| Baptism |
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Parents who wish to have their children baptised should contact
the parish priest. A meeting between priest and parents will
be arranged to discuss the implications of having one's child
baptised and subsequent meetings may also take place either
with the priest or a small group of parents whose children
have recently been baptised.
Baptisms normally take place during the Sunday Mass. We have
introduced the custom of presenting the child to the parish
and enrolling the child in the Order of Catechumens a week
or two before the baptism.
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| First Holy Communion and The Sacrament of Reconciliation |
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Two of our parish catechists start a course in January for children
wishing to make their First Holy Communion.
Children will usually be in school year 3 or above
when they join the class. The First Communion celebration
takes place on a Sunday in May or June.
The parents of the children making their First Communion
also meet regularly with parish catechists in
order to prepare alongside their children as the First Communion
is an important event in the life of the whole family.
In our parish, children usually celebrate the Sacrament of
Reconciliation a month or two before making their First Communion.
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| The Sacrament of Reconciliation |
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The parish priest is usually available for the Sacrament
of Reconciliation after 6 pm Mass on Saturdays but people are very
welcome to contact the priest and arrange a suitable time
for confession if they prefer to do that.
During Advent and Lent a Penitential Service is held in the
parish when at least one other priest will be present. Penitential
Services are also held in all the parishes of our Pastoral Area.
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| Confirmation |
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| We run a course every two years for
young people wishing to be Confirmed. Candidates should be at
least 13 years of age when they commence the course. The course
involves meeting every 3 or 4 weeks with the catechists and
a couple of residential week-ends are arranged.
Parents have several meetings with the catechists during the
year. The Bishop administers the Sacrament of Confirmation in
one of the parishes of the Pastoral Area. |
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| Marriage |
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| Anyone wishing to be married at St
Francis de Sales should contact the parish priest. Following
diocesan guidelines at least 6 months notice should be given.
The couple will be required to meet with the priest or the marriage
preparation team in the months leading up to the wedding and
they will also be asked to enrol on a day course for engaged
couples in our own or a neighbouring Pastoral Area. |
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| Holy Orders |
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If any man feels God is calling him to become a priest or
deacon he should contact the Parish Priest.
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| Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults (RCIA) |
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| The RCIA (Journey In Faith) process runs for those who are seeking to join our Catholic
Church. |
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| The Sacrament of the Sick |
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If anyone is sick the priest should be contacted and he will
gladly arrange for that person to have the Sacrament of the
Sick. Within the Pastoral Area we usually have a Celebration of
the Sacrament of the Sick in one of the parishes in May or
June.
Always call on the priest if there is danger of death. Do
not think that asking the priest to visit the sick person
will worry them!
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| Funerals |
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| It is important that the parish priest
is contacted about arranging a funeral before arrangements
are made with the crematorium or cemetery. The priest will do
all he can to support the relatives of the deceased and carry
out their wishes. |
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