The Seven Sacraments - Q & A
(CCC: Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Q: What is a Sacrament?
A. A sacrament is an efficacious sign (efficacious sign means, it is a sign that works) of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (CCC Glossary, Sacrament).
Q: How Many Sacraments are there?
A: There are seven sacraments (CCC 1210).
Q: Who instituted the Sacraments?
A. Jesus instituted all seven sacraments and the roots of all of the sacraments are found in Sacred Scripture (CCC 1210).
Q: What are the Sacraments of Initiation and how many are there?
A. The Sacraments of Initiation are the sacraments that fully lay the foundations of every Christian life. There are three sacraments of initiation and they are: Baptism (being born anew in Christ), Confirmation (strengthening for the Christian life), and the Eucharist (the food of eternal life) (cf. CCC 1212).
Sacraments of Initiation
- Baptism (For Infants and children under the age of 7; older children, or adults through our OCIA program.
- Confirmation (Offered for Adults in the Easter Season for Adult Catholics in four preparation sessions, and for 7th and 8th Grade or older students with Catechesis enrolled in our PREP program. Also offered and encouraged for any youth registered in the parish attending Catholic school.
- Eucharist
Sacraments of Healing
Sacraments of Service
Click individual Sacrament tabs for more information, or Contact the parish office to find out more about how to prepare to receive any of the seven sacraments by emailing sjbphila@stjohnmanayunk.org.
You may also find out more about becoming Catholic
here for Adults, and
here for youth.