“ 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 them to contribute to the good of the
People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and
Death of Christ.” (CCC 14990)

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua-(Cf. Council of Florence: DS 1314: vitae spiritualis ianua)), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharer in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” (CCC #1213)

Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift…We call it gift, grace,anointing, enlightenment, garment of mortality, bath of rebirth seal, and mostprecious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who
are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; seal as it is our guard and the sign of God’s Lordship. (CCC #1216)

If you wish to have your child baptized here at St. Ann’s the following guidelines will be helpful for you.

1)Parents need to be registered members of St. Ann Parish for a minimum of three months and be attending Mass regularly here.

2)A meeting will be scheduled with the Pastor or a delegate and the parents
to discuss the coming baptism.

3)Participation in a Baptismal Preparation Program is necessary. These are held on the first Sunday of the month at 1 PM in the Parish Center.

4)After all paperwork (especially Sponsor Certificates) are received
a date for the Baptism can be set.

For further information please call the Parish at (860) 582-8169.

“Christ, whom the Father hallowed and sent into the world, has, through his
apostles, made their successors, the bishops namely, sharers in his consecration and mission; and these, in their turn, duly entrusted in varying degrees various members of the Church with the office of their ministry.”(LG 28; cf. Jn 10:36)

“The function of the bishops’ ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcopal order for the proper
fulfillment of the the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ.”(PO 2 S 2.)(CCC #1562)

“ Because it is joined with the episcopal order the office of priests shares in the authority by which Christ himself builds up and sanctifies and rules his Body. Hence the priesthood of priests, while presupposing the sacraments of initiation, is nevertheless conferred by its own particular sacrament. Through that sacrament priests by the anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed
with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the head.” (PO 2.)(CCC #1563)

No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Indeed no one claims this office for himself; he is called to it by God.(Cf. Heb 5:4.)Anyone who thinks he recognizes the signs of God’s call to the ordained ministry must humbly submit
his desire to the authority of the Church, who has the responsibility and right to call someone to receive orders. Like every grace this sacrament can be received only as
an unmerited gift. (CCC #1578)

“ The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by 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.”(CCC #1601)

Marriage is a sacrament that unites a man and a woman in an unbreakable union for love and to share that love with and through children.

Couples seeking to receive this Sacrament at St. Ann’s need to be registered members in the parish (that is, at least one of the individuals making up the couple needs to be a registered member.)

For further information please call the Parish at (860) 582-8169.

The following are some practical details that may be helpful:

1) All of the parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford follow a common policy which includes a six-month advance notification of the parish, the FOCCUS Inventory(an indicator of matters needing discussion prior to marriage), and a meeting with other engaged couples.

2) You need three records: a recent copy of your baptismal certificate (issues within six months prior to the date of the wedding) from your church of Baptism (unless you were baptized here at Saint Ann’s), and at least the dates of your First Communion and Confirmation (for Catholics only).

3) If either of you is under twenty years of age, you must meet with a professional marriage counselor at Catholic Family Services.

4)As for civil requirements, you must obtain your marriage license here in Bristol to be married at Saint Ann’s. To do that you must have a blood test, and within thirty-five days of the test, you apply for the license at the office of the Town Clerk. The marriage license is good for a maximum of sixty-five days.

5)The wedding ceremony itself requires a Nuptial Mass for marriage between two Catholics. If one of you is not a Catholic, then a Scripture ceremony is appropriate and the person of another religious tradition may have his/her minister take part in the ceremony.

6)The music for the wedding ceremony is supplied by Ken Ferris. You should contact him at (860) 675-3915 to make arrangements concerning the musical program and his fee.

7)The Church fee is $225 and includes the use of the church building and FOCCUS Inventory. Part of this is payable at the time you take the FOCCUS Inventory ($55) and the remainder is due at the rehearsal. You may pay the fee in full earlier if you wish. However, if you participate in the Engaged Couples Encounter Weekend, the church fee will be waived.

8)The flowers and white runner for the center aisle, if you want them, are supplied to you. In terms of flowers, you may prefer one large fresh floral arrangement or two smaller ones. It is deemed inappropriate to remove flowers form the church after the ceremony.

9)The wedding rehearsal usually takes place the evening before the wedding. At that time you ought to bring the marriage license (we must have it before the ceremony).

Please read the booklet for engaged couples that will be supplied to you at your first meeting with the priest or deacon. It will explain things in greater detail. Note, too, that weddings will be arranged no closer than two hours apart and not later than 1:00 PM on Saturdays.

You will also have the opportunity to choose the Scripture readings and other options for your marriage ceremony from a book that will be supplied to you.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is not available at the wedding rehearsal. We therefore encourage you, as well as, the members of your wedding party and family to go to Confession in preparation for this celebration, the week before.

We wish you well in your preparation to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage.

R.C.I.A (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Anyone interested in becoming Catholic, please call the parish office

Reconciliation
Saturday 2:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.

Anytime by appointment