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STAFF AT ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH |
SAINT MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
Altus, Arkansas
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Saint Mary's Catholic Church, 5118 St. Mary's Lane, Altus, AR 72821; (479) 468-2585 (office) |
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Mass: Sun: 9 AM Mon: No Mass Tues: 7:30 AM Wed 6:00 PM Thur.- Fri: 7:30 AM Sat: 5:00 PM Confession: Sat: 4:30 PM Sun: 8:30 AM Adoration: Sun: 8:30 AM Sat: 4:30 PM Address: 5118 St. Mary's Ln Altus, AR 72821 Map & Directions Phone: (479) 468-2585 Priest: Fr. Pius Iwu Deacon: Brian Lachowsky Church Secretary: Vicki Ross |
SACRAMENTS |
| St. Andrew |
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| The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven sacraments are administered in ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. This is what is meant when sacraments are called simultaneously signs and instruments of God's grace. Baptism marks the entrance into the Church. Through Baptism, a person is freed from original sin: the old self dies, and the person is reborn in Christ. The Gospel itself makes mention of Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and the apostle St. Paul developed the theology of Baptism. In order to receive all the other sacraments, one must first be baptized. The Catholic Church recognizes one baptism for the forgiveness of sins for all ages. Those wishing Catholic baptism at St. Mary’s for their child should contact the parish office [(479) 468-2585] or Deacon Brian Lachowsky [(479) 209-4726]. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the journey adults make together in deepening their relationship with Jesus Christ and His living Body, the Church. It is a period of spiritual formation, prayer and education. This period prepares the adult for the Sacrament of Baptism. For more information on RCIA, click here. Although organized classes are not necessarily a part of an RCIA program, St. Mary’s holds weekly classes beginning each September. Contact Deacon Brian Lachowsky [(479) 209-4726] for more information. The Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us the opportunity to express our sorrow for things we have done wrong, to heal broken relationships, to forgive ourselves and others, and to open up the channels of communication between ourselves and God. Reconciliation is above all a place of healing, not a place of judgment or punishment. When we make our confession to a priest in the confidentiality of the confessional or reconciliation room, we ask for healing and liberation, discovering again and again how much we are loved by God, how precious we are to Him, and how great is the dignity He bestows upon us as His children. The priest then absolves us of our sins in the name of Holy Trinity. The confidentiality of confession is absolute. Nothing said by the penitent in confession will ever be repeated. This is an experience of mercy and reconciliation, where we can free ourselves the burdens of guilt and shame that we carry with us. No matter what we think of ourselves or of God, we can still be certain that God forgives us, loves us and wants only to heal us. Confessions are held at St. Mary’s at 4:30 PM on Saturday and at 8:30 AM on Sunday or by appointment with the pastor. Contact the parish office [(479) 468- 2585] for more information. As Jesus celebrated the Passover at his last supper with the apostles, He blessed, broke and shared with them bread, saying “Take and eat: this is my body,” then taking the cup, “drink from it, all of you for this is my blood of the covenant.” (Mathew 26: 27-28) His body and blood. He promised that He would truly be with them when they did likewise and shared bread and wine together in memory of Him. The Eucharist is the sacrament in which we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The Church teaches that Christ is really present in the bread and wine that have been consecrated by the priest at Mass. Although the bread and wine still look and taste like bread and wine, the substance, what is actually there, has been fundamentally transformed. The Mass is the new Passover, with the celebration of the Eucharist being its central purpose. In it, Jesus again offers His own body and blood so that we, His present-day followers, might go free. For this reason, as well as being a sacred meal, the Eucharist is also a link with Jesus' death. When we participate in the Mass together with our fellow believers and receive Him in the Eucharist we take part in the Passover meal which He celebrates now, shedding His blood so that we may be saved. Baptism and Catholic instruction are necessary precursors to the reception of the Eucharist. See the home page for mass times. Contact the parish office [(479) 468-2585] for more information. The Sacrament of Confirmation takes root in the experience of the first disciples of Jesus, on the Pentecost following Jesus’ death and resurrection. Through Confirmation, Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, like