We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love. We cannot "see" the love the hug expresses, though sometimes we can see its nurturing effect in the child.
The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received. The invisible reality we cannot "see" is God's grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers people a share in his life, and shows us his favor and will for our salvation. Our response to the grace of God's initiative is itself a grace or gift from God by which we can imitate Christ in our daily lives. - USCCB
Catholic Sacraments are milestones in our lives, where God reveals to us His great love and especially who He is. Baptism is the First of the Three Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic Tradition. Confirmation and Holy Eucharist are the other two Sacraments of Initiation. The word baptism in its origins is Greek and means "immersion" and "bath." Immersion in water is a sign of death and emersion out of the water means new life. To bathe in water is also to undergo cleansing. Saint Paul sums up this truth when he says, "You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col 2:12).
Sin harms our relationship with God and damages our communion with the Body of Christ ~ the Church. Conversion of heart is the beginning of our journey back to God. Liturgically, this happens in the Sacrament of Penance. In the history of the Church, this Sacrament has been celebrated in different ways. Beneath the changes, there have always been two essentials: the acts of the penitent and the acts of Christ through the ministry of the Church. Both go hand in hand. Conversion must involve a change of heart as well as a change of actions. Neither is possible without God's grace.
Jesus loved children. As a child himself, he was raised by Joseph and Mary in their home at Nazareth (cf. Mt 2:23). Growing up among relatives and townspeople, Jesus experienced the concerns and problems common to all children, such as sickness and death among family members. Within this setting, Jesus “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Lk 2:40).
Jesus’ attention to children sets the proper context for helping children examine the conscience and preparing them for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament allows Jesus to express his love for children today. Through it, he continues to influence their lives; he demonstrates his power to heal them, to free them from the bondage of sin, and raise them to new life. In turn, this sacrament allows children to come to know and love Jesus. For these reasons, Jesus still exhorts us: “Let the children come!”
When Jesus instituted the Eucharist he gave a final meaning to the blessing of the bread and the wine and the sacrifice of the Lamb. The Gospels narrate events that anticipated the Eucharist. The miracle of the loaves and fish, reported in all four Gospels, prefigured the unique abundance of the Eucharist. The miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana manifested the divine glory of Jesus and the heavenly wedding feast in which we share at every Eucharist.
Generally, at Saint Lawrence / Saint Boniface, First Holy Communion is received by students who attend Family Formation or Lafayette Catholic Schools (LCSS) in the 2nd grade. Other circumstances are handled individually to meet the students' and families' needs.
Confirmation, together with Baptism and Eucharist, form the Sacraments of Initiation that are all intimately connected. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is "sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit" and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ. It celebrates the presence of God's special strength and gifts in a baptized person.
Growth is critical to human life; the body and mind must grow to stay alive. The soul also needs to grow to maturity in the life of grace, just as the human body must grow through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The Sacrament of Confirmation is the supernatural equivalent of the growth process on the natural level. It builds on what was begun in Baptism and what is nourished in Holy Eucharist. It completes the process of initiation into the Christian community, and it matures the soul for the adventure to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
The twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity (love), joy, peace, patience, compassion, goodness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity. These are human qualities that can be activated by the Holy Spirit. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are supernatural graces given to the soul.
The Confirmation program follows the Diocese's recommendation that all students have at least two years of preparation classes in order to be confirmed. It is generally received in 9th grade after two years (7th and 8th grade) of preparation, but High School students who are new to the parish and have completed Faith Formation at their previous parish can also join us to complete the Confirmation requirements. High School students who have not been in Religious Education, Family Formation, approved homeschooling program or attend in Lafayette Catholic School System (LCSS) would be required to complete the OCIA program to complete their sacramental preparations.
For Roman Catholics, marriage is more than a legal contract or a serious covenant. Marriage is SACRED and HOLY. The Church proclaims that it is a Sacrament, meaning that all through marriage, the Almighty Trinity reveal their divine love and grace. St. Paul and the early Fathers of the Church, both East and West, define marriage as a reflection and witness of how Jesus interacts with and loves the Church. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is His bride. Therefore, we at St. Boniface / St. Lawrence are extremely serious about our responsibilities in preparing a couple for this great sacrament.
Serious preparation takes time; therefore we ask that if you are planning to marry and neither of you has been married before please contact the church office at least six months in advance of when you would like to be married. It is a GOOD idea to do to contact the Church before you contract with other services, like reception hall or caterers.
Couples will take a readiness instrument called FOCCUS. The results are reviewed in private with a priest or deacon. Couples are also required to attend Pre-Cana workshop offered by our Pastorate. Registration for Pre-Cana is handled through the parish.
The couple is also required to be active registered parishioners. We can only witness a marriages of a registered parishioner (unless written permission is granted from their pastor and diocese). Questions such as where, when and who may officiate at a Catholic wedding will be addressed in the first meeting with the priest preparing the couple for their Marriage. You must contact the pastorate office to schedule a meeting with the priest.
In the Sacrament of Marriage, the bride is the minister of the sacrament to the groom and the groom to the bride. Bishops, priests or deacons do not confer the sacrament. They are the official Church witness.
If you plan a Mass for that great day, you need to have a priest or bishop. If you do not plan a Mass, you may have deacon, priest or bishop witness the marriage.
Catholic marriages must be held in a sacred place. Normally this means in a Church. Our diocese is very observant to this rule. If you plan a marriage in a non-Catholic Church, we need to get permission of the bishop.
If either or both parties have been married before
If you were married outside the church and want your marriage convalidated in the church, please contact the pastorate office.
If you or your spouse has previous marriage(s) in the church, by other faith ministers, or civil authorities, and the former spouse is still living, you need to go through the process of annulling the previous marriage(s). This process is required by people marrying in the church or joining the Catholic Church [RCIA] who have previous marriages and are remarried.
Please call the office at 765-742-2107 to keep us informed of those who are homebound and hospitalized, especially during a serious illness.
The sacrament of anointing is given to those who are sick and those of advanced age who are easily subject to illness. This sacrament has its root in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples and told them to anoint the sick with oil in his name. The letter of St. James describes its practice in the early church. “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the Church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.”
The oil used for anointing is olive oil, which is a natural healing balm. The prayers of the priest who anoints and of the community ask God to make the sick person well. Normally anointing is given to those who are enduring serious physical, mental or spiritual sickness.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacred responsibility of governing the Church.
This Sacrament confers the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that permits exercise of this power and responsibility. There are three degrees or orders in this Sacrament. They are Bishop, Priests and Deacon.
Bishop: Priests and Deacons report to the Bishop. Bishops are responsible to govern a geographical area.
Priests share the priestly duties of Bishop.
Deacons share the service ministry of the Bishop.
Bishops, priests and deacons can be secular, meaning ordained to a Diocese OR they can be religious, meaning that they are a member of a Religious Order and follow the rules of that group.
If a man feels that he is called to the Priestly Order, he should make an appointment with one of our wonderful priests.