The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic Christian faith. Eucharist is derived from "eucharistia" which means thankfulness in Greek. We gather together as a community of faith at the celebration of the Mass to be fed by both the liturgies of the Word of God and the Eucharistic. Led by the celebrant of the Mass, the community gathers at the table to partake in this joyful thanksgiving meal. We are thankful for the gift of God’s all embracing love given us through his son Jesus Christ. At this meal we gather to recall the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We believe that Jesus is truly present in the bread and wine we consume. Why? Because he told us so, “Where two or more are gathered I am there also” and at the Last Supper he took bread …. . When we receive Holy Communion we receive the whole Person of Christ, as he is at the present moment, that is, as risen Lord, with his glorified body and soul and his full divinity. The community can experience this presence of Jesus, their Lord and Master, both in the consecrated bread and wine and in those gathered around the table. 

The Last Supper was Jesus’ farewell meal with his apostles. During this meal Jesus spelled out --- by his word, “this is my body…..this is my blood” and action the breaking of the bread--- how the Father’s forgiveness and the New Covenant would come about. Imagine a Jewish family coming into the temple to offer sacrifice. The sacrifice occurs not when the priest puts the fruits or blood on the altar and the people make an internal offering of themselves. The most important part of all of this is what goes on in people's minds and hearts-the offering of their lives to God.

The Christian community has always acknowledged that Jesus’ death on the cross was the greatest of all sacrifices. Again, this is so because of what went on in his mind and heart. He really made an offering of himself. And that's where the Mass derives its value, in its relationship to this free sacrificial offering of Jesus. But the Mass is clearly not trying to replicate either the ancient sacrifices of the temple ritual or the bloody events of Calvary. The ritual gestures performed by the principal celebrant at Mass are not a stylized reenacting the slaying of Jesus. Christ our Lord could only die once; he will never die again. Rather, it is in celebrating this family meal, which we call the Mass, that we try to unite ourselves with Jesus’ act of will and attempt to summon ourselves closer to that same total self-dedication that Jesus had when he died upon the cross.

On the other hand, if people are able to take those words of Jesus to heart, the words that define the meaning of this action, This is my body….. This is the cup of my blood, and begin to comprehend what they mean-- that this is all tied into the life and death of Jesus-- and make them their own, then they, along with Jesus, can legitimately say: This is MY body; this is the cup of MY blood. It is for him the words of consecration are also words of an internal disposition that keeps reminding the community what its sharing must mean. And when we make those words our own, people ought to say: “Yes, now I see how Christ is present in these people gathered for this meal – it is through each one of these people that nourishment is given to others. As St. Augustine put it: "we must be what we have eaten." We are already the body of Christ as Church but we must become that Body still more. We must be bread for others just as Jesus is bread given for us. We are God's people only insofar as we are willing to become bread and wine, nourishment and life, body and blood for all other human beings.

Adults who have just been baptized receive confirmation and the Eucharist immediately. Our faith community normally confers the initiation sacraments during the Easter Vigil.  For information regarding the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) contact Karen Heaphy, Director of Adult Faith Formation.

Children, after having attended a comprehensive Religious Education program, receive First Holy Communion at age 7. For additional information contact Ellen Jones, Director of Religious Education.

Breathing on them, he said: "Receive the Holy Spirit.  For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained." -John 20:22-23

Why Reconciliation? We need healing from the effects of Sin.

When Adam and Eve committed the original sin shame and uneasiness replaced openness and confidence. When we act contrary to our true selves, we too experience self-alienation and shame. Like Adam and Eve, when we sin, the nakedness of trust is replaced by a cloak of defensiveness. No matter how attractive and pleasurable sin may seem, it has a diminishing and disintegrating effect on our inner selves and impacts those around us. We all know only too well how self-centered behavior alienates us from family, friends and acquaintances. Sin is a subversive force in the community because it introduces division and problems.

