They are celebrated on Sundays after the 11.30am Mass ,following participation in a preparation course
Programme 2023
Parents and GodParents wishing to have their children baptised will need to provide a copy of catholicity, e.g. Baptism Certificate, Confirmation Certificate, First Holy Communion Certificate and/or Catholic Marriage Certificate .
Prerequisites for Sponsors of Baptism (Canon 874)
...The Sponsor must:
- have completed their 16th year of age , unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the priest has granted an exception for a just cause.
- be a catholic who had been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of The Eucharist and leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on.
- not be the father or mother of the one to be baptised.
§ A baptised person who belongs to a non-catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism
The Sacramental Symbols of Baptism
- Blessing and Invocation: The priest (or deacon) blesses the water using the sign of the cross. He invokes the Spirit of God to come onto the water and consecrate it. This makes it Holy so that the person being baptised will be; "born again of Water and the Spirit".
- Profession of Faith: Baptism brings someone into the community of Christian People. We faithfully profess that we follow Christ by proclaiming the ancient Creed of the Church.
- Baptism: The central and most important part of Baptism; Water. There is a threefold pouring over the person to be baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity; The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The newly bapised in now purified, saved, delivered from evil, set free and belongs to God.
- Anoiting: Oil is used to sweeten,to strenghen and to render supple. The Church uses consecrated oil for this same purpose in Baptism. The oil is consecrated each year by the Bishop at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday. The sign of the Cross is traced on the forehead of the newly baptised. They are now consecrated to the Lord.
- White Garment: Being transformed through baptism, the White Garment is a sign of newness of life and being 'Clothed in Christ'.
- Lighted Candle: During Baptisms, the Pschal Candle burns near the baptismal font. A symbols of the presence of the Risen Lord. A small candle is used to take a flame from the Paschal Candle and entrusted to the newly baptised person, through their godparents. As a community we pray the the flame of faith may be kept alive until the Lord comes again to call this and all children of light to join him and all the saints in his heavenly kingdom.
WANT TO BAPTIZE YOUR CHILD?
Parents who would like to baptize their children, please follow these steps:
1. Obtain an Application form from Fr. Antony. This will be an opportunity to have a conversation with the parish priest and to explore how your special talents can be utilized for the greater glory of God.
2. The completed application must be submitted to the Parish Office, which is usually open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Along with the application, please provide proof of religion for both the parents and the chosen Godparents.
3. After submitting your application, you will be sent a link via email and/or WhatsApp, which will contain Baptism preparation videos. These videos aim to provide you with theological and spiritual insights into the Sacrament of Baptism. You will find some questions after each video, and you should enter your answers when prompted. After submitting this online preparation you will be invited to attend an in-person course.
4. Upon completing the in-person preparation, which usually takes place on Saturdays from 10am to 11:30am, you will be able to select a date for your child's Baptism.
HOW TO REQUEST A BAPTISM CERTIFICATE
The parish office requires a week’s notice and a deposit of £5 cash for the above.
Information required is
· Name of the child
· Date of birth
· Approximate date of Baptism
· Contact details
Please pick up and fill up the form with the above information on a paper then deposit in an envelope marked ‘for the attention of Parish Admistrator and put through the letterbox of: 208 Sangley Rd during the weekends or deliver in person to the Parish office during office hours (Tues & Thurs 10am-3pm).
The deposit will be returned on collection or used to post the certificate if preferred. Please state your preference in the letter provided.
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The anointing of the sick is administered to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness, especially near the time of death. It is most likely one of the last sacraments one will receive. A sacrament is an outward sign established by Jesus Christ to confer inward grace. In more basic terms, it is a rite that is performed to convey God’s grace to the recipient, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Like all the sacraments, Holy anointing was instituted by Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. The Catechism explains, “This sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper sacrament of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by Mark, but is recommended to the faithful and promulgated by James the apostle and brother of the Lord” (CCC 1511; Mark 6:13; Jas. 5:14-15).
The anointing of the sick conveys several graces and imparts gifts of strengthening in the Holy Spirit against anxiety, discouragement, and temptation, and conveys peace and fortitude (CCC 1520). These graces flow from the atoning death of Jesus Christ, for “this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases’” (Matt. 8:17).
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