The sacraments of Christian initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist—lay the foundations of every Christian life. “The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity.” (CCC 1212)
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission. (CCC 1213)
Registration for Baptism Class will take place between October 6th - 21st. You must make an appointment with Ms. Hilda to register.
Virtual Baptism Class will take place on
October 24th 9:00 - 11:00 AM
through Zoom.
Baptisms will be celebrated on
October 24th at 1:00 PM
In attendance we only allow 4 extra guests aside from parents, godparents and child.
For “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more 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.” (CCC 1285)
In the Diocese of Brownsville the minimum age for a candidate to receive the sacrament is either be 16 years of age or be in the 10th grade.
He/she must be enrolled in our Catholic Faith Formation program for a minimum of 2 years. Attendance is very important. Please contact the Faith Formation & Youth Ministry Office at 956-682-3663 for more information.
If you an adult and wish to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, please register at the Faith Formation & Youth Ministry Office. At the beginning of the sessions, Dcn. Rudy will interview you and let you know how long your process will be. The minimum for an adult is one year.
Confirmation Candidates are to sign a commitment pledge at the beginning of their sessions. Parents of the candidates must witness their commitment and sign as well.
Commitment Pledge is to be signed by end of October 2020.
Confirmation candidates to practice these prayers throughout the year.
Confirmation candidates will select a saint. This saint will be their confirmation name. Please choose a saint that you feel some kind of connection to. St. Francis of Assisi, St. Jude, St. Michael and Mary are not options unless you can give Ms. Cyndy a convincing argument. Please download document and follow instructions.
Assignment is due: November 30, 2020.
Confirmation candidates are to write a letter to Fr. Martin describing why they desire to receive the sacrament of Confirmation and emailed to Ms. Cyndy. She will forward letters to Fr. Martin De la Cruz. Letters are due: October 31, 2020.
Putting the Pieces Together is a one day retreat. Candidates will spend the day in prayer, reflecting on their Confirmation journey. Have candidates download the retreat and print before the retreat. Ms. Cyndy will be available for questions about the retreat scheduled on Dec. 12, but candidates may participate in the retreat anytime in December and turn in their packet by December 31, 2020.
This prayer is intended for the sponsor, so he or she can pray for their candidate throughout the year.
Confirmation Sponsors must fill out the affidavit to confirm they meet the requirements to be a sponsor. Affidavits are due: Jan. 31, 2021.
Sometimes emergencies happen and the sponsors are not able to show up. If this happens, we are apple to have a proxy (substitute) stand in for the sponsor.
The sponsor is walking along side the candidate on his/her journey towards the sacrament of Confirmation. On this first activity the candidate will be interviewing his/her sponsor.
Activity #1 is due: December 31, 2020.
The sponsor is walking along side the candidate on his/her journey towards the sacrament of Confirmation. On the second activity the candidate and sponsor will be reflecting on prayer and praying together.
Activity #2 is due: February 28, 2021.
The sponsor is walking along side the candidate on his/her journey towards the sacrament of Confirmation. On the third activity the candidate and sponsor will be reflecting on catholic social justice and will participate in a service project together.
Activity #3 is due: March 31, 2021.
The sponsor is walking along side the candidate on his/her journey towards the sacrament of Confirmation. On the fourth activity the candidate and sponsor will have fun and watch a movie together from the list. Later to try and see if they see any Christian themes within the movie.
Activity #3 is due: April 30, 2021.
The holy Eucharist completes 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)
In the Diocese of Brownsville the minimum grade for a candidate to receive the sacrament is 3rd grade.
He/she must be enrolled in our Catholic Faith Formation program for a minimum of 3 years. Attendance is very important. Please contact the Faith Formation & Youth Ministry Office at 956-682-3663 for more information.
If you an adult and wish to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, please register at the Faith Formation & Youth Ministry Office. At the beginning of the sessions, Dcn. Rudy will interview you and let you know how long your process will be. The minimum for an adult is one year.
The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. (CCC 1421)
“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)
“By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ.” (CCC 1499)
Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God. (CCC 1534)
“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)
The couple must first make an appointment with Fr. Martin De la Cruz, six to 12 months before desired wedding date.
Couple will then meet with Dcn. Rudy Sepulveda Jr. to begin their marriage preparation process.
Couples will need to attend a FOCUS retreat.
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. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate. (CCC 1536)
Learn more about vocations
A man who thinks God might be calling him to be a priest should go to the seminary. Often however, major misconceptions prevent a man from applying at all.
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