The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. That is what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.

 

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work; it is he who baptises, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies".

 

These seven sacraments are:

 

• The Sacrament of Baptism

• The Sacrament of Confirmation

• The Sacrament of Holy Communion (known as First Holy Communion for first timers)

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation ( Confession)

• The Sacrament of Marriage

• The Sacrament of Holy Orders

• The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (traditionally known as the Last Rites)

 

To learn more about each individual sacrament please visit thier individual pages.