Sacraments
at Saint Cecilia

The seven sacraments are drawn from the love that Jesus has
for all of us as shown in his life, passion, death, and resurrection.
This love is shared with us by the Holy Spirit through human
ceremonies instituted by Christ. These ceremonies offer union
with God during seven significant life stages.

As our liturgy tells us, our God “always walk[s] with us
on the journey of life.”

Each sacrament is formed by words and gestures that explain
what God is doing for us. The materials that we use (water, bread,
wine, oil) point to the divine love of our God, who freely chooses
to share his grace with us through them.

Just as Christ is fully human and divine, so the sacraments
have a human and a divine aspect.

The sacraments are about God’s loving involvement in our lives.

Baptism

In baptism, a person is born into and shares in the life of God and the Church.
Through baptism, a person is adopted by the Father as a beloved son or
daughter, incorporated into Christ and his body, the Church, and becomes
a temple of the Holy Spirit. Baptism, the first sacrament, forgives all sins
and opens the way for a person to live and grow with God and the Church
through the other sacraments.

Infant baptisms are celebrated on Sundays at 11:30 am in the Nave.
Advance scheduling is necessary through the Administration Office.
Parents are expected to attend a one hour class, held on the 2nd Monday
of each month in the Monsignor Ernest Graham Building at 7:00 pm.
Contact us for the baptism of older children or adults.
Call Kay at the Administration Office for details: 402-551-2313.

Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most unique and beautiful aspects of Catholicism. Jesus Christ, in His abundant love and mercy, established the Sacrament of Confession, so that we as sinners can obtain forgiveness for our sins and reconcile with God and the Church. The sacrament “washes us clean,” and renews us in Christ.

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (John 20:21-23).

Parish Confession Schedule:
Weekdays: 11:50 am - 12:10 pm
Saturdays: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
For a personal appointment, call the priests at 402-551-2313.

First Communion

No life flourishes without food and drink. Thus, the Eucharist offers
the Body and Blood of Jesus as food and drink for the spirit.
As a ceremony, the Eucharist is both a meal that nourishes,
as well as a sacrifice in which Jesus' death is offered to the Father.
The Eucharist is also the object of adoration among the faithful.
Since the graces of all the other sacraments flow from the death
and resurrection of Jesus, the Eucharist is considered the central
sacrament of the Church.

For information to enroll your child in the Faith Formation
First Communion class, call 402-551-2313.
Saint Cecilia School students receive this sacrament in 2nd grade.

Communion to the Homebound

Saint Cecilia parish recognizes that those who are sick and/or homebound have a special place in our parish community. We want to visit with you and pray with you. We would also be honored to bring Jesus Christ, in the form of the Most Holy Eucharist, to parishioners in good standing with the Church, who are homebound, hospitalized or incapacitated in some way that they are unable to attend Mass. Our priests would also be happy to administer the Sacrament of Confession if desired.

For a personal appointment, call the priests at 402-551-2313.

Confirmation

As we need assistance growing and maturing in our physical and social lives,
so the Sacrament of Confirmation assists a person as he or she matures
in the faith. God supports his son or daughter through the gifts of the
Holy Spirit. These gifts are strengths which make it possible for the person
to witness faithfully and courageously to the faith through word and example.
Confirmation makes a person a partner with God in the spreading of the Word.

For information to enroll your child in the Faith Formation Confirmation
program, call 402-551-2313.
Saint Cecilia School students receive this sacrament in 8th grade.

OCIA

OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) is the process for non-baptized
persons to enter the Catholic Church, and for those baptized in other Christian
denominations who wish to make a profession of faith in the Catholic Church.

To inquire about becoming a Catholic or learning more about the Catholic faith,
contact us at 402-551-2313.

Marriage

The Sacrament of Marriage celebrates the human capacity for love and
total dedication, and serves as a witness to Christ’s love for the Church.
It involves all aspects of life: mental, physical and spiritual.

While beginning with a wedding service in the presence of God and
the faith community, a husband and wife continue to confer the sacrament
on one another whenever they offer themselves in the service of the other
and the larger community. Thus, marriage is an ongoing sacrament.

Should the marriage be blessed with children, the grace of the sacrament
is there to strengthen the couple as parents as well.

Our wedding policy is a "parishioner-only" policy in that a Catholic person
must be a registered member of Saint Cecilia Cathedral parish and take
part in the faith life of the parish community by participation at Sunday
Mass for a minimum of six months prior to scheduling a wedding date.
For information call Kay at the Administration Office at 402-551-2313.

(Photo credit: Nathaniel Jensen Photography)

Anointing of the Sick

In the course of life, humans suffer from illnesses of body, mind, and spirit.
The Sacrament of Anointing confers the healing touch of God on the sick
and forgives sin. Sometimes the sacrament restores a person to full health.
Sometimes it prepares a person to accept the reality of death, which is a
necessary part of human life. In the case of immanent death, the Eucharist
is offered as Viaticum, food for the journey to the Father.

To receive the sacrament of anointing, call for a priest at 402-551-2313.

Holy Orders

Christ did not leave the Church without a sacrament of leadership and service.
Through the various degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, God raises up
deacons, priests, and bishops to serve, lead, and govern the Church as a
community of faith. As an ongoing sacrament, Holy Orders is God’s gift
of assistance and strength for the preaching of the Word, the administration
of the sacraments, and the ministry of service leading to the holiness of all.

Saint Cecilia Cathedral is host to the ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate
for the Archdiocese of Omaha.