What is Baptism?
On behalf of the St. Clement of Rome parish community, CONGRATULATIONS! We know this is an exciting time for you as you welcome a new member of your family. We rejoice with you and invite you to make your child also a member of God's family by bringing them into the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism.
Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation whereby a person becomes a member of the Church. These three sacraments taken together "lay the foundations of every Christian life" (CCC 1212) and Baptism as the first of these initial sacraments is "the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other sacraments" (CCC 1213). In his encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus said that "no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (John 3:5) signifying the sacrament of Baptism which he would institute. It was in his own baptism by St. John the Baptist that Jesus purified the waters of the earth preparing them to be a vessel of God's grace. It was in his suffering, death, and resurrection that Jesus opened the fountain of Baptism to all people. And it was fully instituted as a sacrament when Jesus commissioned his apostles to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
The Effects of Baptism
The first effect of the Sacrament of Baptism is the washing away of original sin and the forgiveness of all personal sins if the person being baptized is old enough to have committed any personal sins. Just as we use water to wash our bodies from dirt, the waters of baptism wash our souls from spiritual dirt or sin.
The second effect of Baptism is being made a new creature by being reborn through water and the Holy Spirit. In baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon the person and takes up residence in his soul. Thus, Baptism makes us the dwelling place of the Most Blessed Trinity and a holy temple of God. Due to original sin, we are deprived of the divine life of the Holy Spirit. But when this original stain is washed away, we are born anew and made adopted children of God.
The third effect of Baptism is being made members of the Church, the Body of Christ, and the family of God, and unites us to all the baptized throughout the world.
Finally, Baptism leaves an indelible (permanent) mark on our soul which identifies us as being configured to Christ and sealed with the sign of faith. This mark can never be removed.
Baptismal Preparation
Before having your child baptized, there are several things you will need to do.
First, you will need to click and download this Baptism Information Packet:
This includes a basic information form as well as a Parent Testimonial form to be signed by the Catholic parent(s) stating that they will raise the child in the Catholic faith and two Godparent Testimonial forms to be signed by the godparents stating that they meet the criteria listed on the form in order to be a godparent and that they will help the parents raise the child in the Catholic faith.
Once this is complete, one of our deacons will contact you about setting up an in-home interview to discuss the baptism process and to get to know you and your family a little better so that we can see how we can better serve you at St. Clement of Rome.
Both the parents and godparents will then need to complete a baptismal seminar if this is their first child to be baptized at St. Clement of Rome. These are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Center. Seminars are offered in both English and Spanish.
Finally, we will need a copy of the child's birth certificate.
Once this is complete, a date can be set for your child's Baptism. Our regularly scheduled Baptisms occur on Saturdays following the 4:00 PM Mass in English and following the 1:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a baptism, please contact Deacon Roy Ibarra at [email protected] or by calling the Parish Center at 504-887-7322.
Adult Baptism
If you are an adult and are interested in being baptized, please see theOrder of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) page or contact Deacon Roy Ibarra at [email protected] or by calling the Parish Center at 504-887-7322
"I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
“Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against Him and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which, by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion.” (CCC, 1422)
The sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance is known by several names:
The “sacrament of Penance” expresses the way it consecrates the Christian sinner’s personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction” (CCC, 1423).
The “sacrament of confession” refers to the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest as an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense, it is also a “confession”—acknowledgment and praise—of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man.
The “sacrament of forgiveness” illustrates how the priest’s sacramental absolution God grants the penitent “pardon and peace.”
The “sacrament of Reconciliation” is another name because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: “Be reconciled to God.” He who lives by God’s merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord’s call: “Go; first be reconciled to your brother” (CCC, 1424).
The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. (CCC, 1421).
Preparing for Reconciliation
Despite the feelings of many Catholics who consider the sacrament of Reconciliation either unnecessary or frightening, that fact remains that few things could be more necessary for our salvation than this humbling sacrament. Many people have avoided celebrating the sacrament, sometimes for years at a time, because they “don’t know what to do.” The following brief explanation is intended for a person who has not been to confession in some time. The person who is going to confession is called a “penitent” because he or she wishes to do penance and to turn away from sin.
Preparation
Before going to confession, the penitent compares his or her life with the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the example of Christ and then prays to God for forgiveness.
Going to Confession
The priest welcomes the penitent and then both make the sign of the cross, saying, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.” Next, the priest briefly urges the penitent to have confidence in God.
If the penitent is unknown to the priest, it is proper for the penitent to indicate his or her state of life, the time of the last confession, difficulties in leading the Christian life, and anything else that may help the confessor in exercising his ministry.
Confession of Sins and the Act of Penance
The penitent then confesses his or her sins. If necessary, the priest should help the penitent to make a complete confession and to have sincere sorrow for sins against God. The sorrow a penitent feels for his or her sins is known as contrition and must include an intent to sin no more and to avoid all future occasions of sin. Through confession of sins, the penitent looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them and thereby opens himself to His grace and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.
The priest then offers suitable advice to help the penitent begin a new life and, when appropriate, leads him or her to resolve to make appropriate restitution for the harm he or she has caused others. The priest imposes an act of penance or satisfaction on the penitent. The penance corresponds to the seriousness and nature of the sins and may suitably take the form of prayer, self-denial, and especially service to one’s neighbor and works of mercy. Such a “penance” serves not only to make up for the past but also to help the penitent to begin a new life filled with grace.
The Act of Contrition
After this, the priest will ask the penitent to make a good Act of Contrition. The following is one example of such a prayer:
O my God,
I am heartily sorry for having offended you,
and I detest all my sins,
because of your just punishment,
but most of all because they offend you, my God,
who are all good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace,
to sin no more,
and to avoid the near occasion of sin.
