The Sacrament of Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism is the beginning of our life of faith, the beginning of getting to know and understand what being loved by God means. Baptism is God’s token to us of his great love. Our faith carries us forward to the Sacraments, but when we are babies it is the faith of our parents which brings us to the Sacrament of Baptism.
Useful Information: The Sacrament of Baptism is arranged by appointment with Parish Clergy.
Regular attendance at Mass is expected in preparation for the sacrament.
Baptism is conducted on Saturdays or Sundays at pre-arranged dates and occur during or after the Mass.
Prior to all Baptism, Parish clergy will discuss the sacrament and answer questions about the event. It would be envisaged that the Priest will be the celebrants, please contact the parish for further information.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation is a continuance of what has begun at our Baptism: a continuance of the developing awareness of the reality of faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
At our Baptism faith was conceived: we became part of Christ’s Body, part of his Church. Our Confirmation is the gentle unfolding of what our Baptism means.
The Sacrament of Eucharist
The Sacrament of Eucharist The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life”. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented towards it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch – Catechism of the Catholic Church – 1324
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) or Penance. This sacrament can set us free from our sins, and from the burden of guilt that comes along with our sins. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are brought back into union with God. Our sins separate and damage our relationship with our Lord, and it is through this most powerful sacrament that our relationship with the Lord is repaired and strengthened. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we can walk more closely with the Lord once again, without the burden of our sins weighing us down and distancing our relationship with God.
Jesus entrusted his Church with the power of forgiving sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The priest is simply the one who acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) in the confessional, but it is Jesus who forgives our sins. The priest grants absolution (sets us free from our sins) using the power Jesus entrusted to his Church. It is through Christ that our sins are forgiven.
The Sacrament of Marriage
The Sacrament of Marriage is one of the seven sacraments in the Catholic Church and is the only one where the participants are the ministers. For any couple, the decision to marry is a life-changing step. In the Sacrament of Matrimony, they are inviting God to break into their relationship as a helper and a guide. The gift of the Holy Spirit and the grace of the sacrament will be a support throughout their lives, in times of joy and times of trial.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders
The Sacrament of Holy Orders began with the Last Supper when Christ Jesus commissioned his Apostles to continue the Eucharistic celebration. He also commissioned his Apostles following the Resurrection to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8).
Holy Orders is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. As in the Pastoral Epistles, the rite consists of the Bishop’s laying on of hands on the head of the priest-candidate with the consecrating prayer asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit for the gifts of the ministry. There are three dimensions to ministry, that of Bishop, Priesthood, and the Diaconate.
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick provides spiritual help and strength to those who are sick and is often administered to the housebound. The priest prays for, and with, the sick person and anoints them with Holy Oil. In the case of a long illness, it is more helpful for the patient to receive the Sacrament at a time when they are able to appreciate the benefits it confers.