Where did Reconciliation come from? Jesus gives us this sacrament.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation was instituted by Jesus on Easter Sunday, when Christ first appeared to the apostles after his Resurrection. Breathing on them, he said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained” (John 20:22-23). For us, the sacrament begins with an examination of conscience. Our conscience is where we are alone with our God and where those monumental and not so monumental decisions we are all faced with in our lives are made. The aim of the examination is not so much to weigh our good and bad deeds as it is to reflect on how generous our responses to God and people have been. We are examining what we have done and what we have failed to do in our thoughts, in our deeds and words.

Christ brings us to healing through the priest.

We Catholics confess our sins to a priest who comes representing the Church which is the Body of Christ. Confession is psychologically healthy. By naming and confronting our sinful acts and habits they lose much of their power over us. The priest helps draw out those issues that are disrupting our relationships with God and others and assists the faithful in taking corrective actions to make up for the damage our sin caused the community.

Confessing our sins is a part of our prayer life in addition to the specific Sacrament.

When the faith community of Espiritu Santo gathers each Sunday as a community to celebrate Mass we communally pray “I pray to the Lord our God and to you my brothers and sister for God’s for all I have done and failed to do …..”  Confessing our sins as a community is part of our preparation to embrace Christ in the scriptures and in the Eucharist. 

Children, after having attended a comprehensive Religious Education program, have their first Reconciliation at age 7. For additional information contact Ellen Jones, Director of Religious Education.

Communal Reconciliation Services are held during the season of Advent and Lent and individual reconciliation is held each Saturday at 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. If you wish to schedule an appointment with a priest please call the Parish Office at 727.726.8477.

The Catholic Church baptizes infants as soon as practical. No one is as pure and innocent as a child so the concept of original sin seems hard at times to grasp. But, as the child grows, he/she will face many choices in life. We are called as the family, godparents and the faith community to assist in the spiritual and moral growth of the child so when those life decisions occur they will consider them in the context of love of God and neighbor. The family is the primary focus. Pope John-Paul called the family the domestic church for it is here that the child learns about love based on the love and care of his/her parents and extended family. The godparents and community are there to provide support to the family in this most important calling. To learn more about the Preparation for Baptism of an infant or to schedule an infant baptism contact Tim Bergevin at 727.726.8477 x326. Please allow 2-3 months for preparation prior to your child’s baptism beginning with Baptism Class.  Please don’t place any unnecessary pressure on you or your out of town family and friends by selecting a date for the reception of the sacrament before you’ve been to class and have all the necessary documents returned.  Since we have nearly 200 Baptisms a year here, we ask that you complete the class and paperwork before a date is selected..

Baptism of adults is provided via the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The rite focuses on conversion to Christ through the discovery of the real presence of Christ in our lives. We all have a story and Christ has been and always will be part of that story. The rite assists the candidates for baptism in making that discovery. Through the rite, adults are incorporated into the body of Christ as explained above and provided teaching concerning Catholic Christian living in our complicated world by providing a framework for making those choices; love of God and neighbor. For information contact Mary Scott at the Church Office 727.726.8477 x325.

The Religious Education office provides preparation for children to receive First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. Contact Ellen Jones in the Religious Education Office at 727.812.4656.

Interested in infant Baptism or Marriage?; Contact Tim Bergevin in the Church Office at 727.726.8477 x326.

Our RCIA program is the preparation for any of the sacraments for adults who did not receive a sacrament with their class through the Religious Education program. Please contact Karen Heaphy in the Church Office at 727.726.8477 x310 for more information.

Why receive the sacraments?

Simply put, Christ gives us the sacraments so that we can experience Him.  The sacraments are physical and tangible signs of the invisible grace, which is the out pouring of God's love, that He freely gives us.  God uses our human senses to make us aware of His presence. The sacraments give us strength for our life journey, they initiate us, heal us, and they remind us of our unity with the Creator and one another. 

