Sacraments of the Church
There are seven Sacraments of the Church, Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Reconciliation, Marriage and Holy Orders or Ministerial Priesthood.
"the seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the 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."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC]1210) The Catechism speaks to us of the Sacraments in the following words:-
1131 The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.
1132 The Church celebrates the sacraments as a priestly community structured by the baptismal priesthood and the priesthood of ordained ministers.
1133 The Holy Spirit prepares the faithful for the sacraments by the Word of God and the faith which welcomes that word in well-disposed hearts. Thus the sacraments strengthen faith and express it.
1134 The fruit of sacramental life is both personal and ecclesial. For every one of the faithful on the one hand, this fruit is life for God in Christ Jesus; for the Church, on the other, it is an increase in charity and in her mission of witness.
For the celebration of any of the Sacraments of the Church, individuals have to be geographically resident in the Parish; otherwise, the necessary written permission of their own parish priest is required. It is also expected that individuals are in regular attendance at Sunday Mass.
Baptism
Parents wishing to have their child Baptised should contact the Parish Priest, Fr. Alban, directly to undertake the necessary instruction.
First Confession and
Holy Communion
The preparatory programme is open to children in Year 3 and above and runs from late autumn until June. At least one parent is expected to attend a preparation class at the same time as their child.
Application forms to join the programme are usually available in early July and the closing date to join the programme will be one of the first weekends in October across a given year.
Confirmation
Those wishing to be Confirmed have to be at least 14 years of age and attending Sunday Mass. Application forms to join the programme, like that of First Holy Communion, are usually available from early July with the closing date for applications in early October.
For those who are older, i.e. no longer in their teenage years, the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation requires that they contact the Parish Priest directly.
Marriage
The Bishop's Conference of England and Wales requires all couples to give at least six months notice to their parish priest of their intention to marry, so wherever a couple may live in England and Wales, the rule applies in every parish.
Marriage preparation is undertaken with any individual couple, who should contact the Parish Priest, Fr. Alban directly.
Adults who wish to consider
becoming a Catholic
Anyone who might be thinking about becoming a Catholic is advised to contact the Parish Priest directly, with a view to joining the adult formation programme which runs across the academic year.
Contact Fr. Alban on 01293 431703
There are seven Sacraments of the Church, Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Reconciliation, Marriage and Holy Orders or Ministerial Priesthood.
"the seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the 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."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC]1210) The Catechism speaks to us of the Sacraments in the following words:-
1131 The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.
1132 The Church celebrates the sacraments as a priestly community structured by the baptismal priesthood and the priesthood of ordained ministers.
1133 The Holy Spirit prepares the faithful for the sacraments by the Word of God and the faith which welcomes that word in well-disposed hearts. Thus the sacraments strengthen faith and express it.
1134 The fruit of sacramental life is both personal and ecclesial. For every one of the faithful on the one hand, this fruit is life for God in Christ Jesus; for the Church, on the other, it is an increase in charity and in her mission of witness.
For the celebration of any of the Sacraments of the Church, individuals have to be geographically resident in the Parish; otherwise, the necessary written permission of their own parish priest is required. It is also expected that individuals are in regular attendance at Sunday Mass.
Baptism
Parents wishing to have their child Baptised should contact the Parish Priest, Fr. Alban, directly to undertake the necessary instruction.
First Confession and
Holy Communion
The preparatory programme is open to children in Year 3 and above and runs from late autumn until June. At least one parent is expected to attend a preparation class at the same time as their child.
Application forms to join the programme are usually available in early July and the closing date to join the programme will be one of the first weekends in October across a given year.
Confirmation
Those wishing to be Confirmed have to be at least 14 years of age and attending Sunday Mass. Application forms to join the programme, like that of First Holy Communion, are usually available from early July with the closing date for applications in early October.
For those who are older, i.e. no longer in their teenage years, the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation requires that they contact the Parish Priest directly.
Marriage
The Bishop's Conference of England and Wales requires all couples to give at least six months notice to their parish priest of their intention to marry, so wherever a couple may live in England and Wales, the rule applies in every parish.
Marriage preparation is undertaken with any individual couple, who should contact the Parish Priest, Fr. Alban directly.
Adults who wish to consider
becoming a Catholic
Anyone who might be thinking about becoming a Catholic is advised to contact the Parish Priest directly, with a view to joining the adult formation programme which runs across the academic year.
Contact Fr. Alban on 01293 431703