The seven sacraments of the Catholic Church are opportunities for us to make Christ present in our everyday lives in a very special way. When we meet Christ in one of the Church's sacraments and grow in our faith and our relationship with God, our faith community celebrates with us.

Each of the seven sacraments have their origin in Christ’s ministry. The purpose of the sacra-ments is to sanctify us, to build up the Body of Christ and, finally, to give worship to God. By words and objects (sign and matter) they also nourish, strengthen and express faith. (CCC #1123*).

The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life. (CCC #1212*) By Baptism we are welcomed into God’s family, by Confirmation we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit to give witness to Christ in our everyday life and in the Eucharist, we are nourished to life a holy life and bring Christ to others. The sacraments of Penance (or Reconciliation) and Anointing of the Sick are occasions for us to experience healing and Christ’s forgiveness. The last two sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. (CCC #1534*)   As mandated by the Church, preparation must precede reception of the sacraments so that the person receiving the sacrament may be properly disposed to the effect of the sacrament and the experience of Christ. To this end the following preparation for sacraments is given at our parish to those members registered as members of St. John’s faith community:

Baptism

Of Infants and Children Up to the Age of Four: Parents desiring to baptize their young child, are asked to attend one Baptism Class prior to the Baptism. You may call the Parish Office at 703-777-1317 to make arrangements for your child's baptism and to sign up for a class. Classes are held once a month. Baptisms are scheduled on Sunday afternoons at 2:30 P.M.

Of Children Between the Ages of Five and Eight: Once children start attending school, the child as well as the parents and godparents (if possible) must attend a Baptism Preparation Class. Please call the Office of Religious Education at 703-777-3891 to make the necessary arrangements.

Of Children Between the Ages of Eight and Twelve: Any child older than eight who has not been baptized and/or has not received formal religion instructions, will need to go through R.C.I.C.(the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children) to be prepared to receive the sacraments of Baptism (if needed), Confirmation and Eucharist. This process of preparation is culminated with the reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. After receiving the sacraments of Initiation, the child is mainstreamed into their current grade level of religious education classes. For more information, please contact the Dir. of Religious Education at 703-777-3891.

Of Teens Between the Ages of Thirteen and Eighteen: Any teen who has not been baptized and/or has not received formal religion instructions, will need to go through Teen Initiation to be prepared to receive the sacraments of Baptism (if needed), Confirmation and Eucharist. This process of preparation is culminated with the reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. After receiving the sacraments of Initiation, the teen is mainstreamed into their current grade level of religious education classes. For more information, please contact the Dir. of Religious Education at 703-777-3891.

Adult Initiation: For adults seeking information about the Catholic Church or wishing to convert to Catholicism, the church offers a process of discernment, instructions, prayer and mentoring called the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). This process can take any where from a year to several years depending on individual needs and situations. Adults going through initiation meet once a week with a member of the RCIA Team. For more information, please contact Ted Spinelli at 703-777-3891.

Penance and Eucharist

The sacraments of Penance (or Reconciliation) and Eucharist are usually administered for the first time after a preparation process in the second grade. Children may receive their instructions either in the parish's religious education program, a Catholic school, or in a home school environment. Regardless of where the religious instructions are received, preparation and reception of the sacraments is always done in the parish. Children enrolled in our parish's religious education program will automatically receive information concerning the preparation and reception of these sacraments. Parents who are home schooling or have their child enrolled in a Catholic school, will need to contact the Dir. of Religious Education at 703-777-3891 to make arrangements for their child's preparation and reception of the sacraments.

In our parish, it is necessary for a child to complete at least one full year of religious instruction (parish program, catholic school, or home schooled) before being eligible to prepare for a sacrament. This year is considered an important component in the preparation process.

Reception of First Penance: First Penance is usually celebrated in the parish the end of January or February for those who have gone through preparation and are ready to receive the sacrament.

Reception of First Communion: First Communion for the children who have completed preparation is usually (but not always)celebrated over two Saturdays in May.

Reception of Penance for All Parishioners: Communal Penitential Services, where we come together as a faith community in prayer and then receive absolution individually, are offered in our parish twice a year during Advent and Lent. Individual reception of the sacrament of Penance can be received every Saturday from 4:00 to 5:30 P.M. in the Parish Center.

Reception of Eucharist for All Parishioners: The Eucharist can be received at one of our daily Masses (8:30 A.M. Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. on Saturday) or during the Sunday Liturgies.

Arrangements for home-bound members of the parish to receive the Eucharist can be made by calling the Parish Office at 703-777-1317.

Confirmation

In our diocese, the earliest one can receive this sacrament of initiation is eighth grade (with the exception of Children and Teen Initiation). In our parish, it is necessary for children and teens to complete at least one full year of faith formation (parish program, catholic school, or home schooled) before being eligible to prepare for this sacrament. This year is considered an important component in the preparation process. The bishop comes to our parish once a year to administer this sacrament to those who have gone through the required preparation. At St. John the Apostle, confirmation is conferred on our 9th graders (ordinarily after a full year of instruction) during the month of November.

Adult and Teen Preparation: Twice a year (in September and in April) teens and adults are given the opportunity to prepare to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. For more information, please contact the Dir. of Religious Education at 703-777-3891.

Matrimony

At least six months prior to the wedding celebration, couples who are members of the parish must contact a priest and begin preparation for the sacrament of matrimony. Please call the Parish Office at 703-777-1317 for information on how to begin this process of preparation.

Anointing of the Sick

Anyone wishing to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick because of a life-threatening or serious illness, either physical or mental, should contact a priest at 703-777-1317.

*CCC refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The number is the paragraph number that the quote refers to.