Celebration of Sacraments at the Carmel of Jesus, Mary & Joseph in Kensington, CA

 
The chapel (or oratory) of the Carmelite Sisters in Kensington, CA, was established for the liturgical celebrations of and for the Carmelite Sisters. The chapel is not intended to supplant the faithful's participation in the sacramental life of their own proper parish. It is foreseen, however, that some individuals, such as family members, benefactors of the community, members of the First and Third Orders of the Carmelite family, may wish to have sacraments other than the celebration of the Eucharist, celebrated in this chapel.
 
The permissions for the celebration of the sacraments is hereby approved con limite by the Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland, the limits are spelled out below for each of the individual sacraments.
 
For all of the sacraments, however, the following must be done:

• Receipt of the permission of the Mother Superior of the Carmel or her delegate
• Receipt of the written confirmation by the proper pastor of the person receiving the sacrament (or their parent/legal guardian if applicable) that the person has received the appropriate preparation for the sacrament
• Receipt of the delegation (for Marriages) or permission of the pastor of St. Jerome Parish, El Cerrito, where the sacrament is to be registered
• The priest celebrating the sacrament must have cleared all of the requirements for ministry as established by the Diocese of Oakland and must have the proper faculties to celebrate the sacrament
• If the sacraments are to be celebrated in the Extraordinary Form, the priest must follow the approved liturgical books and rites and not mix fora. The same applies for the Ordinary Form of the sacraments.

 
It is suggested that the party to receive the sacrament and/or their family speak to Mother Superior at least four months before the date that you would like the sacrament to take place (at least nine months for the sacrament of Marriage because of Diocesan requirements). Sacraments celebrated at the Carmel are scheduled solely by Mother Superior and are not to disrupt the life of the Sisters.
 
All sacraments celebrated at the Carmel will be recorded in the parish records of St. Jerome Parish and the parish will issue certificates of the sacrament(s) received. Copies of the certificates are available from them upon request at:
 
Saint Jerome Catholic Church 308 Carmel Avenue
El Cerrito, CA 94530-3735 (510) 525-0876
http://stjeromeec.org/

The Sisters are free to set a free-will offering for the use of their chapel and facilities. This amount is to be set by Mother Superior, which should be in line with the general fee schedule of the Diocese of Oakland. The Sisters do not leave their cloister and do not celebrate, other than liturgically and with the permission of Mother Superior, in these sacramental celebrations. It is customary to provide your presiding priest with a stipend or honorarium following the ceremony.

Celebration of the Holy Mass
The Mother Superior of the Carmel is solely responsible for the scheduling of Masses for the benefit of the Sisters. The public may participate in the celebration of the Mass whenever the chapel is open to the public. The chapel is not intended to supplant the faithful's participation in the celebration of the Mass at their own proper parish.

Any priest recognized to be in good standing with the Diocese of Oakland is free to celebrate the Holy Mass at the Carmel. Other priests coming to the Carmel for a single celebration of a Mass are required to present a recently-issued celebret or a Letter of Good Standing from his Ordinary or Religious Superior to Mother Superior. Extern priests who will be offering Mass on a more regular basis are to contact the Chancellor's office.
 
Infant Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism welcomes a newborn into the family of the Catholic Church and into a parish community. Therefore, it is highly recommended that your baby is baptized where you currently worship on Sundays.
 
Any Catholic may have their child baptized at the Carmel after following the requirements of their local parish and/or diocese. After all requirements at the parish have been satisfied, you should request a letter of permission from your parish pastor. Baptism preparation classes are not done at the Carmel.
 
The celebration of Infant Baptisms in the Extraordinary Form (Ceremonies of Baptism) is done separately from all other sacraments (except in pericolo mortus); the Ordinary Form can be celebrated within the celebration of the Ordinary Form Mass or separately.
 

Canon Law Requirements:

• At least one parent must be a Roman Catholic
• Consent of both parents or the responsible/custodial parent or guardian
• An assurance that the child will be brought up as a Catholic.

• A child 7 years or older must be prepared for Baptism through their own parish religious education program.

Regarding Godparents: 

There may not be more than two godparents, one male and one female. However, only one godparent is required. Godparents must be active practicing Catholics who have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. If godparents are married, they must have a valid marriage as recognized by the Church. Godparents must have a form signed by their pastor stating they are qualified to be godparents, and the form should have  the parish seal. The form should be returned to the parents who then submit it. In addition to one qualified Catholic godparent, there could be a Christian Witness, someone of another faith tradition who has never been Catholic. It should be further noted that the godparents you select will make the Profession of Faith in the child's name at the Baptism and accept the responsibility of instructing the child in the Faith, especially if the parents fail in this duty.

 
Adult Baptism
Anyone over the age of seven (or the "age of reason") are considered as "adults" for the Sacrament of Baptism. Given the special preparation needed for adult baptism (i.e. a more rigorous sacramental religious education program for those ages 7-18 or the RCIA program for those who are over the age of 18) it is not foreseen that these baptisms would be celebrated at the Carmel.
 
Eucharist - First Communion
First Communion preparation for children normally takes place in 2 ^nd grade within the religious education program of the individual's local parish. The Sisters do not offer religious education classes. If an individual wishes to receive First Communion for himself or herself, or for their child, after all requirements at their parish have been satisfied, a letter of permission from your parish pastor must be presented to Mother Superior.
 
Confirmation
Given the nature of the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is normally done by the Diocesan Bishop, and that the Sisters do not offer religious education/confirmation classes, it is expected that this sacrament will be celebrated at the individual's proper parish. Requests for an individual exception to this must be made to the Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland. Without the written permission of the Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland, priests or other Bishops are specifically forbidden from celebrating this sacrament at the Carmel.
 
Sacrament of Reconciliation
As there is no permanent chaplain on site, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered only when a priest is present and able to celebrate the sacrament. The Sisters are not responsible for arranging this sacrament for individuals. Individual and communal reconciliation services are available at all of the local parishes at their regularly scheduled times.
 
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
As there is no permanent chaplain on site, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is offered only when a priest is present and able to celebrate the sacrament The Sisters are not responsible for arranging this sacrament for individuals.