BAPTISM

The Sacrament of Baptism welcomes us into God’s life, washes away sin, and brings us into the communion of the Church. It forms the foundation of every other sacrament. During the rite, the celebrant prays over the water:

“Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism. By the power of the Holy Spirit give to this water the grace of your Son, so that in the sacrament of baptism all those whom you have created in your likeness may be cleansed from sin and rise to a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit.”

FREED FROM SIN

Through baptism, we are released from the hold of both original and personal sin. Water is poured in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Most baptisms today are celebrated during infancy, though adults are commonly baptized at the Easter Vigil. The American National Catholic Church never re-baptizes those who have already received a valid baptism, honoring the profession of faith found in the Nicene Creed: “I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins…”

Baptism imparts a profound grace: the forgiveness of sins, rebirth as God’s adopted children, participation in Christ’s Body, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Through baptism, we belong to the Church and share in Christ’s priesthood.

BAPTISMAL SYMBOLS

• Water – Reminds us of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and represents cleansing, rebirth, and the start of a new life in Christ.

• Oil – Marks us as participants in Christ’s mission as “priest, prophet and king,” with a cross traced on the forehead as a sign of our dignity.

• Light – The baptismal candle, lit from the Paschal Candle, symbolizes receiving Christ’s light and being called to carry that light to the world.

• White garment – Represents Christ’s victory over death and our new identity in Him; at death, the white pall recalls the same baptismal hope.

Under normal circumstances, clergy administer the sacrament. However, in urgent need, anyone with the intention of doing what the Church does may baptize by pouring water over the head and saying:

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

EUCHARIST

The Eucharist is the heart of the Church’s worship. As the source and summit of the Christian life, the Eucharist embodies the fullness of Christ's presence and is central to the faith and practice of Catholics. At Mass, the community is nourished first by the Word of God and then by the Body and Blood of Christ. The Church professes that the Risen Jesus is truly and substantially present—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—in the Eucharist. Through the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the priest acting 'in persona Christi,' the bread and wine literally become Christ Himself. This change is known as transubstantiation.

The Church affirms that after the consecration, Christ is present in a real and substantial manner under the appearances of bread and wine: His Body, His Blood, His soul, and His divinity!

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever;…Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and…remains in me and I in him.” (John 6:51, 54, 56)

The Eucharist, instituted at the Last Supper, fulfills God’s covenant promises. Jesus identifies the cup as “the blood of the covenant” and “the new covenant in my blood,” echoing the covenant ritual at Sinai. Whereas the blood of animals once bound God and Israel, Christ’s Self-offering binds God and the baptized in an everlasting relationship.

The American National Catholic Church practices open communion, welcoming all who seek Christ. The Eucharist is God’s gift of grace, freely offered—never a reward for perfection. It is true medicine for our souls. The grace-filled fruits resulting from reception of Christ in the Eucharist include transformation from within and strengthening of the unity of the community. In his sermon 272, St. Augustine urges us to recognize our true selves through communion with the Body of Christ writing, "be what you see, receive Who you are."

UNDERSTANDING THE MASS

The Mass makes present the Paschal Mystery—Christ’s saving death and resurrection. The liturgy includes:

• Liturgy of the Word – Scripture is proclaimed, broken open in the homily, and affirmed in the Creed and intercessions.

• Liturgy of the Eucharist – Bread and wine are offered, consecrated, and shared. We receive Christ and recommit ourselves to His mission.

Having encountered Christ, the assembly is sent forth to share the Gospel.

CONFIRMATION

Confirmation deepens and strengthens the grace first received at Baptism. Through the laying on of hands and anointing with sacred chrism, the Holy Spirit is poured out in a new way, empowering us to live as mature witnesses to Christ.

The Church teaches that Confirmation completes baptismal grace, roots us more firmly as God’s children, binds us more closely to Christ and the Church, strengthens our mission, and equips us to bear witness through word and deed.

In the Second Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium we read:

“Bound more intimately to the Church by the sacrament of confirmation, [the baptized] are endowed by the Holy Spirit with special strength; hence they are more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith both by word and by deed as true witnesses of Christ.”

Scriptural Foundations

At Pentecost (Acts 2), the Apostles received the Holy Spirit and then conferred this same gift upon believers in Samaria (Acts 8:5-17), Ephesus (Acts 19:5-6), and Caesarea (Acts 10:47). These passages highlight Confirmation as a distinct sacrament that strengthens and commissions the faithful for mission.

