In Baptism a person enters into the Christian life.  It is the gateway to life in the Holy Spirit and the door to the other sacraments of the Church.  Through the waters of Baptism, sin is washed away and the person being baptized is reborn as a child of God.  We become members of the Body of Christ and are called to share in the mission of Jesus: the sanctification of the world.

For the celebration of infant Baptism, we ask parents of the child to attend an information session about the Sacrament of Baptism.  Therefore it is necessary to contact the parish office and arrange a time for preparation and for the celebration of the Sacrament.
(Click the Baptism Application Form button below.  When the form opens click the download  button in the top right corner to download a copy of the fillable form to your computer.  Fill in the form and save a copy with information to attach to an email.)

Baptism Application Form

Jesus showed himself to his apostles. "He breathed on them and said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained"' (Jn 20:19, 22-23).

The forgiveness of sins, committed after Baptism, is offered to us by a loving and merciful God through a sacrament called by a number of names: the sacrament of conversion, confession, penance, or reconciliation.  Each name identifies a grace and gift that flows to those who in humility confess their wrong-doings before God.

When we sin we wound our relationship to God; we diminish our own human integrity as a child of God, and we undermine the spiritual well-being of the Church.  Therefore, it is necessary for us to seek the mercy and forgiveness of a God who loves us deeply and wants to restore us to his love and the love of the community of faith, the Church.

As part of the preparation for the sacrament of First Holy Communion, we begin preparing children who have reached the age of reason (about age 7) to receive an experience of God's generous love and mercy for them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, known at this point as First Confession.  We invite parents and children to attend a series of preparation sessions that will help them learn more about the meaning of sin and forgiveness.

Format for 1st Confession for Memorization

First Reconciliation Resources

Lump video by Nooma

Dynamic Catholic Reconciliation Videos

Dynamic Catholic Reconciliation Workbook

First Communion Schedule 2023

Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me, and I in him" (Jn 6:51, 54, 56).

Children who reach the age of reason (about age 7) are invited to receive Holy Communion for the first time.  In order to prepare the children, we ask parents and children to participate in a series of preparation sessions in order to help them grow in their personal understanding of the gift of Eucharist and the celebration of Mass.


 

First Communion Resources

Dynamic Catholic Communion Videos

Dynamic Catholic Communion Workbook

Confirmation brings the grace first received in Baptism to perfection.  The Holy Spirit roots us more deeply in the Divine Life as the sons and daughters of God.  It also makes us more like Jesus himself and strengthens our bond with the Church in order for the baptized to carry out the mission of Jesus here and now, bearing witness to the Christian faith by what we say and do.  We are strengthened to never be ashamed of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

In the Sacrament of Confirmation the Bishop, or his delegate, uses oil known as Sacred Chrism and traces the sign of the Cross on the forehead of the candidate as he says:   "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit."

Candidates for Confirmation must be baptized in the Catholic Church and have received Holy Communion around the age of seven years old.  Candidates are normally between 11 to 16 years of age.  There is a period of preparation to help parents and candidates understand the purpose of Confirmation.

Candidates older than 16 years of age, may take part in another form of preparation better suited to their age level.  This may involve some additional adult faith formation and catechesis.
 

Registration for Confirmation 2023

The Confirmation Program this year will consist of two parts:

• The Alpha Progam at the conclusion of the grade 8 year (currently underway)
• The Confirmation Classes at the start of the grade 9 year

Both parts are mandatory for students to be Confirmed. The Alpha program will run Wednesdays, from May 17^th to June 14^th, 6:30pm to 8:45pm at St. Peter Church Hall, in St. Joseph. There will also be a Saturday Retreat for students on June 3rd at the same location from mid morning to mid afternoon (times will be announced soon, please hold the date). The second part of the Confirmation Program will commence in September, and parents will be contacted when this process is ready to start by the email address they provided in the registration.  Completed forms are due by Friday, May 12^th. Any students that missed Confirmation last year or anyone, grade 8 and above, who have not yet been Confirmed are welcome to register and join.  Please click the button below to register for this year's Confirmation Program!

Confirmation Registration Form

The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant of life and love between a man and a woman.  This sacred institution has been established by our Creator God and therefore is governed with its own special laws.  Marriage is always ordered for the good of the couple and for the generation and education of children.

Matrimony is a sacrament and therefore it is a sign of Christ's union with his beloved spouse, the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church.  The grace flowing from marriage perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their permanent unity, and makes them holy as they journey hand in hand to eternal life.

Engaged couples who seek marriage in the Catholic Church are asked to contact their parish priest about a year in advance of the wedding.  In preparation for their marriage, the couple will meet with the parish priest to talk about their understanding of marriage and Christian family life.  It is important that the engaged couple participates in a Marriage Preparation Course in order to hear from other married couples and/or counsellors about the gifts and challenges of Christian marriage.  Couples are required to participate in an Alpha course.

For more information about marriage preparation, please click on this link then go to Marriage Preparation:

Dr. Bruce Tallman has been a great help to many couples preparing for marriage and to those who desire to grow in their spiritual relationship with each other.

Another very helpful site when a couple is preparing for marriage is

You will find some important information in our marriage policy manual to help guide you through marriage preparation at St. Peter's Parish.  Click on the image below to access our policies and procedures manual.

Are You Ready to Begin?

We need you to give us some information. 
Please print and fill in the following form:

Pre Nuptial Enquiry Form
Information for Marriage (pdf)

Contact Reverend Vince Gulikers - Tel:1-877-450-6414 Ext 223

"Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."
(James 5:14-15).

The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick bestows a special grace on the Christian experiencing difficulties that are part and parcel of the lived experience, namely serious illness or old age. The special grace bestowed on the sick unites them to the passion of Christ; it strengthens them with peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age; it brings with it the forgiveness of sins if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of Penance; it brings a restoration of health if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul, and it prepares one for passing over to eternal life.

Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church is encouraging more and more Christians to seek the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick before grave sickness, and death is imminent. 
 

Father Thomas Richstatter, OFM writes the following

"Today we are all aware that tensions, fear and anxiety about the future affect not only our mind but our body as well. These illnesses can be serious. They can move us to ask for the healing touch of Christ in the Sacrament of Anointing. Persons with the disease of alcoholism or persons suffering from other addictions can be anointed. So can those who suffer from various mental disorders. The anxiety before exploratory surgery to determine if cancer is present is a situation in which Christ's power can be invoked in the sacrament."

A complete article was found on the Franciscan Media website.