The Sacraments
Baptism
Baptism is the foundation and the prerequisite for all other sacraments. It unites us with Jesus Christ, incorporates us into his redemptive death on the Cross, thereby freeing us from the power of Original Sin and all personal sins, and causes us to rise with him to a life without end. Since Baptism is a covenant with God, the individual must say “Yes” to it. In the baptism of children, the parents confess the Faith on behalf of the children.
Any person who is not yet baptized can be baptized. The only prerequisite for Baptism is faith, which must be professed publicly at the Baptism. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs #1246-1254]
Contact Father Brian via text (613-885-1046) or via email at fr.brian.russell@gmail.com, if you are interested in receiving the sacrament of Baptism for yourself or your child.
Confession (Reconciliation)
Once a Catholic has reached the age of reason, he or she is obliged to confess all their serious sins. After this time, the Church urgently advises the faithful to continue to confess at least once a year, especially at Easter. If a Catholic carries a serious sin upon their soul, he or she must go to confession before receiving Holy Communion. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #1457].
We are obliged to confess because sin separates us not only from God, but also from others and the Church. When we receive the sacrament of reconciliation, we make the decision to leave behind what divides us from others and to re-enter into communion with Christ, the Church, and loved ones.
Have you been away from receiving Holy Communion for many months, maybe as much as two years or more?
Do you feel hungry for God's Grace and do you wish to receive absolution from your sins before receiving Jesus?
Thank you on behalf of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who loves you and them!
Come with your broken, anxious and burdened hearts before Jesus to receive His Grace and let Him give you a beautifully spiritual cleansing just before Easter
On Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00pm at Annunciation Church in Enterprise.
On Saturdays from 4:30-5pm at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Centreville.
On Sundays from 8:00-8:20am at Annunciation Church in Enterprise.
On Sundays from 11:30am - 12:30pm at Assumption Church in Erinsville.
Confirmation
Confirmation is the sacrament that completes Baptism; in it the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon us. Anyone who freely decides to live a life as God’s child and asks for God’s Spirit under the signs of the imposition of hands and anointing with chrism receives the strength to witness to God’s love and might in word and deed. He is now a full-fledged, responsible member of the Catholic Church. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs #1285-1314]
If you are an adult, and have never been confirmed, do not hesitate to contact Father Brian to inquire about the process in which you can be “strengthened” or made firm through the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation as you seek to follow Jesus Christ in His Church.
If your child is between grades 6-8, and attending a local Catholic school, please contact Father Brian to inquire as to what local accompaniment is offered to assist you, your child’s future confirmation sponsor, and yourself(ves) as parent(s).
If your child attends a public school, we offer classes of sacramental preparation which provides you and your child an opportunity to grow together in faith, in hope, and in love, as you seek to know, love and serve God. Please contact Father Brian via text (613-885-1046) or via email at fr.brian.russell@gmail.com to begin the journey.
Eucharist (Mass)
By Holy Communion, we mean receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in the transformed (consecrated) gifts of bread and wine. We also call this sacrament "Holy Eucharist." All Catholics who have received First Communion initiation are invited to participate in the sharing of communion in Christ's body and blood.
We receive the tradition of Holy Eucharist from Jesus himself, who celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples and therein anticipated his death; he gave himself to his disciples under the signs of bread and wine and commanded them from then on, even after his death, to celebrate the Eucharist. “Do this in remembrance of me” (First letter of saint Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 11 and verse 24).
Visit our home page to see our Mass times.
Anointing of the Sick
If your loved one is sick, in a serious health condition, awaiting surgery, or dying, I (Father Brian) will follow the health protocol in coming either to your home, hospital or long-term care home (in collaboration with the staff of the facility) to dispense the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Do not hesitate to contact me at 613-885-1046.
