BAPTISM
Parents must be registered and doing what is within their means to support the parish and be faithful in sharing the Sunday Eucharist. Baptismal instruction is required for new parents. Godparents must be Confirmed and be practicing Catholics and if married, that their marriage is validly recognized by the Catholic Church. If you are ready to have your child baptized please contact us today!
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Parents are the primary teachers of the faith, therefore, are responsible for preparing their children for the Sacraments. The Church understands that this task can be difficult, so it provides a purpose driven curriculum to assist families in their children's faith formation. Those attending Jordan Catholic School receive preparation during their normal religion class. Those attending home, private, or public schools receive preparation through the Children's Religious Education Program (CCD) hosted with St Pius X Parish in Rock Island at their parish.
Requirements for Reception of First Communion:
Children are in second grade or have reached the age of seven
Children have been Baptized
Children have been enrolled in two consecutive years of religious instruction, whether at a Catholic parochial school, CCD, or an approved homeschool curriculum
If you are not already attending Catholic School or CCD please contact us today!
RECONCILIATION/CONFESSION
First Reconciliation is celebrated by second-graders in preparation for their First Holy Communion. Those attending Jordan Catholic School receive preparation during their normal religion class. Those attending home, private, or public schools receive preparation through the Children's Religious Education Program (CCD).
We will host future opportunities for our parish family to come together to pray, to ask for forgiveness, and to have the opportunity to also receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during penitential seasons. Confessions can also be arranged by appointment with Fr. Witold.
CONFIRMATION
Parents are the primary teachers of the faith and therefore are responsible for preparing their children for the Sacraments. The Church understands that this task can be very challenging and helps by providing of faith formation through the parish, especially for sacrament preparation. Those attending Jordan Catholic School receive preparation during their normal religion class. Those attending home, private, or public schools receive preparation through the Children's Religious Education Program (CCD) hosted with St Pius X Parish in Rock Island at their parish.
Requirements to Receive Confirmation:
Eighth Grade or older
Baptized Catholic (or Received into the Catholic Church) and have received First Communion
Enrolled in two consecutive years of religious instruction, whether at a Catholic parochial school, CCD, or an approved homeschool curriculum.
Completion of Confirmation Service Hours
Attendance at Confirmation Retreat in January
If you are not already attending Catholic School or CCD please contact us today!
SACRAMENT OF THE SICK
Whenever needed, please call the parish office at (309) 794-0660. Please advise us of persons in the hospital, nursing facilities, or homebound.
HOLY ORDERS/VOCATIONS
Ever thought about becoming a priest? Sacred Heart Parish enjoys a long history of producing some of the Diocese's finest priests. Msgr. James Reidy, Msgr. James Campbell, P.A., Msgr. Ambrose Cunningham, Msgr. Paul Showalter, V.G., and Fr. Johnjoseph Deporres Logan all hailed from Sacred Heart Parish.
If you think you may be called to the priesthood or would like to learn more, please contact Fr. Witold!
SPECIAL NEEDS SACRAMENTS
Sacred Heart believes in helping those with special needs achieve their sacraments through one-on-one teaching and engagement. Your family is our family! If you have a special needs child and would like to receive their sacraments, please contact Kristen Mandle here or at (309) 738-5909.
QUINCEANERA
Our parish welcomes hosting weddings and quincenearas for non-parishioners. Requested donations: $1000 for a wedding and $750 for a quinceanera. These donations help with covering the upkeep and maintenance for our beautiful church. Since our current pastor has limited Spanish ability, outside clergy are welcome for your celebrations if you wish for them to be in Spanish. Our pastor can offer limited ability read some prayers and blessings in Spanish, but would speak primarily in English
MARRIAGE
Congratulations on your engagement! There are many ways to get married. By choosing a Catholic wedding, you are saying: ‘We welcome God into our marriage and invite Him to be a constant source of help and grace.’ He is most ready to help you grow as a couple and as his disciples!
Here are some helpful tips as you get started:
Contact the parish office and express your desire to be married. Per Diocesan police, please notify the rectory at least 8 months prior to setting the date for your marriage. You will also be required to complete the Diocesan Marriage Preparation Program.
Introduce yourself to Fr. Witold if you do not already know him personally.
Open yourself to the invitation to actively join the faith community of your parish. If you are not registered parishioners, please register. Your parish is your faith family and wants to assist you in a relationship of mutual belonging.
You will meet about four to six times with the priest, beginning with the FOCCUS questionnaire which helps assess communication levels on various issues. You’ll need one session to fill out the FOCCUS, then another few sessions to discuss the results. These helpful meetings will help you see where communication has been strong and where it might improve. Remaining sessions will cover the basic biblical understanding of Christian marriage as a sacrament. Fr. Witold may help equip you by suggesting carefully chosen video/audio/ printed resources as you prepare for your marriage. He may wish to discuss them with you during meetings. Please take advantage of these excellent opportunities for personal growth.
In addition to your meetings with the Father, the Diocese requires two formation sessions provided through specialized local instructors. You can access all the information on dates and registration for these sessions at www.cdop.org/evangelization-and-faith-formation/family-life/
The couple is responsible for obtaining recent copies of Baptism & Confirmation certificates. You can easily obtain these by calling the church where these sacraments were celebrated and requesting copies.
The couple is also responsible for choosing two people (usually family members) to meet with the Father sometime before the wedding in order to fill out ‘witness affidavits.’ These are simple forms which verify that each spouse is free to marry. They take only a few minutes to fill out; however, they are important and are required by the Diocese.
Expectations
Weekly Sunday Mass, daily prayer, and a zealous striving to love God and neighbor are essential to becoming the type of person capable of sustaining a lifetime of committed married love. Pre-marital co-habitation is discouraged. At a minimum, couples are asked to practice pre-marital abstinence for a period of time before the wedding, as discussed with the priest. Couples are strongly encouraged to go to the sacrament of reconciliation prior to the wedding.
The Ceremony
Weddings are typically scheduled for Friday’s at 6 pm or Saturday’s at 1 pm, with a 45 minute rehearsal the evening before beginning at 5 pm. The music must be sacred music (pertaining to God) from the opening to the closing of the actual liturgy. Other non-sacred music may be used for prelude and postlude, as approved by the priest. The couple is responsible for hiring their own musician(s). The priest or parish office can often provide contact information for the local organist/music leader upon request.
Couples are encouraged to choose the readings from those given which may include an Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel reading. A Responsorial Psalm is also included, usually sung. Couples may choose readers.
Photography is allowed. However we ask that the photographer not enter the sanctuary during the liturgy, as this is considered sacred space and is to be respected as such.
Costs
There are numerous costs associated with weddings. These fees pertaining to the liturgy should be paid the night of the rehearsal, or before. *The full fee for the use of the church must be paid in advance to reserve your date on our parish calendar.
Organist (amount as agreed)
Soloist (amount as agreed)
Other Musicians (amount as agreed)
Priest ($150 or amount as agreed)
Church ($100 suggested donation for registered members. $1,000 fee for non-members. To be considered a member of the parish you must have been registered six months prior to your wedding date and be contributing financially to the parish, in addition to attending Mass. We require this in good faith that those seeking a Catholic wedding and claiming membership are truly invested in the parish.
Ready to plan your wedding at Sacred Heart? Please contact us today!
