Festival 8/7 & 8/8
Baptism
We celebrate the sacrament of Baptism on the first, third and fourth Sundays at 12:15 by appointment.
For children aged 6 and under: Parents are required to attend a preparation class before their first child is baptized, as well as parents with another child to be baptized if more than four years have elapsed since attending a class. Preparation classes for parents are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Please call the parish office at (859) 635-4188 to register.
If your child is aged 7 or older, please see Journey to Catholicism above.
Baptismal Sponsor Requirements and Guidelines
In 1983, The Roman Rite of the Catholic Church promulgated a new Code of Canon Law. The laws dealing with godparents are Canons 872-874. Some items do not apply at all or are seldom relevant. Here is an outline of the pertinent Canons.
- The term ‘godparent’ never appears in Canon Law. The proper term is ‘sponsor’. Godparent, Godmother, Godfather are not technical terms. They are just terms we use.
- You must have at least one sponsor for the person being baptized. There may be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each gender. Two sponsors of the same gender are not permitted.
- A sponsor must have completed his/her sixteenth year, unless the pastor grants an exception for a lower age, provided there is a just cause for doing so.
- A sponsor must be a Catholic who is confirmed and receives the Eucharist regularly. A fully initiated member of the Catholic church who also “leads a life in harmony with the faith”. This means attending church and being active in their parish.
- An unbaptized person may not be a sponsor or witness. A baptized non-Catholic person may be a witness at a baptism but can not be a sponsor. Canonically there is a difference between a sponsor and a witness. If there is a non-Catholic Christian witness, that person must be a baptized Christian and be living his/her life in harmony with faith, that is, practicing their religion, and not just a member of a church. If there is one non-Catholic witness, there MUST be one Catholic sponsor.
- A non-confirmed Catholic cannot be a sponsor or a witness. Likewise, a Catholic who has left the Catholic church for another Christian denomination cannot be a Christian witness. If a proposed Christian witness was baptized as an infant/child but NOT catechized or raised in the Catholic faith, one could be a witness with Pastor approval.
Asking someone to be a sponsor or witness for your child’s baptism is not a social or family obligation, nor just an honor bestowed. According to Canon Law, a sponsor is a person who will be “assisting in the Catholic upbringing” of the one baptized.
Why do we Baptize? (video on external website)
Penance
Reconciliation/Confession
Confessions are on the first Saturday of the month from 3:30 – 4:00 or anytime by appointment.
Our second graders celebrate First Penance in mid-January. A meeting for parents detailing the preparation program is held in October each year. If needed, an adaptive preparation program is available for use by contacting the Director of Wednesday Evening Religious Education, Stephanie Baxter, at (859) 635-4188 or were@saintmaryparish.com.
Why we confess? (video on external website)
Eucharist
We celebrate Eucharist daily. Mass Times for receiving Eucharist can be found here.
Our second graders celebrate First Communion at the end of April. A meeting for parents detailing the preparation program is held in February each year. If needed, an adaptive preparation program is available for use by contacting the Director of Wednesday Evening Religious Education, Stephanie Baxter, at (859) 635-4188 or were@saintmaryparish.com.
Ministers are available to visit and bring Eucharist to those who are unable to join the community at Mass due to illness (temporary or permanent). If you’d like someone to visit you or a loved one, please contact the parish office at (859) 635-4188.
Eucharist - How we receive? (video on external website)
Eucharist - What we believe? (video on external website)
Confirmation
Eighth graders are confirmed early in the calendar year on a date scheduled by the Diocese of Covington. A meeting for parents detailing the preparation program and requirements is held in September each year.
If needed, an adaptive preparation program is available for use by contacting the Director of Wednesday Evening Religious Education, Stephanie Baxter, at (859) 635-4188 or were@saintmaryparish.com.
Sacramental preparation for eighth graders is coordinated through Youth Ministry. Please visit their page for more information on their journey to prepare to receive this sacrament.
Contact Parish office for additional information. 859-635-4188
Catholic adults are confirmed at the cathedral by the bishop on Pentecost each year. Registration for is open the first few weeks of the Easter season. Please contact the Director of Religious Education at the parish office to register or for more information.
Confirmation - Why we are confirmed? (video on external website)
Holy Orders
The future of the Catholic Church depends on the presence of priests to continue the sacramental ministry of the Church. Men interested in the priesthood can contact Fr. Conor Kunath (ckunath@covdio.org or 859-392-1566).
Holy Orders - What ordination means? (video on external website)