Anointing of the Sick
The Sacrament should be celebrated at the beginning of a serious illness. Please notify the Parish Office when a parishioner is hospitalized. If you are unable to attend mass and wish to receive Holy Communion call the Parish Office to make arrangements for regular visits.
Baptism
Please begin by reviewing the information below.
The steps involved include:
- Calling Stacy Golden at 443-261-0105 who will take information about you and your family and your goals for baptism.
- Attending the Baptismal Preparation Class if you have not attended it in the past 2 years or attended the class at another parish.
- Selecting Godparents and providing documentation that they are eligible to serve.
- Arranging a date for the baptism.
Canon Law allows for two (2) Godparents of Record - One female and one male.
Catholics serving as Godparents must:
- Be mature enough to undertake this responsibility.
- Have received the three sacraments of initiation, namely Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
- Be at least 16 years old (or have the pastors permission).
- Know the fundamentals of the faith and be a practicing Catholic who goes to Mass on Sunday.
- Be canonically free to carry out the office (e.g., if married, married in the Catholic church).
- Not be parents of the child.
A baptized, practicing Christian of another denomination can serve in place of one of the Catholic Godparents, provided there is a Catholic Godparent. However, a non-confirmed or non-practicing Catholic cannot serve as the second Godparent, even if there is a confirmed, practicing Catholic Godparent.
Being a Godparent is not just an honor given to a good friend or relative. Being a Godparent requires a real appreciation and personal practice of the faith, as well as a sense of responsibility toward the person being baptized. Therefore, one should not ask a relative to be a Godparent simply because he or she is a relative. A good rule of thumb in selecting Godparents is to ask if they would be a good coach to help your child become a disciple of Jesus and a faithful Catholic.
It is the policy of St. John's that each Catholic Godparent provide a certification of eligibility. This verification can be obtained from his or her CURRENT parish office and should be turned in to St. Johns at least 2 weeks prior to the baptism. To obtain one, have the Godparent call his/her Church office, explain that he/she has been asked to be a Godparent and ask for some kind of statement that he/she is eligible to serve as a Godparent. Many parishes have forms specifically for this, occasionally a parish writes a letter. Whatever they normally do is acceptable to us.
Baptisms are scheduled on Saturdays at Noon. We hold a communal Baptism ceremony on most weekends. These services include just the Baptism, and does not include a full Mass or fulfill your weekly Sunday Mass oblgation.
Although it is ideal to have your child baptized at your home parish, we understand that there may be circumstances in which it would be more convenient for a relative if the baptism were here at St. John's. We ask that you go through the baptismal preparation process at your home church and get a letter from them giving our parish permission to perform the baptism.
If you have questions that were not addressed above, please contact Stacy Golden at 443-261-0105 or email.
First Eucharist
Information about First Eucharist Preparation will be distributed to families of children participating in our Faith Formation program and those enrolled in our parish school who are parishioners.
Reconciliation
Confessions are held Saturdays from 3:45 to 4:45 pm. Priests are available for the Sacrament anytime by appointment.
Information about First Reconciliation preparation will be distributed to families of children participating in our Faith Formation program and those enrolled in our parish school who are parishioners.
Confirmation
Information about our Confirmation preparation process will be distributed to families of youth who have participated in our Faith Formation program and those who were enrolled in our parish school who are parishioners.
Adults who have not been confirmed should contact Fr. Michael Rubeling at the Parish Center at 410-647-4884 to set up an appointment to discuss the preparation process. Additionally, these adults are encouraged to participate in Alpha if they have not yet done so.
Holy Orders / Vocations
Links for information about Holy Orders
- Become a Priest by the Archdiocesan Vocations Office
- Information on Permanent Deacons
- Sisters of St. Joseph
Marriage
Couples planning to marry must contact one of the Priests or Deacons 9 to 12 months prior to the tentative date of marriage. Participation in Witness to Love, our marriage preparation program is required. Call the parish office to be put in touch with a Priest or Deacon.
While recognizing that with the exchange of marital vows God takes two persons and makes them one flesh, the Church knows that there are times when an element necessary for a valid marriage is missing. If a person claims that something was missing from a marriage to make it invalid, that person has the right to seek the assistance of a tribunal.
Most often the person asking for a declaration of nullity (commonly referred to as an annulment) will be a Catholic or a person who is now seeking to marry a Catholic. Information on the annulment process can be obtained from the archdiocesan website or by calling the marriage tribunal office. For a quick intro to the subject, and to avoid much misinformation, read 12 Myths about Marriage Annulments in the Catholic Church.