This document provides information about various Catholic Christian practices, including the seven sacraments, liturgical worship like the Mass, the funeral rite, types of prayer, popular piety such as the rosary and stations of the cross, pilgrimage, Catholic social teaching, and mission and evangelism. It defines each topic, provides examples, and explains their importance for Catholics today in strengthening their faith and connection to God.

1. Paper 1: Unit 2
Catholic Christianity: Practices
Sacraments
Liturgical Worship
The Funeral Rite
Prayer
Popular Piety
Pilgrimage
Catholic Social Teaching
Mission and evangelism

2. Q. Marks Focus Top tip
a)
3 marks Outline A sentence for each
example
b)
4 marks Explain 2 fully developed
reasons
c)
5 marks Explain with SOWA 2 fully developed
reasons and then AN
EXTRA ONE FOR
SOWA
d) 12 marks or 15
marks with
SPAG
Evaluate in extended
writing
Agree – why –strong
/ weak – why
Disagree – why –
strong / weak – why
Conclusion
MOST
IMPORTANT

3. What is a sacrament?
• A sacrament is an outward sign of God’s gift of grace.
• There are seven sacraments:-
1. Baptism
2. Eucharist
3. Reconciliation
4. Confirmation.
5. Anointing of the sick
6. Matrimony (Marriage)
7. Ordination (Holy Orders)
CCC: Christ instituted the sacraments of
the new law. There are seven….
Importance today: The sacraments are important for
Catholics today as they bring them closer to God. We
receive strength and grace from the sacraments and
feel united together through them.

4. Catechism of the Catholic Church
• CCC1210
• “The seven sacraments touch all the stages and important moments
of Christian life; they give birth and increase, healing and mission to
the Christian’s life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance
between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life”

5. Baptism
• This sacrament marks a person’s entry into the Church.
• It is a sacrament of initiation.
• “ I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen”
• Symbols:- Water, Oil, White Garment, Candle, Sign of the Cross
Matthew 28: Go then and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them…
Importance today: The person becomes a member of the
Church, they are freed from original sin and they receive
strength to continue Jesus’ mission.

6. Reconciliation
• This is a sacrament of healing – it brings forgiveness of sins to the
penitent.
• God’s Grace: Removes the spiritual illness of sin, strengthens against
temptation to sin
• Symbolism: There is little symbolism associated with this sacrament
• God’s Presence: Through the forgiveness and mercy shown by God to
the penitent
Importance today: Removes the spiritual illness of sin and allows
Catholics to restore their relationship with God. Allows us to
realise that we too can be merciful.
Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us”

7. Anointing of the sick
• This sacrament is for anyone who is seriously ill and may be close to
death. It is also a sacrament of healing. It provides the ill person with
strength and comfort during their difficult days.
• God’s Grace:- Strength, comfort and preparation for what might be to
come.
• Symbolism:- laying on of hands, prayers, anointing, bread and wine
• God’s presence:- Shown through the love given, shows that we can
rely on God at all times
CCC:By the grace of this sacrament the
sick person receives the strength and
the gift of uniting himself more closely
to Christ's Passion:
Importance today: Removes the spiritual illness of
sin and allows Catholics to restore their
relationship with God. Allows us to realise that we
too can be merciful.

8. Eucharist
• God’s grace:- unites an individual with Christ through the consecrated
bread and wine. Unites all Catholics who take part in the sacrament
• Symbolism:- bread and wine
• God’s presence:- Through the real presence of Christ in the
consecrated bread and wine.
CCC:The Eucharist occupies a unique
place as the "Sacrament of
sacraments": "all the other sacraments
are ordered to it as to their end.
Importance today: We receive the real physical
presence of Christ, the Catholic community are
united through Christ

9. Confirmation
• God’s grace:- strengthens the person’s faith to be come a mature and
active Catholic Christian
• Symbolism:-Baptismal promises, anointing with oil, laying on of
hands, gifts of the holy spirit
• God’s presence:- God is present through the Holy Spirit and its gifts –
wisdom, understanding, knowledge, courage, counsel, piety and fear
of the Lord
CCC:It is evident from its celebration
that the effect of the sacrament of
Confirmation is the special outpouring
of the Holy Spirit as once granted to
the apostles on the day of Pentecost.
Importance today: Confirmation strengthens the
faith of a Catholic, we receive the seven gifts of the
Holy Spirit so can carry on spreading Jesus’
message

10. Marriage
• A sacrament which joins two people together through God for the
rest of their life.
• God’s Grace: -Grace and strength to live their lives together through
God
• Symbolism:- The vows, the rings, the question of fruitfulness and
Bible readings give this sacrament meaning.
• God’s presence:- This is felt continuously in the couple’s lifelong
commitment to each other
So they are no longer two but one.
Matthew 19:6
Importance today: The couple are now open to the
possibility of procreation

11. Holy Orders
• Men will take this sacrament in order to be ordained into the
priesthood, making a serious commitment to God and His Church.
• God’s Grace:- Strength and grace to carry out his responsibilities
• Symbolism:- Laying on of hands and a special prayer of consecration.
Anointing with oil, the holy spirit, the chalice and paten, and the mitre.
• God’s presence:- All of these are symbolic of God’s presence to his
people through the love and care of the ordained ministers of the
Church
And he appointed twelve, to be with
him, and sent out to preach.
Mark 3:14
Importance today: This allows the Church to
continue, priests can then perform the sacraments
initiated by Christ

12. Different (divergent) attitudes
• Catholic and Orthodox Christians recognise the same
seven sacraments
• Most other Christians including Anglican and Methodist recognise
baptism and the Eucharist as sacraments instituted by Christ

13. LITURGICAL WORSHIP
• Liturgical worship means that it is structured – wherever you go in the
world, the structure of a Catholic mass will be the same.

