The Sacraments.
There are 7 sacraments which can be grouped into three main areas. The Sacraments of Initiation, or of belonging to the Church which are Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist(Holy Communion); there are Sacraments of Vocation which are Marriage and Holy Orders(Ordination to the Priesthood) and finally then the Sacraments of Healing; Reconciliation(Confession) and Annointing of the Sick.
Baptism is the first sacrament as without it none of the others are ordinarily possible. But baptism is not simply about being admitted to the church as to a club or society, it also entails taking on responsibility for the mission of the church. In baptism we receive gifts from God that enable us to share the mission that Christ entrusted to the Church, namely proclaiming and realising the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Seeking baptism from the church is not something to be done lightly, a question that you might ask yourself before seeking baptism for yourself or for your child might be “Why do I want to be baptised ?” or “Why do I want to have my child baptised?” Are you willing to take responsibility for spreading the gospel? When we understand baptism in this sense it can be understood as a Sacrament of Mission and not just of initiation.
Follow the links on the left hand side to gain additional information about the celebration of the sacraments in St. Agatha’s.