Sacraments

sacraments

Baptism

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1213: Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.
At St Joseph’s, Baptisms take place on the first Saturday of the month at 12.30pm. Parents will be invited to attend a Baptism Course to help prepare them for the promises that they will make in the Baptism service, which takes place at 3.30pm on the first Saturdays of the previous month to the chosen Baptism date. If you would like to organise for your child to be baptised, please talk to one of the Priests or Deacons after Mass.

First Holy Communion

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1407: The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of Christ’s life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church.
Children are invited to begin preparations for their First Communions in Year 3 of primary school. Enrolment takes place in July, and the classes will begin in the following September.
The classes for the children, led by Karen Neilson, are on alternate Saturday mornings in the Pastoral Centre, starting at 10.15am, and there is a supplementary meeting for parents on the first Wednesday of each month, at 8pm in the Hall. The First Communion services will take place during the Easter Season (April / May), at 12pm on a Saturday. First Communion candidates will also make their First Confessions during the programme.
For more information, please contact the Parish Office, or talk to one of the Priests.

Confirmation

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1316: Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.
The Confirmation classes at St Joseph’s are led by Anne Shine, and take place in the Hall on alternate Fridays, starting at 7.30pm. The enrolment Mass will normally take place in January, and the Bishop will visit for the Confirmation Mass on a Sunday during the Easter Season.

Marriage

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1661: The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity and sactifies them on their way to eternal life.
If you would like to book a marriage service in the Church, then please contact the Parish Office as early as possible (always at least 6 months beforehand), and ask for an appointment to discuss marriage preparation and practical arragements.

Anointing of the Sick

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1499: By the sacred anointing of the suck and the prayers of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ.
Anointing of the Sick is one of the Seven Sacraments, and is intended to bring spiritual strength and physical healing if God desires it. Canon Law 1004 states:

The anointing of the sick can be administered to any member of the faithful who, having reached the use of reason, begins to be in danger by reason of illness or old age”.

Please contact the Parish Office or one of the Priests if you or someone you know would benefit from receiving this sacrament. We can also arrange Holy Communion for the house-bound, usually brought by Extra-ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Priests visit the sick during Advent and Lent.
Also, if you are going in to hospital and would like to receive the Sacrament of the Sick, Holy Communion, or just have a visit from a Catholic priest, please let the hospital staff know.

Confessions

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1486: The forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is conferred by a particular sacrament called the sacrament of conversion, confession, Penance or Reconciliation.
Confessions at St Joseph’s take place every Saturday, after the 10am Mass (from about 10.30 – 11.30am), and before the 5.30pm Mass (i.e. 5.15 – 5.45pm). Extra times for Confession are also announced during Advent and Lent.
If you have not been to Confession for a while, you may find it useful to read this short How to go to Confession leaflet.

Funerals

If you’d like to organise a funeral at St Joseph’s, the first thing you should do is to contact one of the Priests – they can give you some guidance about what you need to do, as well as making sure that you choose a date when the Church is free.
Music forms an integral part of worship, and so the Church will organise for an organist to be at the funeral service. If you have a relative who would like to do this, please talk to the Parish Priest about this. The Priest will give you some guidance when preparing the service, but please be aware that secular music and readings are not permitted in Church.