Notre Dame Parish: Sacraments & Worship

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"They devoted themselves to the apostles' instruction and the communal life, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." --Acts 3:42

Sacraments & Worship

The sacraments are the heart and soul of Catholic practice. They prepare the believer to render worship to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Sacraments of Initiation are the source of nourishment for daily Christian life. Baptism, received as an infant or as a youth/adult participant in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), enrolls the person in the Christian community. Click here to find information and parish policies on Infant Baptism or The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

In the sacrament of Confirmation, the candidate welcomes the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of the bishop. Click here to know more about the parish program and policies on Confirmation.

The liturgical celebration of the Eucharist (also called mass) is the center of the whole Christian life. Click here for access to resources on Sunday and daily liturgy, mass intentions, the saints, and explanations of universal and local practices. You will also find information, handbooks, and policies on liturgical ministries—Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers, Hospitality Ministers, and Ushers—as well as sections on Music Ministry, Liturgical Planning, and Art & Environment offer instruction and information on these vital aspects of good worship.

The Sacraments of Service & Unity nurture the growth, sanctification, and upbuilding of the Christian community.

The sacraments and community worship are enriched by the quality of personal conversion and individual prayer.

Sacraments of Initiation
Sacraments of Service & Unity
Sacraments of Healing
Christian Death

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Public & Private Prayer
Music Ministry
Liturgical Planning
Art & Environment

		Sacraments The sacraments are central to Catholic faith. Jesus Christ is the supreme sacrament. As Saint Paul wrote, “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creatures” (Colossians 1:15). Saint John the Evangelist expresses this in another way: “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, ever at the Father’s side, who has revealed him” (John 1:18). Jesus, in his earthly ministry, made God known through signs. With a word and a touch, Jesus once snatched a little girl from death (Mark 5:22-23,35-43). With a mud salve, he gave sight to a blind man (John 9:1-7). With the encouraging words, “Your sins are forgiven,” he released a repentant woman from untold distress (Luke 7:48). Multiplying loaves, breaking bread, or passing a cup of wine, Jesus nourished multitudes with his very self, flesh and blood. With a deep breath, he bestowed the Holy Spirit on the first small community of believers (John 19:30; 20:22-23). The glorified Christ sent his Spirit upon the Church to prolong these signs in every generation, time, and place, making them available to all. In these signs, which we call sacraments, we have a true encounter with God, through Jesus Christ, personally and in the community of the Church. The wonder of the sacraments is that what they signify, they also give: rebirth, mercy, healing, communion with God and others, grace, love, spiritual power, mission, and eternal life. Worship Thousands of years ago, the psalmist (perhaps King David) asked himself, “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?” (Psalm 116:12). Humanity has repeated this question throughout history. It has made clumsy efforts to solicit, appease, and thank its gods through human sacrifice, cereal offerings, bloody sacrifices of animals, lengthy incantations and prayers, severe fasting, punishment of the body, rigorous following of rules, and more. Inspired by God, the psalmist realized that God is “not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a holocaust, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn” (Psalm 51:18-19). Through the prophets, God’s will became more explicit: “This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of a yoke; setting free the oppressed…sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless…” (Isaiah 58:6-7). Centuries later, Jesus told a woman of Samaria that “authentic worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth” (John 4:23). He instructed his followers to forget their ritual sacrifices and offerings until they had made peace with their estranged neighbor (Matthew 5:23-24). The first Christian communities understood themselves as a holy priesthood, “living stones, built as an edifice of spirit…offering spiritual sacrifices to God, through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The Catholic term for worship is liturgy. It comes from the Greek word, leitourgia, which meant “a public work.” It indicates that Catholic worship is an activity of the whole people of God, united with Jesus Christ, to give praise and glory to God. A human being cannot begin to give an adequate return to God. Christians, with contrite hearts and spirit, can render true and sincere worship only through their union with the self-giving of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is realized supremely in the celebration of the Eucharist. Back to Top
		Sacraments of Initiation Infant Baptism Birth is a miracle and a graced, joyful time for every family. For the Christian parent, baptism should magnify this joy as the child is welcomed into the community of faith to share in the dignity and mission of Jesus Christ. The baptismal rite highlights the responsibility of parents and the community in nurturing the child in the faith. Infant baptisms are performed by the pastor or deacon on the third Sunday of the month. Baptism is not administered during Lent. Since baptism is entrance into a community of faith and support, several children are generally baptized at the same ceremony. Baptismal Requirements & Policies of Notre Dame Church The Ceremony of Baptism Baptismal Registration Form To obtain a copy of a baptismal certificate, email Kitty Cate @kcate@notredameparish.net RCIA The program known as RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is open to unbaptized persons who are interested in the Catholic faith, to uncatechized Catholics, and to baptized Christians who would like to enter the communion of the Catholic Church. The program runs weekly from late September until Pentecost Sunday in April or May. Notre Dame RCIA pamphlet About healing invalid marriages 2006-07 RCIA Syllabus RCIA Registration Application Confirmation The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated annually for candidates from Notre Dame Catholic School and the other parochial schools and religious education programs of Michigan City and environs. As a general rule, adults who have not received the sacrament are encouraged to participate in the RCIA program. Eucharist The Eucharistic celebration is the essential and primary nourishment of the Christian people. To live the liturgy is to understand that symbols, gestures, sounds, objects, colors, words and ministries are of the highest significance. This section is devoted to promoting the quality of Notre Dame Church’s liturgy and to cultivating better understanding of the worshipers’ role in it. The first Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper—the Eucharist—on Sunday. It was the day of Christ’s resurrection. Consequently, the Church put great weight on the Christian’s weekly participation in the Sunday mass. Thematically, every Sunday mass is essentially a “little Easter.” Read the recent teaching of the Church on the observance of Sunday worship from The Catechism and Pope John Paul II’s reflection on The Day of the Lord. If you would like a schematic illustration of the Eucharistic liturgy and its structure, click on a Blueprint of the Mass. For a detailed description of our local practices, click The Order of Mass at Notre Dame Church. If you would like to learn more about lay liturgical ministries, their role and responsibilities, or what is required to take up one of these ministries, click the specific ministry: Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Greeters and Ushers, Altar Servers. If you would like to prepare, meditate upon, or study the daily scripture readings, click Daily Mass Readings (or Daily Mass Readings Podcast for an audio recording). You may also be inspired by the lives of the saints by clicking The Saint of the Day. To read recent Sunday homilies, click Sunday Homily. Back to Top
		Sacraments of Service & Unity Marriage To be married in the Catholic Church presupposes the understanding that marriage is a sacrament governed by the law of Christ and his Church. It is a solemn commitment. In order to qualify for the sacrament of marriage, the priest/deacon must be assured there are no impediments. Particularly significant and complicating is a prior bond. If either party has been married before, no plans should be made until they have spoken with the pastor. Initial contact with the pastor should be made no less than six months before the planned wedding. After determining whether the couple is eligible to have their wedding at Notre Dame, marriage and wedding preparation policies are explained. The couple is asked to complete a communication tool called the pre-marital inventory, to attend an approved marriage preparation program, to provide required documents, and to meet occasionally with the pastor/deacon. Eventually the wedding liturgy , music, choice of scripture readings, and other details are determined. Holy Orders to come Back to Top
		Sacraments of Healing Reconciliation to come Anointing of the Sick to come Back to Top
		Christian Death to come Back to Top
		Public & Personal Prayer to come Back to Top
		Music Ministry to come Back to Top
		Liturgical Planning to come Back to Top
		Art & Environment to come Back to Top

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