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The Catholics of the
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston welcome you! We are a multi-cultural Church with
active members from every continent of the world. We pray and celebrate in over
25 languages on any given Sunday in our 160 parishes. There are over a million
Catholics in our archdiocese. We participate in activities of social justice,
support the good works of persons in other countries, prepare our children and
young people to be responsible members of the community and we do all this in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But just who are we?
Catholics are the largest single denomination among religions in the United
States. We have certain basic beliefs and practices which unite us with other
Catholics throughout the world. Many of our beliefs can be found in other
Christian religions but some are distinctively Catholic.
We believe that God is
the Creator of all things and that Jesus is the Son of God who was born on this
earth. Therefore we believe that Jesus has two natures: divine and human. Jesus
preached God’s message and brought God’s love to people. Jesus died and rose
from the dead. Catholics believe that Jesus’ presence continues in the world
through the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that there is
one God who is present in three Divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Our belief is that the
Church has the authority to teach and continue to discern the will of God
through the pope and the bishops. Catholics believe that the Scriptures contain
sacred revelation from God which forms the basis of our beliefs and our moral
code. Besides being people of the Bible we are also a people of tradition.
Tradition, for Catholics is more than a long history; we base our teachings also
on the faith experiences of the many people who have made up the Catholic Church
over the past twenty centuries.
We ritualize what we
believe through our celebrations of the seven sacraments of the Church. Through
the sacraments we are connected to the sacredness of life. The sacraments of
the Catholic Church are:
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Baptism:
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This is an initiation rite which
begins our journey by connecting us to a community of faith. It
is a ritual which includes pouring on of water, lighting a
candle for life and the presence of sponsors who promise to
guide the person on their journey of faith. |
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Eucharist:
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We celebrate a
ritual enactment of Jesus’ Last Supper. The priest repeats the
words of Jesus and the bread and wine are changed into the
actual body and blood of Christ. This sacrament is
sometimes referred to as Holy Communion. |
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Confirmation:
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This sacrament
deepens the process of initiation into the faith which began at
Baptism. It brings additional strength for the journey and
strengthens the connection with the faith community. The
candidate is anointed with oil as a sign of strength as a
Christian. |
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Penance:
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The sacrament is
also called Confession or reconciliation. Catholics are able to
bring themselves back into full grace through the forgiveness of
their sins. A process of self-reflection to identify some
patterns of behavior which “miss the mark” leads Catholics to
confess their sins to a priest. Then the priest, in Christ’s
name, offers forgiveness for those sins. |
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Marriage:
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Marriage is a
lasting relationship between a woman and a man which is seen as
an extension of the covenant relationship between God and his
people. In Catholic marriages there are three persons involved:
husband, wife and Jesus Christ. Catholic teaching is that
marriage is for life. |
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Holy Orders:
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The sacrament of Holy
Orders is the activity by which a man commits his life to serve the Church. Holy orders is a three-fold sacrament in
that it includes ordination to the diaconate, the priesthood and to the office
of Bishop. The deacon is ordained for service and can perform marriages,
baptisms, assist at the altar during Mass and performs other rituals in the
Church. When a man is ordained to the priesthood he is given the responsibility
and the power to offer Mass (the Eucharist), forgive sins, administer the other sacraments and care for the spiritual
lives of the people he serves. When a Bishop is ordained he accepts the responsibility to administer his diocese and has the personal jurisdiction as a successor of the apostles over the people in his diocese. |
Anointing
of the Sick: |
Previously
called “Extreme Unction”, this is a sacrament of healing for
either physical, emotional or spiritual illness. It is
meant to strengthen the spirit of those who are about to have
serious surgery, are seriously ill or are elderly and
frail. |
Catholics also have a special devotion and
reverence for Mary, the mother of Jesus. We believe that Mary was
chosen for this responsibility and was born free from original sin which
is present in all others who have been born. There are special
celebrations of Mary’s life and role throughout our Church year.
We believe that there is a continuation of life
after the death of our bodies. It is our belief that after our mortal
body dies, our soul lives on. If our life has been one of good rather
than evil, if we have tended to the least of God’s creatures, if we have
come to know and love God, then it is our belief that we will spend
eternity in the presence of our God.
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