PENANCE

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, or confession, restores our relationship with God and one another. Its essential movements include:

1. Contrition—sorrow for sin and desire for conversion
2. Confession—honest acknowledgment of sins before a priest
3. Absolution—receiving God’s forgiveness through the ministry of the Church
4. Penance—renewing one’s commitment to Christian life

Sin harms our relationship with God, distorts our dignity, and damages the community. A mature examination involves reflecting on our actions, omissions, attitudes, and participation in structures of sin.

Only ordained priests, acting with the authority given by Christ, may absolve sins. Reconciliation brings spiritual healing, including:

• Restored grace and friendship with God

• Reconciliation with the Church

• Remission of eternal punishment

• Partial remission of temporal punishment

• Peace of conscience

• Strength to resist future sin

The American National Catholic Church offers General Absolution during each Mass while affirming individual confession as the ordinary means of reconciliation.

Regular Confession times are on Sunday from 11:15 AM to 11:45 AM - or contact Fr. Séamus directly at 617-798-0734 to schedule an alternative time.  The sacrament of penance can only take place in person.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick offers God’s grace, strength, and comfort to those facing illness. It is no longer reserved only for the dying but is available to anyone experiencing serious physical, emotional, or spiritual distress.

Pope Paul VI encouraged broader access to this sacrament so that more of the faithful could receive its healing grace.

The Church teaches that the sick should be supported not only by clergy but by the entire community, praying with them and surrounding them with care. Whenever possible, the sacrament is celebrated in a communal setting, especially within the Eucharist.

SPIRITUAL HEALING

The healing offered in this sacrament is primarily spiritual—though physical healing is always possible through God’s power. The prayer of blessing asks God to:

“send the power of your Holy Spirit, the Consoler, into this precious oil. Make this oil a remedy for all who are anointed with it; heal them in body, in soul and in spirit, and deliver them from every affliction.”

The essential rite involves anointing the forehead and hands (or another part of the body) accompanied by prayers for God’s grace.

To request this sacrament, please call the parish office at 617-798-0734 or email Fr. Séamus at [email protected].

MARRIAGE

Marriage is a sacrament that reveals God’s faithful and Self-giving love. When a couple marries in the Church, they receive the grace needed to live a lifelong partnership rooted in unity and mutual sacrifice.

MARRIAGE IS A COVENANT

This sacrament mirrors the covenants God made with Abraham and Moses. The Church teaches that Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. Through the sacrament, spouses are strengthened in their unity and sanctified on their journey toward eternal life.

Married love means giving oneself completely to one’s spouse, just as Christ gives Himself to the Church. Consent—freely and mutually given—forms the heart of the marriage bond.

MARRIAGE REFLECTS THE HOLY TRINITY

God exists as perfect communion—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Likewise, human beings are created for relationship and mutual self-giving. Christian marriage becomes an icon of God’s own life, a living expression of divine love shared between two people.

To contact us about your upcoming wedding, please complete a Wedding Inquiry Form by Clicking HERE.

HOLY ORDERS

Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the ministry entrusted by Christ to the Apostles continues in the Church. It includes three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. These ministries are essential for the Church’s structure and sacramental life.

Ordination is conferred through the laying on of hands by a bishop and the prayer of consecration, invoking the Holy Spirit and granting the spiritual authority needed for ministry. The sacrament imparts an indelible character—once ordained, one remains a priest forever, in keeping with Hebrews 7:17:

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

The American National Catholic Church welcomes priests from other jurisdictions to explore active ministry with us after completing a thorough application process, including interviews, criminal background checks, and psychological testing.

WHO RECEIVES HOLY ORDERS?

The ANCC ordains both men and women who are baptized, properly prepared, and called by Church authority. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, we do not require celibacy for ordination, following early Christian, Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.

The Second Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium teaches that the ordained priesthood and the priesthood of the faithful are distinct but deeply connected. The ordained minister makes present the Eucharistic sacrifice, while the faithful unite themselves to that offering through prayer, sacramental life, holiness, and acts of charity.

"Though they differ from one another in essence and not only in degree, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are nonetheless interrelated: each of them in its own special way is a participation in the one priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priest, by the sacred power..., teaches and rules the priestly people; acting in the person of Christ, [he/she] makes present the eucharistic sacrifice, and offers it to God in the name of all the people. But the faithful, in virtue of their royal priesthood, join in the offering of the Eucharist. They likewise exercise that priesthood in receiving the sacraments, in prayer and thanksgiving, in the witness of a holy life, and by self-denial and active charity." (Lumen Gentium 10)