the disciples did on Pentecost. This gift fulfills Jesus’ promise to all Christians that God will send them a “Consoler” to be with them and give them the strength and the skills to live and preach the Gospel. Confirmation usually is celebrated by Catholics in their teenage years. It is bestowed by a bishop or someone explicitly appointed by the bishop. Confirmation at St. Mary’s is a two-year process. It begins with weekly classes throughout the school year and culminates with its administration by the bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock. Contact Director of Religious Education Lexie Highfill at [(479) 264-4522] for more information. All love comes from God, and all love reflects His love for all creation. The Sacrament of Marriage is, first and foremost, a sign and symbol of His love. Marriage is a sacrament of the self-giving love which two people offer to one another. The love which a man and a woman have for each other mirrors the love God has for men and women. The minister of the Sacrament of Marriage is the couple themselves. The priest serves as a witness. The joy and mutual support of married love can be a source of strength which enables married people to serve others in a very powerful way. It should spill out to their children and to those around them and become a source of life, hope and comfort for others. This is reflected in the blessing which the priest often gives the newly-married couples, saying: "May you always bear witness to the love of God in this world, so that the afflicted and the needy will find in you generous friends and welcome you into the joys of Heaven." Marriage at St Mary’s Although St. Mary’s Catholic church in Altus, is always proud to host weddings, it is NOT a wedding chapel. Only Catholic weddings of parish members or those with direct connections to parishioners are permitted. No marriages are allowed on the grounds. The Catholic Church takes the Sacrament of Matrimony very seriously and requires a period of instruction for all those contemplating the union of their lives. The following link provides information for those potentially taking this step. http://dolr.org/offices/familylife/index.php Wedding coordinator: Martha Lachowsky, (479) 209-1783. Marriage advocate for annulments: Deacon Brian Lachowsky See the following link for annulment information: http://dolr.org/offices/marriagetribunal.php Contact the Parish Office for more information at least 6 months in advance to make arrangements. "Are any among you sick? Let them call for the elders of the Church to pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick ones, and the Lord will raise them up; and if they have committed any sins, they will be forgiven." (James 5:14-15) Jesus healed the sick as a routine part of his ministry. He traveled through Galilee and Israel curing those who were ill or disabled, thereby showing that suffering and death have no place in the Kingdom of God. By later sacrificing Himself, He tovercame suffering and death and eliminated their power to separate us from each other and especially from God. Our faith tells us that, indeed, God suffers with us. Through Jesus' suffering and death, God joins His suffering to our pain and sickness. In doing so, He transforms and gives it a new and greater meaning. Through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick we are assured that God will raise us up, like Jesus, from our bed of pain and sickness and lead us to eternal life. Please contact the parish office or Amy Sexton [(479) 667-7218] if you feel you or some other parish member should receive the sacrament of the sick. The Sacrament of Holy Orders refers to a unique office of pastoral leadership in the Church. The mission of the ordained priest is to be a sign, to 'make present' the leadership which Christ gives to the Church. Through the Holy Spirit, the priest is ordained as one consecrated to God as a sharer in Christ's mission to serve, teach and govern the people of God. His is more than a managerial role; this kind of leadership involves a 'holy ordering' of the many gifts of the Spirit in the Church community, and to be a unifying focal point for all the gifts. Further, in the midst of the church community he is a permanent and irrevocable sign of the saving presence of Jesus Christ. Like Christ, the priest is a servant-leader. He represents Christ and the Church. Catholic men can also serve Christ and the Church as Deacons. Throughout the history of the Catholic Church women have served Jesus. They can certainly do so as lay people, but they can also become “Brides of Christ” by joining a religious order. By totally committing themselves to God, they can become closer to him on earth and straighten the path to heaven. Serving others in this world is ancillary to his higher purpose. Links: Diocese of Little Rock: http://www.dolr.org/offices/vocations/index.php Subiaco Abbey: http://countrymonks.org/ Saint Scholastica Monastery in Forth Smith: http://www.stscho.org/ Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro: http://www.olivben.org/ |