A sacrament is a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery.
A sacrament is a gift of God to help us on our faith journey. It is our encounter with the risen Christ, who reaches out to us and touches our lives. We through the Holy Spirit respond and are changed by this encounter.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes a sacramental celebration as, “a meeting of God’s children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words. Admittedly, the symbolic actions are already a language, but the word of God and the response of faith have to accompany and give life to them, so the seed of the kingdom can bear fruit in good soil.” CCC1153.
The parish has a team of catechists who meet and work together to develop many of the sacramental programmes that are in place in the parish. Many have followed the “Sowing the Seeds” course that was run in the deanery, to develop their own knowledge and understanding of their faith. It is this team of catechists, in liaison with the parish priest, who have developed sacramental preparation programmes within the parish. The team meet on a regular basis to pray together and to evaluate and develop the sacramental programmes that are run in the parish.
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As a parish we recognise the importance of helping adults to grow in the knowledge and understanding of their faith. We therefore run courses each year, beginning in October, for people who are interested in growing in the knowledge of their faith whether they are Catholic, practising or non-practising, or non-Catholic and possibly seeking entry into the Roman Catholic Church. Many of the sessions use material produced by the Catholic’s for Evangelisation to aid discussion.
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Baptism is the gateway to sacramental life and so it is important that those seeking baptism for their son/daughter should have an appreciation of the sacrament and the responsibilities that they are accepting. Because the sacrament of Baptism is the first step in the journey of faith we try to make it a personal family celebration and so only one child is baptised on each occasion.
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There are often children of school age who, for whatever reason, have not been baptised as infants, yet belong to a Catholic family. The parish catechist team have devised a programme that teaches the children about the sacrament of baptism.
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The sacrament of Confirmation usually takes place in July for the children who are in the parish and are 10–11 years of age (year 6). The preparation for Confirmation is a year long process and begins with a meeting with the parents and a commitment Mass. The children and their parents are then invited along to the family Masses where the children lead the singing and read during the Mass. Work is being done at this time to develop the programme further for future years.
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The celebration of the Sacrament of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion take place when the children are eight years old (Year 3). The preparation for the Sacraments is a year long process and is done in partnership between the school, the parish and the parents. The school prepares the children to receive the sacraments but the parish also plays a part in the preparation of both children and parents. The programme consists of four meetings and attendance at five family Masses, in which the children take an active part. The first is a Commitment Mass, where both children and parents commit themselves to the year long programme. Prayer sponsors are also chosen from the parish for each child. Three of the four meetings are held in the church and the catechists hope to help the parents increase their own knowledge of the Church and the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, so that they can help their children prepare at home. As many of the children come along to these meetings we have also devised materials that they can use during the session and then encourage the parents to go through the work with their child. We have had a very positive response to these meetings from the parents who have attended.
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“The Eucharist is the source of the whole Christian life because whoever shares in it receives the motivation and strength to live as a true Christian. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross imparts to the believer the dynamism of his generous love. The Eucharistic banquet nourishes the faithful with the body and Blood of the divine Lamb sacrificed for us and gives them the strength to follow in is footsteps (1 Pet 2:21).
“The Eucharist is the summit of the whole Christian life because the faithful bring to it all their prayers and good works, their joys and sufferings. These modest offerings are united to the perfect sacrifice of Christ. Thus they are completely sanctified and lifted up to God in an act of perfect worship which brings the faithful into the divine intimacy.” Pope John Paul II.
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The Eucharist when it is given to someone who is dying is known as the Final Sacrament: Viaticum. The word “Viaticum” means food for the journey. In receiving Holy Communion the Christian is given nourishment and strength to make the passage from death to life and so be welcomed into the eternal kingdom of the Father.
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“By the victory of the cross, Jesus Christ won for us the forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with God. And it is these gifts that Christ offers us when he the gives the Holy Spirit to the church, for he said to the apostles: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit for those whose sins you forgive they are forgiven.’ (John 20:22–23). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church continues the work of Christ reconciling the world to himself. In every age the Church remains the community of those who have received the reconciliation that was willed by God the Father and achieved through the sacrifice of his Beloved Son.” Pope John Paul II during his visit to England Wales 1982.
Christmas and Easter are the two times when we are particularly encouraged to receive the sacrament. However as Pope John Paul II once said: “It would be an illusion to seek after holiness, according to the vocation one has received from God, without partaking frequently of this sacrament of conversion and reconciliation.”
If it has been a long time since your last confession then tell the priest who will guide you through the celebration of the sacrament and remind you what to do and say.
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The Anointing of the Sick is one of the sacraments of healing and imitates the compassion of Christ to those who were sick and infirm. The Catechism tells us “The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age.” CCC1520.
The priest, after he has laid his hands upon the head of the sick person, anoints them on the forehead and on the hands and says the words: “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”
At one time it was known as the “Last Rites” or “Extreme Unction” and given only when a person was close to death. However the Catechism of the Church tells us: “The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time has arrived for them to receive this sacrament has already arrived.” CCC 1514.
It carries on to say: “It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds true for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.” CCC 1515.
So please do not delay contacting the priest to visit you or your relative or friend in case of serious illness or before an operation. Please note that it is necessary because of the Data Protection Act for you, when entering hospital to indicate that you want your details passed on to the Catholic Chaplain and that you want him to visit you. If you want the Chaplain to visit you urgently then ask one of the nurses or alternatively ring the Presbytery and arrangements can be made on your behalf.
Please note, if a sick person who received this anointing recovers their health, they can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated.
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“Holy Orders is the sacrament through the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church to the end of time, thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate.” (Bishop, priest and deacon) CCC 1536.
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“In a marriage a man and woman pledge themselves to one another in an unbreakable alliance of total mutual self-giving. A total union of love. Love that is not a passing emotion or temporary infatuation, but a responsible and free decision to bind oneself—‘in good times and bad’—to one’s partner. It is the gift of oneself to the other…
“Marriage is a Holy Sacrament. Those baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus are married in his name also. He is its source. The marriage of Christian couples…are images on earth of the wonder of God, the loving, life-giving communion of three persons, one God and of God’s covenant in Christ, with the Church. Christian marriage is a sacrament of salvation. It is a pathway to holiness for all members of a family.” Words spoken by Pope John Paul II during his visit to England and Wales 1982.
If you are thinking of getting married here then we normally ask you to give us six months notice. This will give us enough time to collect together the necessary documents.
Please ring the parish office and make an appointment with the parish priest who will book the date for the wedding and be able to answer any questions you may have.
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All the sacraments and principally those of Christian initiation, have as their goal the last Passover of the child of God which, through death, leads his into the life of the Kingdom. Then what they confessed in faith and hope will be fulfilled: “I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”
Please let us know as soon as possible when a relative, neighbour or friend dies. The arrangements for the funeral will be made by the funeral directors who will contact us and also the City Bereavement Services in order to find out when it will be possible for a burial or cremation to take place. The Funeral Rites can take place in three stages with a Vigil service, the Funeral Mass and Committal. Alternatively they can take in two stages without the Vigil Service.
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