Sacraments

The Sacrament of Baptism is the basis of the entire life of a Christian; it is the gateway to new life in the Holy Spirit and the door which opens the other Sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from the power of sin and reborn as children of God. We become members of Christ and members of the Catholic Church, sharers in the mission entrusted by Jesus to the Church to make disciples (Catechism, 1213).

To new parents, congratulations on the birth or adoption of your child! Parents of children under the age of seven participate in a process of preparation for their child’s Baptism. This process is sacramental preparation, a way of welcoming young families, of seeking to be responsive to their needs, and helping them connect more deeply with the Newman community.  To begin the process of having your child baptized at Newman, please contact Friar Tim at [email protected]. He can also assist with letters of eligibility to serve as a godparent or sponsor for the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation at other Catholic parishes.

Adults who have not been baptized but would like to explore the possibility undertake a comprehensive catechetical and formation process known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), normally culminating in their initiation into faith through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. RCIA consists of a series of stages of preparation, discernment, and accompanying rites. Properly engaged, this process opens people to a profound relationship with Jesus Christ through spiritual, intellectual, moral, and community formation. For further information please contact Friar Tim at [email protected].
 

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the life of a Christian. The other Sacraments, and indeed all the life and ministry of the Church, are connected and oriented toward it (Catechism 1324). It is the sign and the cause of communion in the Church, Christ’s redemption of the world, and our act of worship to God the Father (Catechism 1325). In it, we anticipate the eternal heavenly banquet (Catechism 1326). Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, which the Eucharist, in turn, confirms  (Catechism 1327).

The Lord’s Day Eucharist is celebrated on Saturday at 5:15 PM; on Sundays at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM; and, during the academic year, at 4:00 PM on Sundays. The Eucharist is also celebrated Monday-Friday at 12 Noon. A Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament is held each Friday at 6:00 PM during the academic year. 

At Newman, children prepare to receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist by first coming to know and love Him at an age-appropriate level.  Children preparing for their First Holy Communion complete one full year of religious education, actively attend Mass, and participate in their second consecutive year of religious education before receiving their First Communion. To see how this preparation occurs, please click HERE. To begin the preparation process for your child’s First Holy Communion, please contact us HERE.

Receiving Communion at Eucharist signifies that one is in full communion with the Catholic Church and all she teaches. Baptized Christians who feel a call to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church undertake a comprehensive catechetical and formation process. For further information please contact Friar Tim at [email protected].

The Eucharist may be brought to those in health-care facilities or to the sick homebound as a source of strength and consolation. If a sick or aged loved one wishes to have Holy Communion brought to them at home, please contact our Pastor Friar Tim at [email protected].

In the Catholic tradition, the Eucharist may be offered by the priest-celebrant for a particular intention, such as the eternal repose of a deceased person or the deceased of a family, or for the needs and intentions of a particular person or group. To request a Mass intention, please click HERE.
 

In the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation, a Christian obtains pardon from God’s mercy for sins committed, and, at the same time, is reconciled with the Church whose communion has been wounded by that sin (Catechism 1422). It makes sacramentally present Jesus’ call to conversion (Catechism 1423) through the personal confession of one’s sins and the experience of personal forgiveness and absolution. (Catechism 1424).

The Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation is celebrated every Saturday 4-5; every Wednesday during the academic year 5:00-6:00 PM; or by appointment with Friar Tim ( [email protected]). Parishes throughout the Piedmont Deanery (including Newman) celebrate communal Penance services with individual confession all during the seasons of Advent and Lent.

At Newman, children preparing for their First Penance or Reconciliation complete one full year of religious education and actively attend Mass; during their second consecutive year of religious education, they are prepared for First Communion. To begin the preparation process for your child’s First Penance or Reconciliation, please contact us HERE.
 

New Rite of Penance or Reconciliation for Individual Penitents

A new translation of the Rite of Penance or Reconciliation for Individual Penitents has begun to be in use since Ash Wednesday 2023 and will go into effect on the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday).

Much of the novelty of the Rite involves the priest confessor, most particularly a revision of the formula of absolution.

