St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish of Lumberton, NC

Sacraments

Baptism

Baptism for registered parishioners will be scheduled by the Priest after completion of the Baptismal Preparation Sessions. Call the Office (910)739-4723. 


The Sacrament of Baptism Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, 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 sharers in her mission: Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.  Baptism, the first and fundamental sacrament and the gate to the other sacraments, is the purifying and sanctifying sacrament of rebirth. It is the means by which its recipients are incorporated into the church in a sacramental bond of unity.
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Reconciliation

The sacrament of reconciliation is celebrated on Saturdays from 3:00 - 4:30 pm or by appointment with the Priest.


Has it been a while since you or your family has experienced forgiving power of the Lord through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation?  ​There is no time like the present to purify your heart.
Here's how to do it:
(Before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, be sure to prepare with an Examination of Conscience.  Click HERE for an Examination of Conscience Guide)


  • Enter the confessional.  The priest greets us, and we pray the Sign of the Cross.
  • We confess our sins.  The priests may help and counsel us.
  • The priests gives us a penance to perform.
  • The priests asks us to express our sorrow, usually by reciting the Act of Contrition.
  • We receive absolution.  The priests says, "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  We respond, "Amen."
  • The priest dismisses us by saying, "Go in peace."  We go forth to perform the act of penance he has given us.


Holy Eucharist

The Sacrament of the Eucharist The Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.

Confirmation

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "sacraments of Christian initiation, whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.  By a signing with the gift of the Spirit, confirmation enriches the baptized with the Holy Spirit, binding them more perfectly to the Church, and strengthening them in their witness to Christ by word and deed and in their work to bring to its fullness the Body of Christ. Confirmation is conferred through anointing with chrism and the laying on of hands.


Marriage

Contact Pastor six months before your wedding date.

The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its 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.  The Church has a rich tradition in its teaching on sacramental marriage and covenantal union. The Old Testament authors write of God making a covenant with the chosen people and promising them that they will never be forsaken. The New Testament authors write of Jesus as the new covenant and compare the relationship of Jesus with the Church to the relationship of a husband and wife. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership for the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.


Anointing of the Sick

Conferred upon request prior to surgery or at any time of illness.   Please notify the office or the rectory to advise us of illness or hospitalization of family members or others you hold dear. We have ministers who will visit the homebound and infirmed and bring the Eucharist, if desired. If you know of someone who should be included in the bulletin prayer list, please contact the office no later than Wednesday for inclusion in the weekend bulletin.


This sacrament is not only for those who are at the point of death, but for anyone who is seriously ill. A person does not have to wait until the illness is so grave that he or she is in the hospital or institutionalized to celebrate the sacrament.  Through the sacrament of anointing, Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by illness, providing them with the strongest means of support. Jesus showed great concern for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the sick and commanded his followers to do the same. The celebration of this sacrament is an opportunity for the deepening of the faith of the community who are able to witness the faith and devotion of those being anointed.


Holy Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate (bishop), presbyterate (priest), and diaconate (deacon).


PLEASE NOTE: Preparation & documents for any Sacrament are by appointment only. Please contact the Church office by phone *(910)739-4723* or email *office@stfrancisdesalescatholic.org* and we will promptly help you schedule for any of your needs.

OFFICE HOURS

(Bilingual hours are in black):

  • Monday- CLOSED
  • Tuesday - 8:30 am - 1:00 pm / 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday - Temporarily Closed
  • Thursday - 8:30 am - 1:00 pm / 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
  • Friday - 8:30 am - 1:30 pm