Worship

Worship & Sacraments

Through the sacraments, God's grace touches every stage of life. At St. Mary's we celebrate the seven sacraments of the Church.

The Sacraments

The seven sacraments

The sacraments are celebrated in three families — Initiation, Healing, and Service. To arrange a baptism, marriage, or other sacrament, please contact the Parish Office.

Contact the Parish Office

Sacraments of Initiation

The carved wooden baptismal font, bearing a dove and Chi-Rho, beside the paschal candle and the parish's large natural rock.

Baptism

Baptism is the foundation and the prerequisite for all other sacraments. It unites us with Jesus Christ, incorporates us into his redemptive death on the Cross — thereby freeing us from the power of Original Sin and all personal sins — and causes us to rise with him to a life without end. Since Baptism is a covenant with God, the individual must say “Yes” to it. In the baptism of children, the parents and godparents confess the Faith on behalf of the children.

Any person who is not yet baptized can be baptized. The only prerequisite for Baptism is faith, which must be professed publicly at the Baptism.

Contact the parish office at [email protected] or call 613-257-1284 if you are interested in receiving the sacrament of Baptism for yourself or your child.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1246–1254

Contact the office
Light pouring through open wooden double doors into the parish gathering area.

Confirmation

Confirmation is the sacrament that completes Baptism; in it the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon us. Anyone who freely decides to live a life as God’s child, and asks for God’s Spirit under the signs of the imposition of hands and anointing with chrism, receives the strength to witness to God’s love and might in word and deed. This person is now a full-fledged, responsible member of the Catholic Church.

If you are an adult and have never been confirmed, do not hesitate to contact Katelyn to inquire about the process by which you can be “strengthened” through the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation as you seek to follow Jesus Christ in his Church.

If your child is between grades 6–8 and attending a local Catholic school, please contact Katelyn to inquire about the local accompaniment offered. If your child attends a public school, we offer classes of sacramental preparation so that you and your child can grow together in faith. Please contact the parish office at 613-257-1284 or [email protected] to begin your journey.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1285–1314

Stained-glass panel showing Christ in red vestments standing at a draped altar, raising the host above a golden chalice.

Eucharist

By Holy Communion, we mean receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in the transformed (consecrated) gifts of bread and wine. We also call this sacrament “Holy Eucharist.”

All Catholics — properly disposed in faith and morals, and who have been initiated through their First Communion — are invited to participate in the sharing of communion in Christ’s Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Do not hesitate to come to confession to better dispose yourself to receive Jesus.

We receive the tradition of Holy Eucharist from Jesus himself, who celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples and therein anticipated his death; he gave himself to his disciples under the signs of bread and wine and commanded them to celebrate the Eucharist: “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24).

Sacraments of Healing

Narthex hallway showing the confessional/reconciliation room entrance with purple stole hung on door, an examination-of-conscience literature table, wall clock, exit sign, and potted plants on burgundy carpet Clear, in-focus, informative but visually busy (exit sign, wall clock, pedestal plant, paper handouts) — reads more administrative than serene. Useful documentary shot of the reconciliation room location; not a strong hero image. Slight wide-angle distortion from close framing.

Reconciliation

Once a Catholic has reached the age of reason, he or she is obliged to confess all their serious sins. The Church urgently advises the faithful to continue to confess at least once a year, especially at Easter. If a Catholic carries a serious sin upon their soul, he or she must go to confession before receiving Holy Communion.

We are obliged to confess because sin separates us not only from God, but also from others and the Church. When we receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, we make the decision to leave behind what divides us from others and to re-enter into communion with Christ, the Church, and loved ones.

Have you been away from receiving Holy Communion for many months, or longer? Do you feel hungry for God’s grace and wish to receive absolution from your sins before receiving Jesus? Come with your broken, anxious, and burdened hearts before Jesus to receive his grace.