The revised rite looks like this:

1. The penitent enters the place and makes the sign of the cross out loud. There is no longer the need for the formula “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.”
2. The priest confessor then invites the penitent to trust in the mercy of God.
3. A short text of Scripture may be read at this point.
4. The penitent then confesses his/her sins. There may follow some discussion or counsel with the priest confessor.
5. The priest confessor then imposes an act of penitence, which aims not only to make up for the past but also to foster new life in the future. This may be in the form of prayer, some act of self-denial, or some act of mercy or charity.
6. The penitent then manifests her/his contrition and resolution, either in standard formulas or in their own words.                                                            
7. The priest confessor then imparts the formula of absolution, invites the penitent to thank God for His goodness (the response to which is “For His mercy endures forever”), and dismisses the penitent in peace.    

 

 

In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, first given in Baptism, are strengthened, and baptismal grace is completed. By means of Confirmation Christians are bound more perfectly to the Church and are enriched by the Holy Spirit to become more faithful witnesses to and disciples of Jesus Christ ( Catechism 1285).

In the Diocese of Raleigh, the Sacrament of Confirmation is usually celebrated during high school years. High school teenagers who wish to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation participate through Newman Youth Ministry (NYM) for at least one full year while actively attending Mass, and then participate in a second year of NYM. To begin the preparation process for the Sacrament of Confirmation, please contact us HERE.

Any college student or adult seeking to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation engages in a multi-week formation process of preparation. To begin the preparation process for Confirmation, please contact Friar Tim at [email protected].

To serve as a sponsor for the Sacrament of Confirmation at another Catholic parish may require a letter of eligibility. Please contact us HERE.

In the Sacrament of Matrimony, a man and woman establish between themselves a loving partnership for the entire time of their lives. By its nature, the Sacrament of Matrimony is ordered toward both the good of the spouses themselves and the procreation and education of their children. The covenant partnership between baptized persons is a Sacrament (Catechism 1601).

Congratulations on your engagement! Preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony requires at least six months prior to the wedding celebration. It involves the completion and discussion of an online assessment instrument; participation in a diocesan-sponsored marriage enrichment seminar (to register, https://dioceseofraleigh.org/marriage-and-family-life/register-marriage-prep ); and the gathering of proper documentation.

To begin preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony, please fill out one of the information forms below and return it to Friar Tim, our pastor, at [email protected].

• Your wedding can be celebrated here at Newman; for further information please download this document ( HERE).
• You can prepare here at Newman for your wedding to be celebrated at an appropriate place elsewhere; for further information please download this document ( HERE).
• You can prepare elsewhere for your wedding to be celebrated here at Newman; for further information please download this document ( HERE).

If your marriage was not witnessed by a Catholic priest or deacon or their delegate, and you are interested in having your marriage sacramentally convalidated by the Church, please contact Friar Tim, our pastor, at [email protected].

Holy Orders is the Sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to His apostles continues to be exercised in and by the Church until the end of the ages. This Sacrament of apostolic ministry has three degrees: bishops, presbyters or priests, and deacons ( Catechism 1536).

If you are considering the call to the diocesan priesthood, please visit www.raleighvocations.org.

If you are considering the call to the permanent diaconate, please visit How to become a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Raleigh | Diocese of Raleigh.

Consecrated life, the profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, is part of the life and holiness of the Church ( Catechism 914). While these counsels apply to every disciple of Christ by means of Baptism, the call to do so as a permanent state of life recognized by the Church characterizes a life particularly consecrated to God ( Catechism 915). Consecrated life comes in countless different varieties, like one great tree with many branches ( Catechism 917); for some basic introduction to the variety of consecrated life, please go to What is Consecrated Life? | Diocese of Raleigh.

Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, MI, have ministered for many years in and through the Newman Community. If you are interested in the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) of Monroe, MI, please visit Vowed Membership - IHM Sisters.

The Conventual Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province assumed pastoral care of the Newman Catholic Community in 2014. If you are interested in the Conventual Franciscan Friars, please visit https://www.franciscans.org.

Through the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, the entire Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that He may raise them up from their physical, mental or emotional suffering and thereby save them (Catechism 1499).

If you are at one of the UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and wish to be anointed, please contact the hospital’s Pastoral Care unit, who will then arrange a visit by one of the priests from either Newman or St. Thomas More Parish.

If you anticipate a surgical procedure and wish to be anointed, please request it from the friar celebrant at Sunday or weekday Mass, if you are unable to come; if not, please contact Friar Tim at [email protected] to arrange a convenient time for a visit.

Are you thinking about becoming a member of the Catholic Church? Or perhaps you have been baptized, or even received your First Communion, but haven’t had any formation in faith since then and now are interested in deepening your commitment to the Church. Please contact Kathy Cole at [email protected] to explore the next steps in your journey of faith.