“Baptism in the Family of God” is our baptismal preparation program designed to provide parents with an incredible encounter with Jesus and the Church. This program will prepare parents for the Baptism of their child and give them the tools they need to raise their child in the Faith. Through this program, parents will learn what it means to be children of God and that in the church, they will always have a place where they belong.

Children 10 Years old or Younger

For more information or to register call Charlotte Dickey at 850-303-1200 or via e-mail charlotte.dickey@saintjohnpc.org

Children Over 10 Years Old

Children older than 10-11 years old (approximately 5th grade and above) receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first communion all at once, similar to the process for adults. For more information or to register your child, contact Dot Wagner at youth@saintjohnpc.org.

Adults

Adults receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first communion at the same time after completing an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Contact the parish office at 850-763-1821 or via email at saintjohnpc@saintjohnpc.org for more information.

In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is"sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit" and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ. Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.  . . .  We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service (USCCB, 2024).

In the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. The whole Christ is truly present -- body, blood, soul, and divinity -- under the appearances of bread and wine, the glorified Christ who rose from the dead. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist (USCCB, 2024).

Preparations for First Holy Communion

Preparations for first holy communion for children under age 10 are done through the “Living Liturgically” program ran by our religious education director, Charlotte Dickey.

For more information, contact Charlotte Dickey at 850-303-1200 or via e-mail charlotte.dickey@saintjohnpc.org.

Children Over 10 Years old

Children older than 10-11 years old (approximately 5th grade and above) receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first communion all at once, similar to the process for adults. For more information or to register your child, contact Dot Wagner at youth@saintjohnpc.org.

Adults Receiving First Holy Communion

Adults receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first communion at the same time after completing an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Contact the parish office at 850-763-1821 or via email at saintjohnpc@saintjohnpc.org for more information.

Penance is an experience of the gift of God's boundless mercy.

Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church.  The Sacrament of Penance is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven.  In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins.  With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28) (USCCB, 2024).

First Reconciliation

Preparation for children under age 10 is done through the “Living Liturgically” program. Contact Charlotte Dickey at 850-303-1200 or via e-mail charlotte.dickey@saintjohnpc.org.

RECONCILIATION (Confessions)

Tuesdays and Thursdays:

4:30-5:20 p.m.

Saturdays:

10:00-11:00 a.m.

3:00-4:15 p.m.

2nd Sunday of the month “Second Chance Sunday”:

after Mass

...and by appointment

Send an email to confession@saintjohnpc.org (Emails go directly to Fr. Kennell)

Examination of Conscience

Click the button below to view our examination of conscience handout.

Sacred Scripture begins with the creation and union of man and woman and ends with "the wedding feast of the Lamb" (Rev 19:7, 9). Scripture often refers to marriage, its origin and purpose, the meaning God gave to it, and its renewal in the covenant made by Jesus with his Church.  Man and woman were created for each other.

By their marriage, the couple witnesses Christ's spousal love for the Church. One of the Nuptial Blessings in the liturgical celebration of marriage refers to this in saying, "Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church." 

The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between persons. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy (USCCB, 2024).

Where to Begin

Please make an appointment with the priest or deacon by contacting the parish office through phone call or email prior to setting the date, at least 6 months in advance.

The priest will walk you through next steps.

Looking to have your marriage convalidated?

If you have received your sacraments, but were not married in a Catholic Church, we would love to convalidate your marriage! Convalidation is a formal means of recognizing your marriage as a sacrament within the Church.

Please reach out to the parish office for more information.

From the moment of Jesus' conception in the womb of Mary until his Resurrection, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In biblical language, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and thus established by God the Father as our high priest. As Risen Lord, he remains our high priest. . . . While all the baptized share in Christ's priesthood, the ministerial priesthood shares this through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in a special way. 

Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God. Christ reminded his Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest.  Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God's call using the words of the prophet, "Here I am, send me" (Is 6:8).  This call from God can be recognized and understood from the daily signs that disclose his will to those in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate (USSCB, 2024).

In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.

The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.

When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age (USCCB, 2024).

What to do if you or a loved one is in need of last rites

If you or a loved one is in need of last rites, please call the parish office at 850-763-1821. If it is outside of office hours, the voicemail will give you directions on how to notify the priest and direct you to the appropriate line.