Nicene Creed. While most non-liturgical Protestant churches prefer the shorter Apostles’ Creed, none would object to the doctrines the Nicene Creed summarizes. It is the only creed accepted by all three major branches of Christendom: Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox.

We believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen

Adapted from a translation by the International Consultation on English Texts, 1975

The Athanasian Creed:

While the Athanasian Creed is one of the three most important Creeds of the early Church, its author and origin remains a mystery. It is named after the well known fourth-century apologist and theologian Anathasius who played an important role in defining and defending the orthodox doctrines of the Trinity and the person of Christ, which are central features of this creed. However, Anathasius died in AD 373 and the Athanasian Creed closely reflects wording of the Nicene Creed adopted by the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, suggesting that it was written sometime after that. It is not mentioned in historical documents until the later seventh century, and was likely written in the Western Church sometime in the sixth or early seventh century. However, since the first work on the Nicene Creed began at the Council of Nicæa in AD 325, it is likely that Anathasius helped shaped much of the Trinitarian language that the fourth and fifth century church used in both creeds.

Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all else, hold to the true Christian Faith. Whoever does not keep this faith pure in all points will certainly perish forever.

Now this is the true Christian faith: We worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, without mixing the persons or dividing the divine being. For each person -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit -- is distinct, but the deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory and coeternal in majesty. What the Father is, so is the Son, and so is the Holy Spirit.

The Father is uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; The Father is eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three who are eternal, but there is one who is eternal, just as they are not three who are uncreated, nor three who are infinite, but there is one who is uncreated and one who is infinite.

In the same way the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, and the Holy Spirit is almighty. And yet they are not three who are almighty, but there is one who is almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord.

For just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually to be God and Lord, so the true Christian faith forbids us to speak of three Gods or three Lords. The Father is neither made not created, nor begotten of anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but is begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeds from the Father and the Son. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

And within this Trinity none comes before or after; none is greater or inferior, but all three persons are coequal and coeternal, so that in every way, as stated before, all three persons are to be worshiped as one God and one God worshiped as three persons. Whoever wishes to be saved must have this conviction of the Trinity.

It is furthermore necessary for eternal salvation truly to believe that our Lord Jesus Christ also took on human flesh. Now this is the true Christian faith: We believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and Man. He is God, eternally begotten from the nature of the Father, and he is man, born in time from the nature of his mother, fully God, fully man, with rational soul and human flesh, equal to the Father, as to his deity, less than the Father, as to his humanity; and though he is both God and Man, Christ is not two persons but one, one, not by changing the deity into flesh, but by taking the humanity into God; one, indeed, not by mixture of the natures, but by unity in one person.

For just as the reasonable soul and flesh are one human being, so God and man are one Christ, who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty, and from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. At his coming all people will rise again with their own bodies to answer for their personal deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, but those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire.

This is the true Christian Faith. Whoever does not faithfully and firmly believe this cannot be saved.

A Brief Overview - The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church

(Some of the following is excerpted from "The Catholic Encyclopedia": http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13295a.htm)

I. NECESSITY AND NATURE

(1) In what sense necessary

Almighty God can and does give grace to us in answer to our internal aspirations and prayers without the use of any external sign or ceremony. This will always be possible, because God, grace, and the soul are spiritual beings. God is not restricted to the use of material, visible symbols in dealing with us; the sacraments are not necessary in the sense that they could have been dispensed with. But, if it is known that God has appointed external, visible ceremonies as the means by which certain graces are to be conferred on us, then in order to obtain those graces it will be necessary for us to make use of those Divinely appointed means.
In this sense the Council of Trent (1545-1563, Sess. VII, can. 4) declared heretical those who assert that the sacraments of the New Law are superfluous and not necessary, although all sacraments are not necessary for each individual. It is the teaching of the Catholic Church and of Christians in general that, while God was not bound to make use of external ceremonies as symbols of things spiritual and sacred, it has pleased Him to do so, and this is the ordinary and most suitable manner of dealing with men. Writers on the sacraments refer to this as the necessitas convenientiae, the necessity of suitableness. It is not really a necessity, but the most appropriate manner of dealing with creatures that are at the same time spiritual and corporeal (human). In this assertion all Christians are united: it is only when we come to consider the nature of the sacramental signs that Protestants (except some Anglicans) differ from Catholics.

