Sacraments

First Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation – what a wonderful reminder of God’s great love and forgiveness! The heart and core of this sacrament is God’s unconditional love and everlasting mercy.

First Reconciliation
In preparing for this Sacrament, parents work together with their children and discover God’s healing and loving presence in their lives.

Both the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist are unique in the way in which they make Christ present in our lives and in the lives of our children.  The simple faith of your child at this age presents the perfect opportunity to explain both God’s rules for living and His desire to stay in close friendship with us.  For this reason, we encourage you to have your children receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before they prepare for their First Eucharist.

If you have questions about preparing your child for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, contact Joan Motsay Brown at 410-879-2670 or 410-838-6969, ext. 127.

(Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated at St. Margaret Church on Saturdays at 2:30 – 3:30 pm.

John 20:21-23

First Eucharist

The Eucharist is the sacrament in which we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The Church teaches that Christ is truly present in the bread and wine that have been consecrated by the priest at Mass.

First Eucharist for Children

First Eucharist is generally celebrated in the month of May for children in 2nd grade and higher. Children must be enrolled in Faith Formation for two years as preparation for Eucharist. Contact Joan Motsay Brown, 410-838-6969 or 410-879-2670, for more information.

Children must have successfully completed one year of Catholic school or a Faith Formation program prior to preparation. Parents or guardians must attend a First Eucharist meeting to register for this Sacrament.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”

John 6:51-56

Confirmation

Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation, along with Baptism and First Eucharist. Through this Sacrament, we receive the strength and comfort of the Holy Spirit to help us meet the challenges and demands we may face as mature Christians.

Youth Confirmation

In 2020, we will be moving Confirmation Preparation to the 9th grade year. This means that for one year (2020-2021), we will have a “double group” preparing to receive the Sacrament. Both 9th and 10th graders will be in Confirmation preparation during the 2020/2021 school year. Preparation for the Sacrament begins with a required information meeting in the late spring of the 8th or 9th grade in 2020 and continues for approximately one year with Confirmation at the end of 9th or 10th grade in 2021. Students who wish to prepare for Confirmation must have been enrolled in either a Catholic school or in a Catholic Faith Formation program with successful completion the year prior to preparation.

Our Confirmation preparation program for youth involves parish ministry participation, classes, an overnight retreat, the completion of a portfolio and an interview. The Program is designed to help our young people deepen their relationship with God, their understanding of their faith and to realize the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Those interested in learning more about Confirmation preparation may contact Daniel Cajigas for more information.

Confirmation Preparation for Adults

Adult confirmation preparation sessions are offered periodically throughout the year. If you are 18 years or older and interested in being confirmed, please contact Herman Wilkins for more information.

Holy Orders

Thinking of the Priesthood?

Pray and talk to someone you trust. Call our vocation director, Fr. Steven Roth at 410-547-5426, our pastor, Msgr. Kevin Schenning, or one of our parish priests, 410-879-2670. They will be glad to help you.

Becoming a Deacon

The journey to ordination begins with searching. If you search inside yourself, you may find the heart of a servant. If you are not a stranger to serving others, you may find something drawing you closer to God, as you look. I did not expect a burning bush or a booming voice. For me, it was less like sound waves and more like the gentle magnetic pull on a compass needle. The period of discernment and formation is a process that increases the attraction and confirms the direction. Interacting with like-minded men, clergy and professors also deepens the longing to serve in a new way. I regarded the time spent studying scripture as prayer. Encountering great writers and thinkers broadened my horizon and sharpened my focus at the same time. My formation assignments and internship immersed me into the world of other peoples’ lives. They were a place where, growing in confidence, I realized I could do some good. I came to understand the deep meaning and responsibility of being a representative in His Church. After college ministry, prison ministry, baptisms, service at liturgy, funerals and weddings, I look back and realize that my looking inside myself was not where it started. I have come to realize that it was God searching for me all along. I was being drawn by Him to Holy Orders to live his Gospel and show them Christ.

Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Hebrews 5:1

Holy Matrimony

Congratulations on your decision to commit yourselves to one another in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. May the Lord bless and sustain your love for one another as you share that love with His Church, your family and your friends. When couples come to the Church to prepare for marriage, the entire parish community is bearing witness to the couple’s love. This is a very special time for the couple and the whole Church!

Marriage Preparation

Meet with a Priest or Deacon

Please call the parish office to make an appointment with one of the priests or deacons to officiate at your wedding.

The Sponsor Couple Program

Fully trained sponsor couples assist engaged couples in discovering those areas of strength and uniqueness in their relationship upon which they can build a lasting, loving marriage. The engaged couple meets in the home of their sponsor couple approximately four times.  Please contact Liz Gonzalez in the parish office, 410-838-6969, ext.125, with any questions about this program.

Arrangements should be made at least six months in advance.

Marriage Enrichment

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend

A time for you and your spouse to be alone together, to rediscover each other and together focus on your relationship for an entire weekend. Every marriage deserves that kind of attention. The weekend is for any couple who desires a richer, fuller marriage. For additional information, please visit the www.wwme.org.

Retrouvaille

Retrouvaille helps couples through difficult times in their marriages. It is designed to help you get your marriage back on track, and it gives you the opportunity to rediscover each other and examine your lives together in a new and positive way. Join the tens of thousands of couples who have rebounded from disillusionment. For confidential information, or to register for a program beginning with a weekend retreat, please call 1-800-470-2230 or visit the website www.retrouvaille.org.

“Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

Matthew 19:4-5