Sacraments

Our divine relationship to God is sustained by the nourishment of the Sacraments.  They form a foundation of grace, they challenge our hopes, our dreams, and our weaknesses.  At St. Bernard, preparing for and celebrating the sacraments is all about the family.

How do I sign up for these sacraments? If your child is going to be in second grade, you receive a letter from the parish inviting you to register for the sacrament preparation at the end of August or early September.  This is in addition to your school enrollment or faith formation registration.  There is a materials fee to cover the cost of the books.  You can sign up ahead of time with our online forms, just fill them out, attach a copy of your son or daughter's baptismal certificate and send those into the Faith Formation Office.

If you have any questions about the celebration of sacraments at St. Bernard's, please call Jane Angha the Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry at 739-8912 or email at jangha@stbernardappleton.org.

Baptism

We look forward to welcoming your child into our faith community

through Baptism!              Click here for more Baptism information

Eucharist

For Mass times please click here: Mass Times

Our Faith Formation Department guides your child in preparing for First Eucharist. Click here to contact the Faith Formation office: Faith Formation

First Eucharist preparation is much like that of Reconciliation.  Beginning in January, after a Christmas break, we begin our meetings for First Eucharist.  The whole family is welcome and these Saturday gatherings are focused on learning about the liturgy,encouraging family participation in weekend worship and growing their love for the sacrament.  Our activities are intended to strengthen family prayer, understanding and experience of the Eucharist and connect the parish community to this beautiful sacrament of initiation.  Our curriculum is from Harcourt Religion Publishers, is Diocesan approved and is very easy to use and practical.

Reconciliation 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered each Saturday from

9:00-10:00 AM.

Our next Communal Reconciliation Service will be held on March 24th at 6:30pm.

In second grade, the whole family comes to learning sessions in the Fall for the sacrament of reconciliation.  We gather on Saturdays for 4:30 mass and then have dinner and a meeting to follow.  The whole family is welcome.  The meeting consists of some learning and an activity.  These last about an hour.  Each family receives great preparation tools to work on between meetings.  These are a family guide, a child's book and a small sacrament book to follow along in preparation and celebration of the sacrament.  Our curriculum is from Harcourt Religion Publishers - a division of Our Sunday Visitor.  It is Diocesan approved and we love it!

We celebrate the sacrament in early December on a Saturday morning.

Confirmation

Youth

The Diocese of Green Bay offers Confirmation juniors in high school.  Please contact the Faith Formation office to register for the preparation program. Click here for Faith Formation

Confirmation is celebrated in 11th grade at St. Bernard.  Youth who are juniors receive a letter in the Spring inviting them to be a part of Confirmation preparation.  They are encouraged to register and go through the preparation for the sacrament even if they are unsure if they will be confirmed.  It is a big decision and must be entered into freely by the candidate. 

 The registration forms can be found on the   parish website.  These are returned to the Faith Formation Office along with a copy of your son or daughter's baptismal certificate. Preparation will begin in September with a retreat.  We have youth from every school district around and it is a great way to get to know one another.  The formal classes begin at the end of September and are held on Sunday evenings from 6-8pm.  Parents are required to attend the sessions and sponsors are always welcome.

The format for our sessions is prayer, a speaker, small group sessions with youth and adults, then another small group session with families gathering together.  We finish with a witness talk and prayer.

The other requirements, besides attending all six sessions for Confirmation are:  a sponsor must be chosen to journey with the candidate for the year.  This person must be a confirmed, practicing Catholic.  It may not be a parent.  Candidates are required to do a service project (many are offered that they can be a part of) and a reflection sheet returned after the project is completed.  We encourage the candidates and sponsors to do this together.  There is a booklet the the candidate and sponsor must complete.  It can be done in person, over the phone or internet.

The candidate will have an interview with the pastor or member of the Confirmation team at the end of his/her preparation.  The candidate and sponsor will attend the practice on the day of Confirmation and be present for the celebration of the sacrament.

Bishop Ricken has added a special booklet of his own to the preparation process in each parish.  Candidates will receive this at the first session. It is a great guide to knowing the basics of our faith.

Adults

Preparation may be engaged in by contacting Fr. Ryan (739-0331).  The celebration of Confirmation is performed at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay.  For information about RCIA click here: RCIA

Marriage

To schedule a wedding, please contact Fr. Dennis Ryan (739-0331).

Anointing of the Sick

To schedule an individual anointing please contact:

Fr. Dennis Ryan (739-0331).

The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is offered in a communal setting two weekends per year at all Masses.  The next anointing weekend will be February 27-28, 2010.

Holy Orders

Please contact the Green Bay Diocese if you are interested in becoming a Priest or Deacon. Click here for the Green Bay Diocese