They were not ‘officially’ promulgated as "The Seven Sacraments" until the Council of Trent, although they were always taught and mentioned since the first A.D. by Pope St. Peter and various Popes, saints, and theologians. Many Protestants point this out as proof of the Church "inventing" the Sacraments, but many times issues were officially declared in Councils to clarify/iterate Church Teachings that have been attacked/incorrectly taught by heresies, etc. Except for Baptism, one does not fully receive the Graces from the Sacrament if they are in a state of mortal sin; however, when they make a true, contrite confession after receiving the Sacrament, they then receive the Graces from it.


The Seven Sacraments
1. Baptism

SIGNIFICANCE The Roman Catechism offers the following definition: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration by water in the word" (per aquam in verbo). Baptism was instituted to confer upon us the beginnings of the spiritual Life, to transfer us from the state of enemies of God to the state of adoption as sons and daughters of God. This definition combines the physical and metaphysical definitions of baptism. "The sacrament of regeneration" is the metaphysical essence of the sacrament, while the physical essence is expressed by the second part of the definition of the sacrament (i.e. the washing with water (matter), accompanied by the invocation of the Holy Trinity (metaphysical form)). Baptism is, therefore, the sacrament by which we are born again of water and the Holy Ghost, that is, by which we receive in a new and spiritual life, the dignity of adoption as sons and daughters of God and heirs of God's kingdom.
MANNER Baptism is conferred on the recipient when a Priest or Deacon pours water over their forehead and recites the words of Baptism: I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
MATTER The matter of baptism is water, and this taken in its usual meaning. Theologians have said that "what we would ordinarily declare water" is valid baptismal material, whether it’s salt/fresh water, from a fountain/well/marsh, whether it’s clear/turbid hot/cold, colored/uncolored. Water from melted ice, snow, or hail is also valid. However, unmelted ice, snow, and hail are not considered "water". Dew, sulfur or mineral water, and condensed water from steam are also valid. If the water is a "mixture" with something else, it is held as proper matter if the water predominates and the mixture would still be called water. Invalid matter is every liquid that is not usually designated true water, such as: oil, saliva, wine, tears, milk, sweat, beer, soup, the juice of fruits. The vast majority of the time, Baptism is conferred by pouring water over the forehead and reciting the words of Baptism; sometimes partial immersion is preferred by the baptizee.
VALIDITY If it’s doubtful whether a liquid is considered "water" or not, it is not permissible to use for baptism except in case of absolute necessity when no certainly valid matter can be obtained. On the other hand, it is never allowable to baptize with an invalid liquid. There is a response of Pope Gregory IX to the Archbishop of Trondhjem in Norway where beer (or mead) had been employed for baptism. The pontiff says: "Since according to the Gospel teaching, a man must be born again of water and the Holy Ghost; those are not to be considered validly baptized who have been baptized with beer". The "formula" used for Baptism must be "I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" (or similar variant). If some other variant is used in a Protestant "baptism", a person entering into the Catholic Church must be rebaptized with the correct words. The normal baptizer is a Priest or Deacon, but in emergencies any person (lay Catholic, heretic, gnostic, etc.) can baptize AS LONG AS they intend to do what the Church does.