RCIA is a catalyst to assist you in discovering the presence of God in your life. This is not an introduction to a new relationship with a stranger. God has been and always will be there calling you into relationship. RCIA is a process of discovery and conversion. Conversion implies change. The conversion we seek is not to Church but to Jesus Christ. Our goal is to assist you in becoming disciples for Christ. As you journey through the RCIA it is our hope that you will come to see that faith is not taught; it is caught. Our purpose is to enlighten and produce a firm commitment to live the Catholic Christian faith. The RCIA is the journey of faith to full communion with the Catholic Church. We seek the source and summit of our faith: the Holy Eucharist.

Who should attend RCIA?

• Individuals who have never been baptized, and are interested in learning about the Catholic Christian faith and feel called to be baptized, confirmed and receive Eucharist and become members of the Body of Christ.
• Individuals baptized in another Christian denomination who feel called to full communion with the Catholic Christian faith.
• Those baptized as Catholic Christians who never competed the Sacraments of Initiation – Confirmation and/or Eucharist.

The Faith Journey:

The Rite is divided into four distinct periods. The periods are separated by public rites which serve as thresholds, or decision points, on your journey of faith.

• Inquiry or Pre-Catechumenate – A period of exploring the Candidates’ questions. This is a time of getting to know each other. It is a time where we use the Word of God, God's stories, the stories of the People of God and the stories of the candidates to facilitate their recognition of God's presence in their lives. It is a time of evangelization. As an analogy, it is the period in a developing relationship from the first date through getting to know and respect each other and experiencing that first kiss.
• Rite of Acceptance/Welcoming – Threshold #1 - The candidate has reached a decision point. Have they experienced first faith and initial conversion and intention to change their lives and to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ? An answer in the affirmative gives the candidate the confidence to cross this first threshold and continue their journey. To continue our analogy, I like this person I am dating and I want to learn even more about them or, this relationship is not for me and I need to look elsewhere.
• Catechumenate – That portion of our journey where catechesis, teaching, is firmly rooted in the proclamation of the Word. Catechesis leads the Catechumens and Candidates not only to an appropriate acquaintance with the dogmas and precepts of our Catholic Christian faith but also to a profound sense of the mystery of salvation in which they desire to participate. During this time we come to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, more intimately. Once again to continue our analogy, our relationship has grown and we are deeply in love; engagement is on the horizon.
• Rite of Sending/Election – Threshold #2 - We are sent forth by the Espiritu Santo faith community to meet the Bishop at the Cathedral of St. Jude in St. Petersburg. God has called us to relationship; we are the Elect of God. God has chosen you! We are engaged!
• Purification and Enlightenment – This is a time of self examination where we focus on what we are about and how we are to live our lives. It is a period of interior reflection and purification. This part of the faith journey coincides with the Lenten season. The Elect are working to remove impediments in the relationship with God and others.
• Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation – Threshold #3 - Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist, the Rites of Initiation, our ultimate goal, are conferred at the Easter Vigil Mass. You are member of the People of God. You are a newlywed, a Neophyte.
• Mystagogy or Postbaptismal Catechesis - The period from Initiation to Pentecost, the Easter season. It is a time for the Neophyte to deepen the Christian experience and for spiritual growth. The Neophyte is introduced more fully into the life and unity of the faith community. Although RCIA ends after Pentecost the journey of faith continues as we are called as Catholic Christians to live out our baptismal promise to be Disciples of Christ.

You are a:

• Inquirer until the Rite of Acceptance
• Catechumen after the Rite of Acceptance if you have not been baptized.
• Candidate after the Rite of Acceptance if you were baptized in another Christian faith tradition or were baptized Catholic and not confirmed and are seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.
• The Elect if unbaptized after the Rite of Election. Note: All others continue as Candidates.
• Neophyte after celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation.

Sponsors:

Prior to the Rite of Acceptance you must select a sponsor to accompany you on this journey. They are to serve you as your guide and role model in living the Christian faith. The person selected must be a baptized, practicing Catholic Christian. Sponsors are encouraged to attend our catechetical sessions and all Rites discussed above. They do not have to be a member of the Espiritu Santo faith community. If you are new to the area or are unable to find a sponsor the RCIA Team will assist you.

