Sacraments

Sacrament of Marriage

According to the Diocese of Pittsburgh, a couple must notify the parish priest no less than six months prior to the desired wedding dater. Pre-marriage instruction is required. This can be met by attending either the Diocese program or the Engaged Encounter week-end.

If a previous valid marriage recognized by the Roman Catholic Church exists an annulment must first be sought and received. After the interviewing priest agrees with the eligibility for the Sacrament of Marriage in the Catholic Church, the engaged couple completes an application to confirm the dates. If an annulment is required, no marriage can be scheduled until the Declaration of Nullity is received.

Weddings are scheduled at 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Only one wedding per weekend will be scheduled unless a visiting priest officiates. This can be a relative or friend of the family who is a priest in good standing.

Sacrament Baptism

Parents are the primary religious educators of their children. Since Baptism is the first Sacrament to be received, the church offers a pre-Baptism class to instruct parents about the Sacrament of Baptism. This allows for better understanding of the commitment they are making at the Baptism of their child.

Pre-Baptism classes are requires and will be held on the last Tuesday of the following months: January, March, May, July, September and November at 7:00 p.m. in the school library. Baptisms are usually celebrated on Sunday at 12:45 p.m. by appointment only. Class attendance can occur prior to the child’s birth. For registration information call the Parish Center-Rectory at 412-421-5766.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Reconciliation occurs on Tuesdays from 6:00-6:30 p.m. unless otherwise indicated in the church bulletin.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Please call the rectory office at 412-421-5766. Prior to a scheduled hospital admission, arrangements can be made for anointing of the sick by calling the rectory office. Please note that in-hospital patients should utilize the services of the hospital’s Catholic chaplain.

HOSPITAL AND HOME VISIT
Please call the rectory office at 412-421-5766. Any Sacraments should be administered by hospital chaplain.

 SPONSOR ELIGIBILITY
Catholic Sponsors and Sponsor Forms

I personally want to address the important role of the sponsor, which has caused my office and me some serious concerns. In the past, we have experienced situations that were embarrassing to me, my staff, the person requesting a sponsor form, and the family of the person needing a sponsor.

In order to avoid similar situations in the future, the following information will help determine sponsor eligibility. This information is a clear reflection of the Roman Catholic Church’s Canon Law and Directives, and not particular to St. Rosalia Parish or me as the pastor.

For a Roman Catholic to be eligible as a sponsor for the Sacraments of Baptism or Confirmation, he/she must meet the following requirements:

 Believe and accept all the teachings and doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church

·         Be at least sixteen years of age

·         Have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation

·         Attend Mass regularly on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, (This means more than Christmas, Easter, a funeral, or a wedding).

·         Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist regularly

·         If married, must have been validly and sacramentally married in the Catholic Church by a priest according to the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church

·         And be an active registered member of St. Rosalia Parish for at least three months. (If you were once a member of St. Rosalia Parish, but currently live outside the parish boundaries, you cannot be considered a current member of St. Rosalia Parish. This includes persons who were baptized and/or attended school or CCD at St. Rosalia Parish. If you are an adult, you must be registered at St. Rosalia Parish as an adult. An adult person’s parents’ current registration at St. Rosalia Parish is not considered in this matter. Also, if you were married at St. Rosalia Parish and did not join the parish after the marriage, you are not considered a present member of the parish.

·         If the Sacrament is being celebrated at St. Rosalia Parish, those who are not registered members of St. Rosalia Parish must provide St. Rosalia Parish with a sponsor form from the parish in which he/she is registered at.

In particular situations, for the Sacrament of Baptism only, parents may choose a baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic Christian Community, not as a sponsor but as a witness to the Baptism, along with a Catholic sponsor. This is fully explained at the Pre-Baptism class.

Please take into consideration all of these issues before selecting a person to be a sponsor and before contacting St. Rosalia Parish for a sponsor form. This will avoid any embarrassment for you, the St. Rosalia Parish office staff and myself.

Please keep in mind that a sponsor is not a representative of the family, a sponsor is a representative of the Church.

I hope this information is helpful to you. It is intended to clear up any misunderstandings or confusion that you may have and thus prevent repeated phone calls to the parish office for clarification. I urge all parishioners to share this information, especially with family members who mistakenly think they are indeed registered members of the parish.