I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God, begotten, not made,

consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen

What is Baptism?

The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus.  Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist.  The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters.  . . .  Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin.  However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

~United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

If you have any questions about baptism, please feel free to contact our office 315-676-2898.

What is Reconciliation?

Reconciliation, also called Confession, allows us to personally repair our relationship with God and His Church. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit, freeing us from the burden of guilt and empowering us to lead holy lives. As such, when we participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we implicitly, if not explicitly, recommit our lives to the Gospel.

We believe that our sin not only damages our relationship with God, but also the people around us, specifically the Church. We are not isolated individuals but members of the body of Christ and the human family. The things we do, and the things we say, matter.

Jesus gave the Church the authority to forgive sins (John 20:21-23), and we are taught by Saint James that we confess our sins to one another (James 5:16).

Confessions are heard at Divine Mercy Parish every Thursday from 5:30 - 6:30 PM unless otherwise listed in the calendar.

Click here for an Examination of Conscience.

Click here for simple steps to going to confession.

What is the Eucharist?

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The term “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving.

In the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. The whole Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine - the glorified Christ who rose from the dead. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist.

Where is the Eucharist mentioned in the Bible?

The Lord Jesus, on the night before he suffered on the cross, shared one last meal with his disciples. During this meal our Savior instituted the sacrament of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the ages and to entrust to the Church a memorial of his death and resurrection. The Institution of the Eucharist is written down in the four Gospels below:

Matthew 26:26-30

Mark 14:22-26

Luke 22:14-20

John 6:22-59 (The Bread of Life Discourse)

In Conclusion

By his Real Presence in the Eucharist Christ fulfils his promise to be with us "always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). As St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "It is the law of friendship that friends should live together. . . . Christ has not left us without his bodily presence in this our pilgrimage, but he joins us to himself in this sacrament in the reality of his body and blood" ( Summa Theologiae, III q. 75, a. 1).

In the Eucharist the Church both receives the gift of Jesus Christ and gives grateful thanks to God for such a blessing. This thanksgiving is the only proper response, for through this gift of himself in the celebration of the Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine Christ gives us the gift of eternal life.

~from https://www.usccb.org/eucharist

If you have a child who is interested in completing their Sacraments, please click the link here.

If you are interested in joining the Catholic Church as an adult, please email Deacon Mark Berube, [email protected]

What is Confirmation?

The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God's Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission.  Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John.  Jesus' entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church.  After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.

Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.  . . .  We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

If you have a child who is interested in completing their Sacraments, please click the link here.

If you are an adult wishing to complete your sacraments, please email Deacon Mark Berube at [email protected]

What is Matrimony?

“The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring,; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.” ~ from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults 1601

Unity, indissolubility, and openness to life are essential to marriage and the sacrament is performed by the bride and groom on one another, blessed by a priest or deacon, and witnessed by the Church within the church building itself.

Click here for a marriage prep check sheet.

“Perfect families do not exist. This must not discourage us. Quite the opposite. Love is something we learn; love is something we live; love grows as it is “forged” by the concrete situations which each particular family experiences. Love is born and constantly develops amid lights and shadows. Love can flourish in men and women who try not to make conflict the last word, but rather a new opportunity. An opportunity to seek help, an opportunity to question how we need to improve, an opportunity to discover the God who is with us and never abandons us. This is a great legacy that we can give to our children, a very good lesson: we make mistakes, yes; we have problems, yes. But we know that that is not really what counts. We know that mistakes, problems and conflicts are an opportunity to draw closer to others, to draw closer to God.”~ Pope Francis “Address to Festival of Families, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Sept. 27, 2015”

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

What is Anointing of the Sick?

Anointing of the Sick is a healing sacrament of the Church. When anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for them to receive this sacrament has arrived. This sacrament can only be administered by a priest.

If you or someone you know needs to be anointed, please call 315-676-2898

“By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts the to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ.”

~ from the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1499