14. Mass – the central act of worship for
Catholics
Part of Mass Meaning
Introductory rites – greeting,
penitential rite, Gloria
Community, asking for forgiveness, joined together with and through God
Liturgy of the Word Readings from the Bible, homily, bidding prayers…
Liturgy of the Eucharist Offertory, Eucharistic Prayer, Transubstantiation, Communion
Concluding rites Blessing and dismissal
In the breaking of the Eucharistic bread, we are taken
up into communion with Him and with one another
(Lumen Gentium)

15. • Catholics – structured worship contains signs and
symbols which link back to Apostolic tradition
Catholics believe in transubstantiation – the bread and wine become
Jesus’ body and blood.
• Some evangelical Christians prefer unstructured worship as they feel
it could inhibit their connection to God. Connection with the Holy
Spirit is important and so worship is often spontaneous.
Different (divergent) attitudes

16. The Funeral Rite
The Vigil – at home A vigil of prayer spent
with the body of the
deceased the night
before the funeral
The Liturgy – The
church
Requiem Mass (to
remember someone
who has died).
Committal – the
cemetery
Final goodbyes with the
hope that they will
meet again in the next
life
I look forward to the resurrection of
the dead and the life of the world to
come.
The Nicene Creed
Importance today: This help Catholics to come to
terms with the death of a loved one and
demonstrates they have a community who can
support them.,
Preparing for My Funeral – Archbishop Vincent Nichols.
- An A4 sheet sheet designed to help people with the difficult
task of preparing a Catholic funeral and to make the process
more easy for a family in the midst of their grief.

17. Prayer
• Types/Themes/Purposes =
• ADORATION – Worshipping
God/Giving him praise
• THANKSGIVING – To say
thanks!
• REPENTANCE – To say sorry
• INTERCESSION – Praying on
behalf of someone else
• PETITION – To ask for
things/personal needs
• FORMAL – set prayers
• EXTEMPORE – informal,
without planning
CCC: “The Lord’s Prayer is the most
perfect of prayers…we ask nit only for
the things that should be desired, but
in the order they should be desired”
Importance today: Prayer allows us to connect
with God and have a personal relationship with
him. Different prayers and types of prayers can
help at different stages of life.

18. Piety – An act of devotion to God – is not part of the official
liturgical worship of the Church
• Rosary: Prayer beads help the person to say the rosary. Each decade
of the rosary contains 1 Lord’s Prayer, 10 Hail Marys and 1 Glory Be.
“Going to Christ through Mary”
• Stations of the Cross: 14 stations on the wall of a church showing the
passion and death of Jesus
• Eucharistic Adoration: When the Blessed Sacrament is placed in a
monstrance and adored.
CCC: “the religious sense of the
Christian people has always found
expression in various forms of piety”
Importance today: These allow us to connect to
God through prayer – however the Catechism
warns that piety “extends the liturgical life of the
Church but does not replace it”.

19. Pilgrimage
• A journey of special religious significance
• HISTORY/PURPOSE:- Starting with pilgrimages to the Holy Land (Jesus) and
developing to Rome(St Peter) then onto places associated with Saints.
• Community, healing, connection/relationship with God, response to our
busy modern world.
• PLACES: -
• Holy Land – sites associated with Jesus’ birth, ministry, crucifixion,
resurrection etc
• Lourdes, Fatima, Knock, Guadelupe – All associated with apparitions of
Mary
CCC: “Pilgrimages evoke our earthly
journey towards heaven….”
Importance today: Pilgrimage gives Christians time
and space for prayer. It can provide unity for the
Church around the world

20. Catholic Social Teaching
• “Love your neighbour” Mark 12
• Everybody is our neighbour, we are a ‘whole human family’.
• Seven key themes:- Sanctity of life, human rights, dignity of work,
family and community, option for the poor, solidarity, stewardship
• Society should provide: Justice, peace and reconciliation
• INDIVIDUALS – Reach out to anyone in need, give to charity, volunteer
• WORLDWIDE – Charities like CAFOD work for social justice, by
developing skills, helping in disasters and through raising awareness.
Our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was
always close to the poor and the outcast, is the
basis of our concern for the integral
development of society’s most neglected
members
Evangelii Gaudium
Importance today: All Catholics have a duty to reach
out to those in need and to help in any way they can.
We can all work to show mercy and to be more
charitable.

21. Mission and Evangelism
• Mission = being sent to others to bring them the gospel of Christ
• Evangelism = to proclaim and live out the Gospel(NOT trying to
convert people)
INDIVIDUALS THE CHURCH
Locally – through their career,
through marriage or family
life, as a catechist
Locally – Parish life, Mass,
Sacraments, charitable work,
social events
Nationally- Attend national
events and workshops
connected to their career
Nationally – The Bishops
conferences
Globally – Social Media,
Global meetings such as
‘World Meeting of families’.
Globally – Through the Pope,
including social media, other
media and charities such as
CAFOD
Pope Francis says that a relationship with Jesus
Christ in the Church is such a joy that it causes
people to go on a mission and evangelize.
Evangelii Gaudium
Importance today: Catholics can
evangelize in their everyday life. They
could choose a career such as nurse,
teacher, doctor etc that can have a real
impact on people’s life.