The Anointing of the Sick imparts consolation, peace, and strength and unites the sick person, in his or her precarious situation and sufferings, with Christ in a profound way. For the Lord experienced our fears and bore our pains in his body. For many people, the Anointing of the Sick brings about physical healing. But if God should decide to call someone home to himself, this sacrament offers strength for all the physical and spiritual battles on their final journey. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs #1520-1523, 1532]
If you require the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, please contact Father Brian via his cell phone (613-885-1046) either by calling or texting him, even if it is the middle of the night.
Marriage (Holy Matrimony)
Congratulations on your engagement! How beautiful is your human commitment to love your future spouse for a lifetime!
Please contact Father Brian shortly after your engagement, and before you book your venue. The next few paragraphs will answer a lot of your questions, but do not hesitate to ask any and all of your questions when you and your beloved schedule your first meeting with Father Brian via text (613-885-1046) or via email at fr.brian.russell@gmail.com
If you wish to enter into a Catholic wedding, we offer to accompany you intentionally towards your wedding day by asking you to meet for four sessions of 90-minutes with another married couple trained and chosen to be your sponsor. Within an 8 week window of your preparation, you are required to attend either the Fall or Spring marriage retreat.
It is for this reason that it is paramount that you inquire at least 6 months, and ideally a year before you set a desired wedding date in order that we provide you with the context to make an informed decision on the process and the nature of the commitment you wish to make with your future spouse.
Please note that a Catholic wedding does not always include the giving and the receiving of the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Great respect and honour will be given to your fiancé(e) if he/she is not Catholic or not baptized as a Christian. You can still prepare and plan a Catholic wedding as long as one of you is a baptized Catholic, and if you are willing to promise to do your best (while respecting your spouse) to baptize and raise the child(ren) born of your union as Catholics. Your future spouse will not be required to become a Catholic, but will not be denied that possibility either.
In addition, the wedding must take place in a Catholic church, with a Catholic priest or deacon officiating, unless you apply via the priest for a dispensation from the Catholic bishop of the diocese in which you reside in order to be married in another church or place of worship due to family or religious circumstances. Please note that the dispensation will not be granted if you plan an outdoor wedding.
The sacrament of Holy Matrimony between two baptized Christians comes about through a promise made by a man and a woman before God and the Church, which is accepted and confirmed by God and consummated by the bodily union of the couple. Because God himself forms the bond of sacramental marriage, it is binding until the death of one of the partners. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs #1625-1631]
So, what is your next step?
Simply contact Fr. Brian (via his cell phone by text at 613-885-1046 or via email at fr.brian.russell@gmail.com) shortly after your engagement and before booking your venue.
After your initial inquiry meeting with Father Brian about getting married in one of our 3 churches, go to this LINK to pay the marriage preparation fee and then register on the same website to begin the process of your being intentionally accompanied by a sponsor couple assigned to you by Father.
Holy Orders
Through Baptism, Christ has made us into a kingdom of “priests to his God and Father” (Rev 1:6). Through the universal priesthood, every Christian is called to work in the world in God’s name and to bring blessings and grace to it. During the Last Supper in the Upper Room and when he commissioned the apostles, however, Christ equipped some with a sacred authority to serve the faithful; these ordained priests represent Christ as pastors (shepherds) of his people and as head of his Body, the Church. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs # 1546-1553, 1592]
A Catholic priest who administers the sacraments acts not on the basis of his own power or moral perfection , but rather “in persona Christi”. Through his ordination, the transforming, healing, saving power of Christ is grafted onto him. Because a priest has nothing of his own, he is above all a servant. The distinguishing characteristic of every authentic priest, therefore, is humble astonishment at his own vocation.
If you have a lot of questions, but feel a burning call as a young or mature man to serve Christ Jesus in the priesthood, please consider a conversation with Father Stéphane, and let him hear your story. Contact me (Father Brian) on my cell at 613-885-1046, via phone call, text or email me at fr.brian.russell@gmail.com .
If you are interested in discerning a vocation to the priesthood, please contact Fr. Jan Kusyk, the vocations director for the Archdiocese of Kingston.