The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus.  Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist.  The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin.  However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father.  By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin—original and actual—and begin to live a new life with God.

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ’s call to holiness.  We are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom.  We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with even deeper love.

If you are an adult who is interested in being baptized, please take a look at our Order for Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) program.

For Children needing Baptism:  Baptismal preparation classes are held on the third Friday of each month at 5:00 pm in English and 6:00 pm in Spanish in the Choir Room. Parents wishing to have their child or children baptized should speak with Fr. Vidal and complete the preparation program stipulated by the Diocese.  Parents should be registered in the Parish.  Parents who present their children for Baptism are to provide assurances that the children will be raised in the Catholic faith.  Godparents/Sponsors must have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist and be at least 16 years of age.  They must be practicing Catholics.

The holy Eucharist completes the Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. CCC 1322

“The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God’s Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission.  Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John.  Jesus’ entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit.  Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church.  After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.

Confirmation deepens the 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.”  USCCB

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the Sacraments of Christian Initiation, whose unity must be safeguarded.  For by the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.  Hence they are, as true witnesses, of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.

Confirmation is a two-year catechetical program overseen by our Christian Formation Program. It begins in 7^th grade and runs through the entire 8^th grade.

Adults eighteen or older should go through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). 

“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

Confessions are heard on Saturdays between 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm or by request.

“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 a physical ailment.  His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God.  The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising. The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament.  A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient. When the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it is 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 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.”  USCCB

The reception of this sacrament is available to any Catholic who finds themselves in a grave physical, spiritual, or mental state of illness.  Arrangements should be made through the parish office for those who are homebound.  If after hours, or on weekends, the person is in imminent danger of death, please leave a message.  The phone is checked periodically throughout the day.  If you are having surgery you may ask a priest to anoint you before the surgery.  Call the office to schedule an appointment.

Please note:  It is best not to wait until the very last moment to call for a priest.  There are situations when no priest is available and might be several hours away from responding.

“From the moment of Jesus’ conception in the womb of Mary until his Resurrection, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In biblical language, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and thus established by God the Father as our high priest.  As Risen Lord, he remains our high priest….. While all the baptized share in Christ’s priesthood, the ministerial priesthood shares this through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in a special way. Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God.  Christ reminded his Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest.  Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God’s call using the words of the prophet, ‘Here I am, send me’ (Is 6:8).  This call from God can be recognized and understood from the daily signs that disclose his will to those in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate.” USCCB Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time:  thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry.  This Sacrament has three degrees within it:  Diaconate (Permanent and Transitional), Priests, and Bishops.  Those who feel called the Order of Deacon may contact the Pastor to discern the Call to this vital ministry in the Church.  The Permanent Diaconate is open to married or single men over the age of 35 who have gone through the Salt Lake City Diocese Diaconate Classes.

“The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.” CCC 1601

Your wedding liturgy is a very special event. Guidelines are carefully planned to help make your wedding a moment that will bring you memories for a lifetime. According to the policy of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, couples are requested to contact the parish office at least one year before the intended wedding date and must be registered members of the parish for a minimum of six (6) months. Contact the parish office at 801-544-4269 for more information.