Sacrament

What is a sacrament?

From the Baltimore Catechism: "A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace."

There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church:

• Baptism
• Reconciliation
• Holy Eucharist
• Confirmation
• Holy Orders
• Matrimony
• Anointing of the Sick

Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation are called the Sacraments of Initiation and are normally received all at once by adult converts. Yet even though all three are called Sacraments of Initiation, a person only needs to receive the sacrament of Baptism to be considered a full-fledged member of the Catholic Church.

The sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders can only be received once, since they are believed to leave an indelible mark on the person. Thus, when a person converts to Catholicism from another Christian religion after having already been baptized, the person is not re-baptized unless there is reason to believe that the original baptism was invalid.