2. Reconciliation/Penance/Confession

SIGNIFICANCE The Sacrament of Confession is the manner in which we reconcile ourselves with God after we commit the heinous act of sin and, having a contrite heart, truly desire to be reunited fully with God.
VALIDITY In order to obtain a valid confession, the penitent must have true sorrow for committing their sins, and must confess all mortal sins which they are aware of at the time of the Confession after examining their conscience. In addition, one of the Precepts of the Church require that it is the duty of the Faithful to confess one’s sins at least once a year. Although you are only required to confess mortal sins, there is no reason why you shouldn’t also tell God your sorrow for committing venial sins.
The Council of Trent (1551) declares: "As a means of regaining grace and justice, penance was at all times necessary for those who had defiled their souls with any mortal sin…The Lord then principally instituted the Sacrament of Penance, when, being raised from the dead, he breathed upon His disciples saying: 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained' (John, 20:22-23). By which action so signal and words so clear the consent of all the Fathers has ever understood that the power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the Apostles and to their lawful successors, for the reconciling of the faithful who have fallen after Baptism." Farther on the council expressly states that Christ left priests, His own vicars, as judges (praesides et judices), unto whom all the mortal crimes into which the faithful may have fallen should be revealed in order that, in accordance with the power of the keys, they may pronounce the sentence of forgiveness or retention of sins" (Sess. XIV, c. v)

It is noteworthy that the fundamental objection so often urged against the Sacrament of Penance was first thought of by the Scribes when Christ healed the sick man with palsy and says: "Thy sins are forgiven thee." When Jesus felt the scribes asking in their hearts "Why doth this man speak thus? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins but God only?" But Jesus seeing their thoughts, said to them: "Which is easier to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, take up thy bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he says to the man with palsy,) I say to thee: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house" (Mark, 2:5-11; Matt., 9:2-7). Christ wrought a miracle to show that He had power to forgive sins and that this power could be exerted not only in heaven but also on earth.

This power, moreover, He transmitted to Peter and the other Apostles. To Peter He says: "And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven" (Matt.,16:19). Later He says to all the Apostles: "Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven" (Matt., 18:18).


3. Holy Eucharist

SIGNIFICANCE The Greatest Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist—the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of Jesus Christ—was given to us by Christ so that we may enter into union with Christ Himself and His Love, as when Jesus says "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh blood, abideth in me, and I in him" (John, 6:57) The Eucharist removes our venial sins from our soul, and is a great aid in avoiding the temptation to commit mortal sins. It is because of this that many Saints have said that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (particularly the Eucharist) is "the perfect prayer".
MATTER/VALIDITY The Holy Eucharist is composed of two elements: the bread and the wine, which are later Consecrated by the priest into the Body and Blood of Jesus. The bread (in the Latin Rite) must be composed of only unleavened wheaten flour and water, and then baked. The importance of wheaten bread is deduced immediately from the words of Institution: "The Lord took bread" (ton arton), in connection with which it may be remarked, that in Scripture bread (artos), without any qualifying addition, always signifies wheaten bread. No doubt, too, Christ adhered unconditionally to the Jewish custom of using only wheaten bread in the Passover Supper, and by the words, "Do this for a commemoration of me", commanded its use for all succeeding times. In addition to this, uninterrupted tradition, whether it be the testimony of the Fathers or the practice of the Church, shows wheaten bread to have played an essential part.
The other Eucharistic element is wine, which must be from grapes. Any other juice from fruits is not allowed. The necessity of wine from grapes is not so much the result of the authoritative decision of the Church, as much as it is presupposed by her (Council of Trent, Sess. XIII, cap. iv), and is based upon the example and command of Christ, Who at the Last Supper converted the natural wine of grapes into His Blood. This is deduced partly from the rite of the Passover, which required the head of the family to pass around the "cup of benediction" (calix benedictionis) containing the wine of grapes, partly, and especially, from the express declaration of Christ, that henceforth He would not drink of the "fruit of the vine" (genimen vitis).

MANNER Concerning when the Consecration of the bread and wine can take place, Canon Law states: It is absolutely wrong, even in urgent and extreme necessity, to consecrate one element without the other, or even to consecrate both outside the eucharistic celebration (Mass). (Cannon 927) Only a priest can consecrate the Eucharist, although a Deacon can assist at various points in the Celebration of the Mass.
Due to the extreme holiness of the Sacrament as well as its symbolism of being in full communion with the Church, only Catholics may enter into the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is a mortal sin to receive the Eucharist while you knowingly have an unconfessed mortal sin on your soul.


