The Sacrament of Baptism has several purposes.  It infuses sanctifying grace, which makes the new Christian a child of God, and applies the merits of Jesus Christ (his suffering and death for sins) to him or her personally.  It washes away original sin, the sin of disobedience committed by Adam and Eve.  It joins the new Catholic with the faith community of the parish, the diocese, and the Roman Catholic Church at large.
Baptism is only required once, and the Church recognizes Baptism from a number of other faiths as valid sacraments.
At least one parent needs to be a registered, active and practicing Catholic for at least six months.  Baptisms are usually scheduled for the second Sunday of the month.  A Baptismal Preparation Class is required for both parents and godparents. The church requires that at least one of the godparents be an active and practicing Catholic.

Communion allows the believer to be united with Christ by sharing His body and blood. The Holy Eucharist refers to the consecrated bread and wine consumed by Catholics during Communion. When believers receive Holy Communion, they are intimately united with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. By taking Holy Communion, the Catholic is also expressing their union with all Catholics who believe the same doctrines, obey the same laws, and follow the same leaders.

Children are old enough to receive First Holy Communion when they know and believe that it is not bread or wine they are receiving, but the real body and blood of Jesus Christ. Preparation for First Holy Communion usually occurs in the second grade in Religious Education classes. First Penance (going to confession for the first time) must come before First Communion. If you have questions, please contact Religious Education Director Sandy Acord /staff, or Father Bogdan Milosz /staff, our parish priest.

The sacrament of Confirmation completes the process of initiation into the Catholic community. At Confirmation, young adults (usually in the ninth grade) are considered old enough to renew the promises made on their behalf at their Baptism by their parents and godparents. The Holy Spirit comes upon them, just as it did at Pentecost. The sacrament is called Confirmation because the faith given in Baptism is now confirmed and made strong.

Adult converts to Catholicism may be baptized, confirmed, and receive their First Communion at the same time, usually at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Preparation for this process may occur during RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes. For more information go to: /rcia
 

Sinful actions not only break God's laws, they wound us spiritually. The Sacrament of Penance, also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession, is for spiritual healing.
The forgiveness of sins involves four parts:

• Contrition: a sincere sorrow for having offended God is the most important act of the penitent. Forgiveness of sin is not possible if we are not sorrowful, and firmly resolve not to repeat our sin.

• Confession: we confront our sins by speaking about them to the priest. Remember, the priest can never tell anyone anything he hears during this Sacrament.

• Penance: an important part of healing is the penance the priest gives us to perform. It may be a set of prayers to say, or any of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy. We Catholics believe that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is what made atonement for our sins, so penance is a token act for our benefit, to remind us that God comes first.

• Absolution: the priest speaks the words by which your sins are absolved (forgiven).

The Sacrament of Reconciliation can be received on most Saturday afternoons at St. Faustina parish, or by making an appointment with Father Bogdan through the parish office.
 

Before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, one should prepare oneself with an examination of conscience, which involves reflecting prayerfully on one's thoughts, words, and deeds in order to identify any sins.

There are various types of examinations of conscience but regardless of which one you use to prepare yourself for the Sacrament it should be rooted in Scripture. A selection can be found on the USCCB website. 
Here is one based on the Ten Commandments: /documents/2020/6/Examination-of-Conscience-10.pdf
 

The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is for those in danger of death or in critical condition. The most important intention of this sacrament is to give strength to the soul of the sick person, to give them the grace and encouragement to bear their illness with dignity. It also absolves all sins the person is sorry for but did not previously confess in the Sacrament of Penance. In the past, this Sacrament was called Extreme Unction (last anointing) or Last Rites, because more people died from injury and disease than recovered.

Catholics are able to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick more than once.

Parishioners should call the parish office to set up an appointment for this Sacrament. The parish also keeps a list of sick parishioners in order to pray for them regularly. Requests for prayer for healing from illness or any other reason may also be placed in the bowl for Living Rosary group prayers, or the box for prayer requests for Divine Mercy Devotions (both of these are in the main entrance of the church).