Baptism
It is the pastoral practice of the Catholic Church to baptize the infant children of adult Catholics. Ideally, the preparation of the parents for the baptism of their children should take place prior to the birth of the child. While the Canon Law of the Church urges that it be done soon after birth, no explicit time is specified.
Preparation: Parents of the child should contact the office to enroll in the Baptism Preparation class offered the second Sunday of each month. The class covers the meaning of Baptism in the Catholic tradition, reviews the liturgical ceremony, etc. Upon completion of the class, parents contact the office to complete necessary documents and to schedule the date/time.
Godparents: The Church requires at least one godparent to be a baptized, confirmed, practicing Catholic. If the godparent is a non-parishioner, he/she must acquire a ‘letter/certificate of endorsement’ from the pastor of their home parish stating he gives permission for them to stand as a godparent. A non-Catholic, Christian witness can stand as well but cannot be listed as a godparent in the official church records.
First Penance and First Eucharist
For children baptized in the Catholic Church as infants, First Eucharist is the second of the Sacraments of initiation they receive. Because the Catholic Church insists that children who have reached the age of reason (around age 7) have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance, the preparation for First Penance is done during the same year(s) as the preparation for First Communion. It is presumed that the parents of these children have been teaching them about their Faith as part of the way they fulfilled their promises made when the child was baptized. Preparation for these two lifetime sacraments is usually done in the second grade to supplement what the students are learning from their parents.
Confirmation
At the heart of Confirmation is the sealing of Baptism and a continuation in the liturgical celebration of the Initiation of a person into the Catholic Christian faith. This sometimes is known as the sacrament of Christian maturity. A person is not considered a mature Christian until they have celebrated Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation—the three Sacraments of initiation.
Sacrament of the Sick (Anointing)
There is no specific preparation required for the reception of this sacrament; however, members of the parish should familiarize themselves with the theology and pastoral practice of the Catholic Church. The healing prayer of the Church continues the healing ministry of Jesus in history, and the Catholic Church has identified a wide range of persons who would be proper recipients of this sacrament. Emergency situations involving life-threatening conditions are certainly the clearest cases for the need to administer anointing. In less urgent cases, the Sacrament is still appropriate (i.e. anyone facing serious surgery). Other conditions that make reception of this sacrament appropriate include chronic illness, weakness from advanced age, and mental illness. If you are in doubt, contact our pastor to discuss your situation.
Matrimony
The marriage preparation policy of the Diocese of Nashville requires a period of not less than four months of formal preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony. Couples should contact the office to make an appointment with the pastor to begin the preparation process. Please note that no wedding date can be scheduled until the freedom to marry has been determined at that first meeting with the pastor. Ordinarily, the preparation program consists of attendance at the Diocesan Engaged Couples Weekend in addition to a number of individual meetings with the pastor to complete all aspects of the preparation process.
Holy Orders
In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest being ordained vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other means to holiness.
Funerals
Although no one enjoys dwelling on death, most of us will mourn and bury loved ones in our lifetime. Friends may counsel us to skip the church funeral and just “get it over with” but our faith provides the strength we need to deal with death. The Church has created Rites to help us face the difficulties and reality of death. Every baptized Catholic has a right to a Catholic funeral whether they are frequent or infrequent Mass attendees. The Rites of a Catholic Funeral include Prayers after Death, Prayers in the Presence of the Body, the Scripture Prayer Service at the Wake, the funeral at Church (with or without Mass), and the Internment Prayer Service at the cemetery. Together these services not only make up the total Catholic Funeral Service, but also provide the Church’s special prayers for the deceased. The Rites also support families and friends who are grieving for their loved one. It is important that funeral services be closely coordinated between the funeral home of your choice and the parish office. Contact the office upon the death of your loved one or with specific questions. Members of St. Catherine are encouraged to consider burial at the ‘Garden of Resurrection’ at Maury Memorial Garden on Bear Creek Pike, Columbia. It is the only Catholic cemetery in Middle TN outside metropolitan Nashville. It was dedicated and consecrated on November 17, 2012.
Cremation is accepted by the Catholic Church. It’s urged that you have the customary burial service conducted in church so that the body can be blessed before cremation and inurned later.