Sacraments
The Sacraments the Church celebrates are signs of grace that make a deeper reality present to us. One reality we encounter through the sacraments is Christ’s presence in the Church community, his body. 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.
Sacraments at St. John the Evangelist
Preparation for the Seven Sacraments at St. John is very special and imporant to each person. If you are new to our parish, be sure to send your and your families’ completed Sacraments to the office. Otherwise, click below to learn more about preparing for the various Sacraments.
The Sacraments of Initiation
Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist lay the foundations of every Christian life. We are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life.
The Sacraments of Service
The Sacraments of Service – Marriage and Holy Orders – are both calls from Our Lord to share ou lives with others in special ways.
The Sacraments of Healing
The Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick have the goal of bringing God’s healing through Jesus the Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. life.
Baptism
The origin and foundation of Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. By sending his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin and begin to live a new life with God.
Baptism Classes are offered quarterly. Plan to make these classes part of preparing for the birth of your child. To make arrangements please contact the parish office. Baptisms are restricted to registered members of the parish.
Reconciliation
Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church. This Sacrament is God’s gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God.
Children prepare for Reconciliation during Religious Formation and Adults do so as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), that begins each fall and culminates during the Easter Vigil.
Weekly Reconciliation is offered a half hour before each weekend Mass or by appointment.
Eucharist
The Lord Jesus, on the night before he suffered on the cross, shared one last meal with his disciples. During this meal our Savior instituted the sacrament of his Body and Blood.
In the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. The whole Christ is truly present — body, blood, soul, and divinity — under the appearances of bread and wine, the glorified Christ who rose from the dead. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the “Real Presence” of Christ in the Eucharist.
Children prepare for their First Communion during Religious Formation and Adults do so as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), that begins each fall and culminates during the Easter Vigil.
Confirmation
Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.
Youth prepare for Confirmation during Religious Formation and Adults do so as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), that begins each fall and culminates during the Easter Vigil.
Marriage
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between persons. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church.
Six months of preparation with our priest is required for the Sacrament of Marriage. Contact the Parish Office to begin the process.
Holy Orders
When Jesus called his first disciples, he invited them simply to ‘come and see’. He didn’t tell them everything all at once. His plan for them was revealed over time. Jesus is also calling you to ‘come and see’ the plan he has for your life. The Archdiocese of Omaha and Vocations Director are devoted to accompanying you in this deeply personal journey of discernment.
Anointing of the Sick
In the Church’s Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God’s will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.
Contact Theresa McLaury at 402.637.8316 to request this Sacrament.
Contact our Priest to schedule and plan Funeral Rites.