Amen.
Absolution by the Priest
Following this prayer, the priest extends his hands, or at least his right hand, over the head of the penitent and pronounces the formula of absolution. As he says the final words he makes the sign of the cross over the head of the penitent:
God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
The penitent answers, “Amen.”
Dismissal of the Penitent
Then the priest tells the penitent to go in peace. The penitent continues his or her conversion and expresses it by a life renewed according to the Gospel and more and more steeped in the love of God.
Confession is offered in the church on Saturdays at 3:00 PM, Wednesdays at 4:30 PM, or by appointment. If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Center (504) 887-7821.
"This is my body, which will be given up for you."
What is the Eucharist?
So Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven…I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6:32, 51)
The Eucharist, the living and real presence of Jesus Christ nourishes our parish family, makes it healthy, makes it function in a loving, sacrificial spirit of unity with the entire Roman Catholic Church, making us an ever more fitting dwelling-place for the triune God. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated daily at St. Clement of Rome.
Eucharistic Adoration
Eucharistic Adoration enables the faithful to encounter Jesus Christ as physically present in the Blessed Sacrament. Our parish is blessed to have a perpetual adoration chapel.
If you would like to volunteer an hour of your time, please contact the Parish Center (504) 887-7821 or click on the graphic below to sign up to be an Adorer!
Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit."
Is there anyone sick among you? He should ask for the presbyters of the church. They, in turn, are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. This prayer uttered in faith will reclaim the one who is ill, and the Lord will restore him to health. If he has committed any sins, forgiveness will be his. (James 5:14–15)
Some frequently asked questions about the sacrament:
Q: Who should receive the Anointing of the Sick?
A: Anyone who is ill, about to have or has had surgery, the chronically ill, those suffering terminal or other illnesses.
Q: When should the sacrament of the sick be administered?
A: It is not necessary to wait until a person is dying before calling a priest. The Anointing of the Sick “is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death” (CCC 1514).
Q: I have been anointed in the past, and I am ill again. May I be anointed again?
A: If some time has passed and you are experiencing another illness, you may receive the sacrament again.
At St. Clement of Rome, Anointing of the Sick is available upon request. Call the Parish Center if you need a priest for an anointing at 504-887-7821. In case of an emergency after hours, our answering service will assist you in locating a priest.
"I will give you shepherds after my own heart."
In these words from the prophet Jeremiah, God promises his people that he will never leave them without shepherds to gather them together and guide them: “I will set shepherds over my sheep, who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed.” (Jeremiah 23:4)
Pope John Paul II wrote, “Without priests, the Church would not be able to live that fundamental obedience which is at the very heart of her existence and her mission in history, an obedience in response to the command of Christ: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations’ (Mt. 28:19) and ‘Do this in remembrance of me’ (Lk. 22:19), that is, an obedience to…announce the Gospel and to renew daily the sacrifice of the giving of his body and the shedding of his blood for the life of the world.”
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is experienced in three degrees:
Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, all of the faithful experience a universal call to holiness. In Holy Orders, however, men are consecrated to the service of all the faithful, nourishing them through Word and Sacrament.
For Those Interested in Holy Orders
Men interested in Holy Orders, either the priesthood or the diaconate, are encouraged to research and pray upon the matter with fervor and diligence, always discerning through the sacred heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Women and men interested in consecrated life as a religious sister or brother are also encouraged to give prayerful consideration to the matter and entrust it to the Lord. We are each called to discern and live our vocation, embracing it as a gift from God—whether that vocation is to single life, married life, or the consecrated life.
If you feel you may be called to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life, please feel free to contact our pastor Father Joe to discern this special calling from God.
If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Center at (504) 887-7821.
Please pray for our parishioners in formation:
Brett Barrios
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Heavenly Father,
physician of our souls and bodies,
Who have sent Your only-begotten Son
and our Lord Jesus Christ
to heal every sickness and infirmity,
visit and heal also Your servant (name)
from all physical and spiritual ailments
through the grace of Your Christ.
Grant him (her) patience in this sickness,
strength of body and spirit,
and recovery of health.
Lord, You have taught us through Your word
to pray for each other
that we may be healed.
I pray, heal Your servant (name)
and grant to him (her) the gift of complete health.
For You are the source of healing
and to You I give glory,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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O Lord our God,
Who by a word alone did heal all diseases,
Who did cure the kinswoman of Peter,
You Who chastise with pity and heal according to Your goodness;
Who are able to put aside every sickness and infirmity,
do You Yourself, the same Lord, grant aid
to Your servant (name)
and cure him (her) of every sickness
of which he (she) is grieved;
and send down upon him (her) Your great mercy,
and if it be Your will,
give to him (her) health and a complete recovery;
for You are the Physician of our souls and bodies,
and to You do we send up Glory:
to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
Both now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
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Grant, O Lord,
a peaceful life, health,
salvation, furtherance in all good things
unto Thy servant(s) ___,
and preserve them, O Lord,
for many years!
God Grant You Many Years!
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O God of spirits, and of all flesh,
Who has trampled down death and overthrown the Devil,
and given life to the world:
Do Thou, the same Lord,
give rest to the soul of Thy departed servant(s) ______,
in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose,
where all sickness, sorrow, and sighing have fled away.
Pardon every transgression
which he (she) has, (they have) committed,
whether by word, or deed, or thought.
For You are a good God, and love mankind;
For You are the Resurrection, and the Life,
and the Repose of Thy servant(s) ______ ,
who is (are) fallen asleep,
O Christ our God, and unto You do we ascribe glory,
together with your Father,
who is from everlasting,
and Your all-holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit:
now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
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Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.
Amen.