Father schedules other confession times as well, and occasionally a listed time must be removed on a particular week. Check the live calendar on the home page of our website to stay updated, or contact the parish office at 613-257-1284 to arrange a confession outside these times.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1457

The parish's Our Lady of Ransom banner: Mary in a pale veil holding the child Jesus.

Anointing of the Sick

If your loved one is sick, in a serious health condition, awaiting surgery, or dying, contact Katelyn if there is time to plan for Father to come to your home, hospital, or long-term care home (in collaboration with the staff of the facility) to dispense the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. In an emergency, do not hesitate to contact Father at 613-214-9154.

The Anointing of the Sick imparts consolation, peace, and strength, and unites the sick person — in his or her precarious situation and sufferings — with Christ in a profound way. For the Lord experienced our fears and bore our pains in his body. For many people the Anointing brings about physical healing; but if God should decide to call someone home to himself, this sacrament offers strength for all the physical and spiritual battles of their final journey.

If you require the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for the dying, even in the middle of the night, please call the parish office at 613-214-9154 to get ahold of Father.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1520–1523, 1532

Sacraments of Service

View down the central aisle toward the altar, with rows of seating on both sides and a crucifix window at the far end.

Marriage

Congratulations on your engagement! How beautiful is your commitment to love your future spouse for a lifetime. Please contact Father shortly after your engagement, and before you book your venue. If you wish to enter into a Catholic wedding, we offer to accompany you intentionally toward your wedding day through a series of sessions with Father.

It is paramount that you inquire at least six months — and ideally a year — before you set a desired wedding date, so that we can provide the context to make an informed decision about the process and the nature of the commitment you wish to make with your future spouse.

A Catholic wedding does not always include the giving and receiving of the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Great respect and honour will be given to your fiancé(e) if he or she is not Catholic or not baptized. You can still prepare and plan a Catholic wedding as long as one of you is a baptized Catholic and you are willing to do your best (while respecting your spouse) to baptize and raise any children of your union as Catholics. Your future spouse will not be required to become Catholic, but will not be denied that possibility either.

The wedding must take place in a Catholic church, with a Catholic priest or deacon officiating, unless a dispensation is granted by the bishop of the diocese in which you reside (please note that a dispensation will not be granted for an outdoor wedding). Because God himself forms the bond of sacramental marriage, it is binding until the death of one of the partners.

What is your next step? Simply contact the parish office at [email protected] or call 613-257-1284 to book a meeting with Father shortly after your engagement and before booking your venue.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1625–1631

The sanctuary: a stone altar flanked by reading stands, beneath a crucifix and a stained-glass window of the Crucifixion.

Holy Orders

Through Baptism, Christ has made us into a kingdom of “priests to his God and Father” (Revelation 1:6). Through the universal priesthood, every Christian is called to work in the world in God’s name and to bring blessing and grace to it. During the Last Supper, and when he commissioned the apostles, Christ equipped some with a sacred authority to serve the faithful; these ordained priests represent Christ as pastors of his people and as head of his Body, the Church.

A Catholic priest who administers the sacraments acts not on the basis of his own power or moral perfection, but rather “in persona Christi.” Through his ordination, the transforming, healing, saving power of Christ is grafted onto him. Because a priest has nothing of his own, he is above all a servant.

If you feel a burning call — as a young or mature man — to serve Christ Jesus in the priesthood, please consider a conversation with Father; contact the parish office at 613-257-1284 or [email protected]. If you are interested in discerning a vocation to the priesthood, please contact the Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Kingston.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1546–1553, 1592

Contact the Vocations Director

Fr. Jan Kusyk

Director of Vocations

613-542-2377[email protected]

Fr. Jan Kusyk, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Kingston, smiling, in a clerical collar.

Mass & Confession Times

See our full weekly schedule of Masses, confessions, and adoration.

View the schedule

Funerals

Funeral planning & legacy giving

In a time of loss, our parish family is here to walk with you. We help you plan a funeral that celebrates the life of your loved one and commends them to God’s mercy.

To make arrangements, please contact the Parish Office.

Contact the office