Sacraments

Baptism

Congratulations on becoming a parent – Please let the Parish Priest know as soon as possible (you might even make contact before the birth). Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. People get baptised to show they belong to the Catholic faith. They promise that they will try to live in a Christian way. Usually it is a baby getting baptised. Obviously a baby can’t make any promises, so the parents and God-parents make the promises for the baby. We recommend that your child receives the sacrament at an early, rather than later date.

quote – Children are a gift from the Lord, a child is a reward from Him. Psalm 127:3

 Steps to prepare for Baptism

  1. One of the parents must be a member of the Catholic church so that there can be some assurance that the child will be brought up in the teaching and practice of the Church as a follower in Christ.
  2. Your child will need (usually) two Godparents (or Sponsors) one of which must be a practising Catholic as part of their role is to assist you in the bringing up of your child in the ways of the faith. Godparents must be at least 18 years old.
  3. The Priest will need to explain to you the meaning of the ceremony and the promises you will be making on behalf of your child.
  4. A date will need to be confirmed. Baptisms take place on a Saturday at 12noon. Your child will receive a Baptismal candle and a certificate of Baptism. The details will be recorded in the Parish Baptismal Register. These will be needed if your child goes to a Catholic school, prepares for their first holy communion, Confirmation, or indeed Marriage! There is no set fee, but a donation for the church would be appreciated. The Sacrament of Baptism is a serious event in our lives. The baptism water helps our spiritual growth, and the oil makes us strong. Baptism is our first step in growing united with God.

First Holy Communion

God has given you many gifts, like peace and hope and joy. But the greatest gift, is Jesus the Lord. You will be receiving God’s greatest gift in the sacrament of the Eucharist­ your First Holy Communion. You’ll find out more about yourself, the world around you and the people in it. And most importantly you’ll learn how to become a special friend of Jesus.

Prayers to help you

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit, Amen.

Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, And we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, Full of grace, the lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen.

A prayer for my family

O Jesus, bless my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all others I ought to pray for.

Prayers before Holy Communion

O Jesus, I love you. I wish wish all my heart to receive you. Dear Jesus, give me your flesh to eat, and your blood to drink. Come to me and live always with me.

Prayers after Holy Communion

O Jesus, I believe that you have come to me in Holy Communion because you have said it and your word is true, O Jesus, I love you. Make me love you even more. O Jesus, I thank you for coming to me in Holy Communion.

Every Sunday our Parish family gather together to celebrate a special meal, it is called the Eucharist.

The word Eucharist comes from a Greek word that means Thanksgiving. So when we gather together for the Eucharist

  • We thank God for all the wonderful gifts we have received.
  • We listen to God’s word and praise God for being good.
  • We tell God how sorry we are for the wrong things we have done.
  • We let the people around us know we want to be friends.
  • We pray for those who need our love and care.
  • We go to the table to receive Jesus in the bread and wine.

When you receive your First Communion and every time you receive communion after that, you are accepting God’s Greatest Gift. You are saying “Yes” to Jesus.

As the bread is being offered to you, you will hear the words “The Body of Christ” And you will answer “Amen”

As the cup is being offered to you, you will hear the words.. “The Blood of Christ” And you will answer “Amen”

When you say “Amen“, you are telling Jesus ….. Yes, Jesus… I know you are here.

Yes Jesus…I believe in the things you said, and I’m going to live my life loving others, too.

Marriage

One of the greatest steps to take in life is to commit yourself and your future into the hands of another person. You will need as much preparation as possible to be able to know what and who you are committing yourself to.

At St Patrick’s Catholic Marriage Care will be providing marriage preparation courses for couples. You can obtain further information about registration for the courses from Harold Mosley, email: york.admin@marriagecare.org.uk, or by telephoning 0800 389 3801. It’s purpose is to help the couple understand the meaning of Christian marriage and become aware of marriage as a sacrament. There are many aspects of marriage covered

Church law requires weddings to be held in the parish church of either the bride or groom, although the priest may give permission for the wedding to take place in another parish (Canon 1115). Your parish church is typically the one in whose territory you reside, although many Catholics choose to attend a different parish. The priest at your parish is responsible for overseeing your preparation for marriage, and usually presides at the wedding, although he may delegate this responsibility to another priest

quote – Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him a helper fit for him. Genesis 2:18

Below is a list of some of the practical things you will need

  • You will need to fill out a form which asks for details such as name, address, family, your religious background such as Baptisms and Confirmation details (at least one of the partners must be a Catholic).
    • You will need to obtain a copy of your baptismal details (a certificate or details from the parish where you were baptised), a certificate of details of your confirmation. If you are a Catholic , but have not yet been confirmed you may need to receive the sacrament before the marriage takes place. In addition, a note, or letter from the parish where you were Baptised will be required to confirm that your name does not appear as married already on their records!
    • You will be asked to make an appointment at the registry office to apply for a certificate to get married at St Patrick’s. The registrar will interview you separately and then the civil banns will be displayed at the registrars Office. After this you will both be issued with a certificate authorising the priest or Deacon to perform the civil side of the marriage. Without this the marriage cannot take place. Please bring the certificates provided by the registrar to the Priest.
    • The rite of marriage has to be planned together by choosing appropriate readings from the sacred scriptures; suitable music and hymns selected (only Christian music is permissible). You will need to ask individuals willing to read at the service, to distribute the hymn books, order of service etc..
    • A rehearsal will be held shortly before the wedding (a day or two). Bring to the rehearsal the organist / musicians / church florists fee and a donation for the church.

Do not throw confetti in the grounds of the church and ask your guests to please switch off mobile phones or put them into silent/vibrate mode BEFORE stepping into Church as the Blessed Sacrament is present and it is a place of prayer.