Schedule Summary:

On Monday evenings we gather at 7:00 pm for catechesis and faith sharing. Our gatherings are held at the St. John Bosco Center. We begin our journey on Monday, September 12, 2011 at 7:00 pm. We gather on Sunday mornings after the Liturgy of the Word at the 10:15 am Mass at the Rite of Dismissal to feast further on God's word for Breaking Open the Word which commences on Sunday, October 23, 2011. The Rite of Acceptance/Welcoming is celebrated on November 19, 2011 and the Rite of Sending/Election on February 26, 2012. A Retreat is scheduled for March 24, 2012. The sacraments of initiation are celebrated at the Easter Vigil Mass on April 7, 2012. The Mystagogy period ends at the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, May 27, 2012.

Information/Inquiry Sessions:

Information sessions are held during the summer months at 11:30 am, following the 10:15 am Sunday Mass, at the St. John Bosco Center on June 26, July 24 and August 28, 2011. Join us to learn more about the RCIA process.

There are three levels of Holy Orders – bishop, priest and deacon. The Bishop leads a diocese and is the principal teacher in the diocese. He is first among preachers and governs the people as the Vicar of Christ. All the bishops of the world form a “college” or united group by virtue of their being successors to the apostles. The principal bishop is the pope, the Bishop of Rome.

In the early Church, the bishops ministered to everyone. As the number of believers grew the bishops were unable to care for all of them. They ordained men to serve in their place and these men were called priests. The Second Vatican Council noted that the priest’s chief responsibilities are to bring about the presence of Christ in the Church and to share in Christ’s mission as teacher, sanctifier and leader. He is chosen to act in the person of Christ. He is to preach the gospel, give pastoral service to his community, and celebrate the Mass and sacraments. His ministerial priesthood is distinct from the universal priesthood of the faithful who called to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.

The word deacon comes from a Greek word that means “servant” or “helper.” There are two types of deacons. The transitional diaconate is the step before priesthood. The permanent diaconate is made up of men who are called by God to serve the faithful on a permanent basis. Deacons can baptize, distribute the Eucharist, be the ministers of the Word and officiate at weddings and funerals. Permanent Deacons may be married.

Just as Jesus came to ‘serve not to be served’ these men are called by God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to be servant leaders for the faithful. Their powers and responsibilities are conferred through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Feeling the call to service? Contact Fr. Joseph Musco or the diocesan Office of Vocations for additional information.

The gift of love and life-long commitment that a man and woman share in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a physical sign that assists those of us called to the married life to experience the all embracing, gratuitous love that God has for us. It is through this love that the children of this union also learn of God’s love.

Christian marriage is a personal relationship of life giving love in which man and woman make the love of Christ present to each other and become a sign of the love of Christ to those around them. In marriage, the relationship of the couple is the sacrament that reveals the love of God for his people. Jesus taught his disciples about marriage see Mark 10:6-9 as an example. It is by discovering what love really means and being faithful to it that married Christians come closer to Christ and show something of Christ’s love to others. Founded on God’s giving of god’s self, married love is based on giving. Total loving means total giving. It is our hope and prayer that love will produce love. God’s forgiveness for us is reflected in the way a couple reconciles their differences, forgive hurts and heal each other. Their willingness to heal each other again and again is an example of the desire for reconciliation that God has for us. Love is faithful. God’s faithfulness to people is evident in the commitment a couple makes to love each other for a lifetime. God’s love is passionate and joyful and intimate; and it is relected in the couple’s passion for each other. The intimacy enjoyed in marriage is sexual, emotional and spiritual. Because they share in God’s creative love a couple is privileged to share in the most exalted part of God’s creative work – the creation of another human being. Their generosity and love is surely a reflection of the Creator’s love when God first brought the world into being. It is impossible to totally understand the oneness of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. But it is possible to recognize the strength and beauty of a couple who is truly one. Each person is distinct and yet together they are a more complete whole.

Because marriage is a sacramental relationship of the utmost importance to the community and the Church, Espiritu Santo provides a Marriage Preparation Program for engaged couples.