Liturgy & Sacraments
First Sacraments
St. Barbara Parish offers the sacraments of First Eucharist and First Reconciliation. We welcome our children to the table of the Lord in a family-friendly process.
Requirements:
. Children must be baptized. A copy of the baptismal certificate is required.
. Children must be registered in the Faith Formation program.
To register, click below.
High School Confirmation — Year 1 and Year 2
Every other Wednesday night — 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. — September 25 through May
Confirmation is a two-year program in which doctrine, spiritual formation, works of charity, and liturgical celebrations are integrated throughout the year. Through prayers, retreats, classes, small group discussion, and service projects, young people will learn to recognize and understand the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives and be able to identify themselves as active members of the community. Confirmation candidates must be at least in 9th grade and the earliest they can be confirmed is the spring of 10th grade.
To register, click below.
Reconciliation
In this Sacrament of healing — also known as “confession” or “penance,” we are reconciled to God, to the Church, and to others. It is Christ who forgives us our wrong and heals our wounded hearts. In the Roman Catholic tradition, we name our sins before the priest, who represents Christ and “bringing us His forgiveness, absolves us from our sins” in the name of the Lord. (The priest is under the “seal” of confession and may not, under any circumstances whatsoever, disclose to anyone what has been said).
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated every Saturday in private confession available from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM in the Old Mission Church. (Access is through the side doors of the church near the iron gate.) Penitents have the option of face-to-face confession, or behind a screen).
We also schedule regular Penitential Services for the celebration in cooperation with other parishes in the City. These are organized during the Advent and Lenten seasons and may take place in the Old Mission Church or at another designated location. Priests are also available by appointment. For more information please contact the parish office at (805 )682-4151, ext. 102 or email parishoffice@saintbarbaraparish.org.
Marriage
Matrimony is a sacrament and as such it is a sign to the world of the invisible God living in our midst – the living God who bears fruit in the lives of two people. They are a continued sign of his power in the world. There is a special grace and power within every couple God has joined together. Everything they do, singly or together, is a living out of their sacrament. Married life is the ground of holiness, love is the seed planted by God.
St. Barbara Parish welcomes marriage inquiries. We all know that wedding preparation can be stressful. Good communication and planning can go a long way towards relieving the stress, and we are here to help and to accompany you during the process. For detailed information regarding our wedding policies and procedures, please complete and submit our online Contact Us form, and choose Wedding as the topic in the dropdown menu.
Whether you have been a life-long parishioner with deep family roots in our community or are coming to us for the first time, we hope that you will feel at home with us here at Saint Barbara Parish and at the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara. We know that you share with us a deep appreciation of this most beautiful, peace-filled, and holy place where people have come for more than 225 years to give God thanks for the blessings of their lives.
For more information, please contact the parish office at parishoffice@saintbarbaraparish.org or (805) 682-4151