Sacraments: History, Theology, & Practice Class
October 2023 – May 2024 (dates below) | 7:00 PM
Back by popular demand, Dr. Mary Dumm will teach an eight week class on the sacraments of the Catholic Church!
We celebrate the Sacraments every week. We celebrate them at special, God-arranged times in our lives. But, what do they mean? Where do we find them in the Scriptures? How can we more deeply enter into these sacred mysteries?
The Sacraments are central to being Catholic. This year we will take some time to uncover and reflect on each of the seven sacraments. Classes will take place one Tuesday a month at 7 PM (dates below, along with reading materials). If inclement weather, we will meet on Zoom. Two hours is a short amount of time, but hopefully it will give you some space to learn their history, growth and changes and to think about these sacred moments in your life.
Please register by contacting the Parish Office or clicking the button below.
Meeting Dates & Topics:
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 – Introduction to and Overview of Sacramental Theology
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 – Sacrament of Baptism
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 – Sacrament of Confirmation
Tuesday, January 2, 2024 – Sacrament of Eucharist
Tuesday, February 13, 2024 – Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 – Sacrament of Marriage
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – Sacrament of Holy Orders
Books:
I’ve chosen 3 books. Don’t panic. Pick the one which will best answer the questions you have. You only need to choose one book. The rest is reference.
- Martos, Joseph. Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to the Sacraments in the Catholic Church. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori/Triumph, 2013. (or 2001 or even 1991, electronic or good old fashioned paper). Choose this one if you’re interested in history. It is THE classic book on the history of the sacraments. The text is easy to read, but it will also be the most reading. The newer edition has internet stuff too. There is also a large bibliography. This one shows we got from Jesus to the way we do sacraments today.
- Stasiak, OSB, Kurt, Sacramental Theology: Means of Grace, Way of Life (Catholic Basics: A Pastoral Ministry Series) Loyola Press, 2001. This book has a lot of background information on sacramental theology in general. The chapters on baptism and Eucharist are longer. However, the rest of the sacraments each just get a few pages. There are reflection questions on the end of each chapter.
- Santa, Thomas M., The Essential Catholic Handbook of the Sacraments: A Summary of Beliefs, Rites, and Prayers, A Redemptorist Pastoral Publication. Liguori, 2001. Short, concise, just the basics. A fine companion to the books above too. There is a little bit of history and well as prayers and meditations.
All are available in electronic or paper format. Check amazon, the book publisher site or your favorite bookseller.
I’ll also give you the sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and the US Catholic Catechism, for Adults from the US Bishops on the sacraments. Again, you don’t have to do it all, but it’ll be a good reference. Reading schedule for classes and book information document can be found by clicking the button above.