Parish Organisations
It wasn't until I came to write this web page that I realised how many organisations there are in this parish -- and I'm sure much the same would apply to most parishes.
Looking over the list (in the column to the left of this text) I suppose they could be divided into three categories: sacramental preparation; prayer and personal formation; liturgical, social and welfare.
Naturally, there can be a considerable overlap between these categories. For example the Nigerian Catholic Women's Organisation is primarily a prayer group, but it also has a strong interest in community welfare and in the needs and difficulties that can arise in Nigeria itself. Conversely, the Knights of St Columba is best known for its charitable work and its practical support for the local church, but it also has a strong emphasis on the spiritual formation of its members.
To find out more, read on -- or click on one of the topics in the list on the left...
Sacramental Preparation
Each of the 'Sacraments of Initiation' (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) marks an important stage in the life of the Christian. Careful and thorough training is needed at each stage, so that the sacrament is received with full understanding and the right intention. In the case of infant baptism, the child is baptised 'in the faith of the parents' and it is the parents who receive the appropriate instruction, so that with their help the child will grow in faith and commitment year by year.
For this reason a number of our parish organisations are devoted to the various stages of Sacramental Preparation. There are groups for
- Parents who wish their children baptised
- Preparing children for First Holy Communion
- Young people who wish to be confirmed
- Adults who have not yet been baptised or confirmed or who have come from other churches and wish to be 'received into' the Catholic Church.
Prayer and Personal Formation
Our faith in Christ has to bear fruit -- in our own personal growth in holiness and in our service of those around us. Under the first heading, there are several parish organisations which seek to facilitate the prayer and the personal formation of its members:
- Charismatic Prayer Group
- Children's Liturgy
- Divine Mercy Prayer Group
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Filipino Monthly Mass
- Legion of Mary
- Neocatechumenate
- Nigerian Catholic Women's Organisation
Liturgical, Social and Welfare
As regards the practical expression of our faith, there are various organisations that encourage the service of the community in the following ways:
Practical works of charity
Supporting the worship of the church community
Preparation and decoration of the church building