St. Joan of Arc Parish Visitor’s Guide
Our Visitor’s Guide is located on the credenza just inside the main entrance of the church. Please feel free to stop by and pick up a copy.
New Parishioner Registration
Welcome! Registration forms for new parishioners can be found on the credenza by the main entrance. Once you have filled them out, they can be dropped off at the black mailbox in the credenza closet. Alternatively, you can download a form here and e-mail it to our secretary at contact@stjoanarc.com
Join us for Holy Mass: We welcome all newcomers, whether you are familiar with the Traditional Rite or not. You can find a list of Mass and Confession times here.
Need to contact someone? You can access a list of contacts within the Parish by following this link.
Attire
Attire is just one of many ways in which we show outwardly our profound respect for Our Lord. Our external appearance should reflect our internal disposition. Current worldly fashions are a poor guide to properly reverencing our King of Kings, so the following guidelines are offered as a helpful resource to our parishioners:
appropriately on Church premises and especially while attending Mass.
Women should dress in modest clothing, preferably in a knee-length dress or skirt. Tight-fitting or revealing clothing, including miniskirts, sleeveless and low-cut tops, is not considered appropriate church attire. It is also customary (though not necessary) for women to cover their heads with a veil or similar head covering such as a hat or scarf in the church proper. (Extra veils are available at both entrances to the church should you require one.)
Men whenever possible and especially at Sunday Mass, should wear a collared shirt and long, non-denim pants, preferably with a jacket and tie. T-shirts, shirts with distracting logos or lettering, shorts, and flip-flops are not appropriate. However, if work or travel necessitates clothing not in conformity to the aforementioned standards (e.g. blue jeans) this need not deter you from attending Mass during the week.
Mass and Confession Guidelines
Guidelines for the 1962 Liturgy of the Mass
Missals: For your convenience, St. Edmund Campion Daily Missals are available throughout the pews and provide the readings for Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days throughout the year. If you would like to follow along with the weekly liturgy, which changes from day to day, you might consider investing in a daily missal that conforms to the 1962 liturgy.
Guidelines for the Sacrament of Confession
Confession, as with all the other sacraments at St. Joan’s, is administered in Latin; and the priest sits behind a screen while the penitent kneels. The steps to Confession are:
- After entering the confessional, kneel down facing the screen with the priest on the opposite side.
- Make the sign of the cross. (The priest will do the same in Latin: In nomine Patri…et Spiritus Sancti.)
- Say the following: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned; it has been [however long] since my last confession.”
- Confess your sins to the priest (Mortal sins must be confessed in kind and number)
- Conclude by saying, “ I am sorry for these sins and for all the sins of my past life.”
- The priest will give advice (if necessary) and assign a penance to be performed after leaving.
- Recite the Act of Contrition. (During this time, the Priest will be reciting quietly in Latin.)
- Finally, the Priest will give you absolution (in Latin) and dismiss you.
If at any time you have a question or find yourself stuck, the priest will kindly help you along.
Guidelines for the Reception of Holy Communion
Holy Communion at St. Joan’s is received exclusively kneeling and on the tongue, and Our Lord is administered only under the species of Bread. There is no need to say ‘Amen’ after receiving, the priest will say it for you.
Baptized Catholics in a state of grace, and who are observing the Eucharistic fast are invited to come forward for Holy Communion. By a ‘state of grace’ is meant those who are not conscious of any grave sin which has yet to be absolved by sacramental Confession.
Proper observation of the Eucharistic fast is no food or drink (other than water) one hour prior to the reception of Holy Communion, although some may prefer to observe the older discipline of 3 hours or from midnight.