Baptism
The first sacrament we receive in order to become part of God’s family is Baptism. The baptism of babies and small children normally happens on Sundays. Please contact the Parish if you wish to have your child baptised. Prior to the day, a preparation session will be held at the Parish.
Who can be a godparent?
You will need either one or two godparents for the child’s baptism, with at least one godparent being 16 years of age or older, Roman Catholic, having made the Sacrament of Confirmation, and willing to share in the parent’s mission of passing on the Catholic faith. Non-Catholic Christians may be a godparent to the child as a witness to the baptism, but are not bound with the same responsibility. Only baptised persons may be chosen as godparents or witnesses.
If you wish to have your child baptised, please click on the Baptism Request form, complete it and return it via email or post to the parish office.
For adults who wish to be baptised, a longer period of time is given for coming to understand our Catholic faith in more depth and for discernment on this decision. Adults generally receive the sacrament of Baptism with the other sacraments of initiation, Confirmation and Eucharist, in what we call the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
PREP Parish Sacramental Programme
The PREP Sacramental Programme is for children not attending Catholic schools.
Catholic Children in Year 3 normally celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Those in Year 4 normally receive First Holy Communion, and those in Year 6 normally receive Confirmation.
Classes run on Sunday afternoons at 3:00pm in the Parish Centre prior to the celebration of this sacrament.
All children and parents who wish to receive one of these sacraments in a given year are expected to attend the Commitment Mass at the beginning of the year where they will commit themselves to the learning and spiritual preparation required.
Children being prepared for a sacrament via the PREP program, will normally join the children at St John’s School for retreats, parent workshops, and the celebration of the sacrament itself.
Important dates concerning the Sacramental program for 2024 can be found below:
Please contact the parish if you wish to enrol your child in this program.
Sacramental Forms 2025
Marriage
The marriage between a baptised man and woman is one of the seven Sacraments of the Church. Apart from loving and helping each other grow in life, and the mission of raising children, their marriage also becomes a living visible sign in the world of the covenant of love between Christ the Bridegroom and the Church as Bride. No better analogy exists in all creation which reveals God’s love for us. It is a beautiful vocation, but just as Jesus Christ died for us, we all know that true love will involve sacrifice.
If either you or your fiance are living in our Parish and you wish to be married either here or somewhere else, please contact our Parish as soon as possible. There will be both government and church paperwork involved, preparation for the wedding liturgy, and preparation for marriage itself, for marriage is for life, and now is the time to invest in your marriage. This will all take time and so it is best to make contact with the Parish early.
Anointing of the Sick
The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick gives comfort, strength and healing for those who are confronted with death. It might be because one is getting frail and coming towards the end of their life due to old age. It might be because one has just been diagnosed with a life threatening illness, such as cancer. It might be because one is about to undergo serious surgery where there is a risk to the person’s life.
In these situations one ought to contact the Parish and request for a priest to come visit and celebrate this sacrament. Where the death is of a loved one becomes imminent, the priest on his visit will also encourage where possible the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion (when received for the last time is called Viaticum, spiritual food for the journey). Together with the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, these sacraments celebrated together are called the “last rites”.
Reconciliation / Confession
After Baptism we are still prone to temptation and sin, and so we require the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis to be reconciled with Christ and his Church again. This is a sacrament of forgiveness, healing and peace, and we have Our Lord’s assurance that his love, mercy and patience with us has no limits. During Lent and Advent we also celebrate the Second Rite of Reconciliation as a reminder that all of our sins have an impact on the entire community. This Sacrament is sometimes called Confession as we confess our sins in order to receive God’s forgiveness. All Catholics are to bound to celebrate this sacrament once a year. If you haven’t been to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for a long time, don’t worry, the priest will gently guide you through.