Occasional Offices

Occasional Offices

Baptism

‘Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), 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.’ (CCC 1213)

Baptisms at St Nicholas are celebrated at one of several times. Either during the 9:30am Sunday Solemn Mass, or at 3pm on Sunday afternoons. We use signs and symbols

Before the Baptism parents and godparents taken through baptism preparation by the Parish Priest.

To arrange a Baptism please contact Fr John.

Marriage

The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman, in loving union, establish between themselves a partnership of the wholeness of life. Blessed Fulton J Sheen once wrote ‘Three get Married.’ God is always present in Holy Matrimony. He is the the bond of love between husband and wife, the provider of grace who keep couples together, and the author of Love of wills others to share in the same outpouring of Love.

Those who enter into the Sacrament of Marriage receive spacial grace to enable them to be built up in their relationship in a state of of wonder and love, to bear the difficulties of life, to love and be faithful to one another, and to bring up children in the Faith and Mercy of God.

As the Parish Church, there are several legal considerations when booking one’s marriage. These centre around you being resident in the parish or not.

To arrange your Marriage at St Nicholas, to see if you are legible to be married in the parish, and to discuss things further, please do contact Fr John.

Funerals

All the sacraments, and principally those of Christian initiation, have as their goal the last Passover of the child of God which, through death, leads him into the life of the Kingdom. Then what he confessed in faith and hope will be fulfilled: “I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” (CCC 1681)

As Christians we have a duty to pray for the living and the dead, and this is no more so important than at the funeral of the ones we love and have gone before us. To have a funeral in church adds grace and power to the intercessions of the faithful for the soul of the one we love.

Fr John will assist you with structuring the service, and after the funeral will offer a Requeim Mass (a special Mass for the souls of the dead) in the weeks or months following as ongoing spiritual care for the soul of your loved one.

At St Nicholas we still have an open graveyard for burials following funeral services, as well as burial of ashes.

To arrange a funeral at St Nicholas please tell the funeral directors who are assisting in the funeral preparations you are organising to contact Fr John.