Celebrating the Sacraments
Baptism
 Through Baptism, God
our Father brings a baby, child or adult into his royal family, adopting the person as his
own beloved daughter or son. We become the brother or sister of Jesus Christ, and of our
fellow Christians. Baptism is very much a family affair, a special day both for the
child’s family and for the family of the Church, and it needs careful preparation.
Baptism preparation at St Augustine’s involves three sessions which take place every
other month on Tuesday evenings from 8.00 - 9.30 in the Meeting Room. At St
Augustine’s we regard these baptism evenings as essential before a baptism can take
place. There are leaflets entitled Your Baby’s Baptism at St Augustine’s
in the church porch. Contact Jean Dunne, who will send you a baptism preparation pack,
enrol you for the preparation sessions, and arrange a date for the baptism itself. The
deacon or priest appointed to celebrate the baptism will visit you at home to make any
arrangements.
You may have either one or two godparents, each of whom must be a confirmed, practising
Catholic. You may also have non-Catholic Christians as witnesses to the Baptism.
Every Baptism involves the Church, and the whole parish community should be involved as
fully as possible. The best time for Baptism, therefore, is at Mass on Sunday, in the
presence of the parish community gathered for worship. At St Augustine’s, we strongly
encourage Baptism during Sunday Mass. If for some reason
you prefer not to have your baby’s Baptism at Mass, it can take place at a service on
Saturdays at 12 noon or Sundays at 12.45 p.m. to which parishioners are also invited.
There can be no such thing as a private Baptism: that would contradict the whole meaning
of Baptism. If your baby is not baptised during Mass, we would like publicly to welcome
your child into our parish community at Mass the following Sunday or soon afterwards.
If you are a couple or individual expecting a baby, you are warmly invited to ask for a
blessing for your unborn child and yourselves.
How do I become a Catholic?
Most Catholics were baptised into the Catholic Church as infants. Then they grew up in
Catholic homes and were often educated in Catholic schools, gradually being drawn more
deeply into the full sacramental life of the Church through First Holy Communion and
Confirmation.
Other people - previously baptised in other Christian traditions, and already our
brothers and sisters in the Christian faith - become Catholics after a long period of
preparation by making a solemn profession of faith, and receiving the sacraments of
Confirmation and Communion. This is called being ‘received into full communion
with the Catholic Church’, as all Christians are already in some degree of communion
or unity with us.
Others - not previously baptised at all - become Catholic Christians through a process
of Christian initiation (called the catechumenate) which reaches a climax with the
celebration of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist at the Easter
Vigil Mass. This is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.).
Whether a person is a candidate (someone already baptised in another Christian
tradition) or a catechumen (an unbaptised person), we ask him or her to take part
in a programme of weekly sessions from October to Easter. Depending on the circumstances
of the group, the sessions take place either on Thursday evenings or on Saturday
afternoons. Each session include prayer, teaching, sharing our faith and discussion.
Finally, at the great Easter Vigil Mass, those who complete the process are welcomed with
great joy into the Catholic Church.
Please introduce yourself to one of the priests or deacons if you are interested in
becoming a Catholic. We look forward to meeting you.
First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion
 First
Holy Communion is a wonderful moment in the life of any Catholic child and his or her
family. The Catholic Church stresses today that preparation for First Reconciliation
(Confession) and Holy Communion should be a partnership between parents, parish and
school, with parents playing the primary role. At St Augustine’s, First
Reconciliation and First Communion is made in Year 3 (in the school year in which a child
reaches the age of 8), and the preparation programme goes on from November until June each
year. For children at St Augustine’s School, teaching takes place at the school. For
all others, it takes place on Saturdays in the church Meeting Room from 3.00-4.00 p.m.
Whatever support is given by teachers and catechists, parents have a key and vital role in
preparing their children for these sacraments - by their own teaching of their children,
and by the example and witness they give, especially by their own regular participation in
the Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
There are three basic elements to our parish preparation. Firstly, your child’s
preparation - by yourselves, supported by catechists. Secondly, your own ongoing education
as Christian parents: five sessions are provided over the year for parents as an
opportunity to explore and deepen your own faith and understanding of the sacraments.
Thirdly, the liturgical celebrations, leading up to First Holy Communion.
 Your child will make his or her First Communion
on one weekend at one of the following Masses: Saturday 3 pm Sunday 11.15 am
or 3 pm. in the Summer. The final
celebration is the Solemn Communion Mass, when all First Communion children sit together
and are presented with their certificates.
In September of each year, a special leaflet is produced for the parents of children
beginning Year 3 at Primary School. This includes a registration form and a diary of all
the dates for the following year’s programme.
Confirmation
 In our parish, Confirmation
preparation is begun in Year 10, the year in which you reach the age of 15 (the old Fourth
Form). Confirmation is the sacrament by which the Risen Jesus, through the power of his
Holy Spirit, commissions you to be a public witness to him before others, as an active
member of his Church. It is important that the young people themselves are happy with
taking this step, and prepared to take on the responsibilities involved. Our Confirmation
programme (which includes plenty of fun as well as the serious stuff!) is on Friday
evenings from 7.00-8.30, from January until the Confirmation by the Bishop in June/July.
This is a big commitment, and a sign of the deeper commitment to all that receiving the
sacrament involves. The programme includes a weekend away together after Easter. Young
people will be invited to register for the programme in October, and there is an opening
session for candidates and their parents before Christmas. After Easter, there is a
special Confirmation Inscription Mass at which the young people make a formal decision to
be confirmed. The Confirmation Mass itself is followed by a celebration, and then you will
be asked to commit yourself to some form of active service in the parish.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your
faithful,
and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your
Spirit and we shall be recreated,
and you will renew the face of the earth.
Marriage
 There is a special blessing for
engaged couples. We will be very happy to arrange for this blessing either at Mass or less
publicly.
At least six months notice of a marriage is normally required, so please do get in
touch with one of the priests or deacons here at St Augustine’s as soon as possible
once you decide to get married. Please see someone here before you make any other
arrangements. Generally speaking, you can get married at St Augustine’s only if one
or other of you lives in the parish. A Catholic is required to get married in a Catholic
Church for it to be a proper marriage, unless permission is given by the bishop.
Marriage is a huge step and a great calling, and it is important that you prepare for
it as fully as possible. Once you have made your initial contact with a priest or deacon
here, you will have at least four sessions with him as a couple to explore the meaning of
Christian marriage. This is essential, and at St Augustine’s we also require you to
take part in a Marriage Preparation Day along with other engaged couples. There is a
special leaflet in the church porch entitled Your Wedding at St Augustine’s.
Read this carefully, and then come to see one of the priests or deacons. As a parish
community, we will want to share your joy and give you all the support we can. The priests
and deacons will help you in any way we can to make your preparation for your wedding, the
celebration itself, and your married life afterwards as happy and blessed as possible.
Congratulations if you have just decided to get married.
The Call to Service
am I being called to be a priest or deacon?
In the midst of the Church, the Risen Jesus calls some men
to be sacramental signs of his own living presence as our Shepherd and Leader, our Teacher
and High Priest. The ordained ministry is vital to the life of the Church, and our faith
is that Jesus continues to call people to service as priests and deacons. If you are a boy
or unmarried man, could it be that you are being called to be a priest of Jesus Christ in
his Church? Priestly ministry involves sacrifice and life-long commitment, but there is
tremendous joy and fulfilment to be found in serving the people of God in the name of our
Lord. Come and talk to one of our priests. For more information on the priestly ministry,
click HERE. For a look at the web
site of St John's Seminary, Wonersh, the seminary for our local diocese, click
HERE. |