4. Confirmation

SIGNIFICANCE Confirmation imparts 1) an increase of sanctifying grace which makes the recipient a "perfect Christian"; 2) a special sacramental grace consisting in the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost and notably in the strength and courage to confess boldly the name of Christ; 3) an indelible character by reason of which the sacrament cannot be received again by the same person.
Confirmation can be conferred only on those who have already been baptized and have not yet been confirmed. In the early years of the Church, when only adults were usually baptized, confirmation was administered immediately after; however, when infant baptism was the predominate custom, confirmation (in the Latin Rite) was kept at the "age of adulthood", which in the US is usually around age 14/8th grade. Its reception is obligatory (necessitate præcepti) "for all those who are able to understand and fulfill the Commandments of God and of the Church. This is especially true of those who suffer persecution on account of their religion or are exposed to grievous temptations against faith or are in danger of death. The more serious the danger so much greater is the need of protecting oneself". (Trent)

MANNER The bishop alone is the ordinary minister of confirmation. This is expressly declared by the Council of Trent (Sess. VII, De Conf., C. iii). Simple priests may be the extraordinary ministers of the sacrament under certain conditions (during the Easter Vigil Mass). In such cases, however, the priest cannot wear pontifical vestments, and he is obliged to use chrism blessed by a Catholic bishop. In the Greek Church, confirmation is given by simple priests without special delegation, and their ministration is accepted by the Western Church as valid. They must, however, use chrism blessed by a patriarch.
The Bishop/priest takes Chrism, makes the sign of the Cross on the forehead of the recipient, and says "Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit".


5. Matrimony

Contrary to popular misconception, the priest does NOT confer the sacrament of Holy Matrimony—the priest is merely the ‘witness’ to the man and woman making their vows before God. It is the husband and wife who ‘minister’ the Sacrament to themselves from God. However, the fact that a husband and wife make the sacrament between themselves and God does not mean that they can ‘unmake’ this union, as it is an agreement until the death of one of the parties.

6. Holy Orders

In the Latin Rite, the current discipline is for only non-married Catholics may be ordained priests; however, converts to the Catholic Faith who are married may later become ordained because the Church recognizes their marriage as valid and does not want to deny them the opportunity to serve the Church as a priest if they had previously joined in marriage in another Church before knowing the fullness of the Catholic Faith.

7. Extreme Unction(Anointing of the Sick)

Administered to a person who is dying, it may be given to both Catholics and non-Catholics who truthfully declare (in danger of death) to have a desire to enter into the Catholic Church and profess the Faith that the Catholic Church teaches.
First, the Sacrament of Penance is administered, then the anointing with the oil, and then the giving of the Eucharist (called Viaticum for this Sacrament)

As administered in the Western Church today according to the rite of the Roman Ritual, the sacrament consists (apart from certain non-essential prayers) in the unction with oil, specially blessed by the bishop, of the organs of the five external senses (eyes, ears, nostrils, lips, hands), of the feet, and, for men (where the custom exists and the condition of the patient permits of his being moved), of the loins or reins; and in the following form repeated at each unction with mention of the corresponding sense or faculty: "Through this holy unction and His own most tender mercy may the Lord pardon thee whatever sins or faults thou hast committed [quidquid deliquisti] by sight [by hearing, smell, taste, touch, walking, carnal delectation]".

The unction of the loins is generally, if not universally, omitted in English-speaking countries, and it is of course everywhere forbidden in case of women. To perform this rite fully takes an appreciable time, but in cases of urgent necessity, when death is likely to occur before it can be completed, it is sufficient to employ a single unction (on the forehead, for instance) with the general form: "Through this holy unction may the Lord pardon thee whatever sins or faults thou hast committed." By the decree of 25 April, 1906, the Holy Office has expressly approved of this form for cases of urgent necessity.



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I speak with the successor of the fisherman...Though I acknowledge none as first except Christ, I am joined in communion with your Holiness, that is to say, in communion with the Chair of Peter. I know that it is upon that rock that the Church has been built.
– St. Jerome, Ad Damasum, circa 420 A.D.