Sacraments

Baptism

Congratulations on the birth of your child! The Parish Community shares in your joy. Thank you for wanting to have your baby join the family of the Church through Baptism. By asking for your baby’s Baptism, you are publicly thanking God for His gift to you and making a commitment to bring up your child in the Christian faith. We will help you carry out your decision by giving you our wholehearted support.

Arranging a Baptism in Dunmore Parish:
Baptisms normally take place on the 1st Sunday of the Month at 12:30pm &

3rd Saturday of the Month at 12:30pm. (these are subject to change)

The Dates/Churches are normally published in the weekly parish newsletter.

The first booking for that date chooses the Church, any other families wishing to Baptise their child on the same date will attend that Church for Baptism.

In order to book your date, please contact the Parish Office on 093 38124

A Baptism booking form will be sent to you, which you should complete and return with a photocopy of your child’s Birth Certificate.

Nearer the date, the Parish Baptism Team will make a home-visit to welcome you and run through the ceremony.

Contact the Parish Office on 093 38124 to book a Baptism

Marriage

Wedding Days are special and Dunmore Parish wishes you every Happiness.

In choosing to have your marriage in a Catholic Church you are choosing what it stands for to be part of your married life. At the ceremony all pray for God’s blessing on you and your marriage.

Things to Do in Preparation for All Weddings .

Contact the Parish Office to book the Church.
Complete and return Wedding Booking form to secure the Church. There is a €100 fee for the Church – this covers heat, electricity and sacristan. This does not include money for the Priest, which should be arranged separately.
Contact the Local Registrar and make an appointment to meet him/her. The Registrar will inform you of the documentation required to have your wedding registered with the Civil Authorities.

A minimum of three months notice of intention to marry is required by both Church and State. Usually there is six to twelve months notice.

The next step is to book a pre-marriage course.

eg. Accord: Tel. (091) 562 331. or similar course approved by the Bishop’s Office

The Church Documentation:

Preparing the Church documentation is the job of your local priest — i.e. the priest of the parish where you now live, not the task of the priest in Dunmore (unless you reside in the Parish) or of the priest who will officiate at your wedding.

The following documents should be submitted to Dunmore parish office six weeks before the marriage:

1. A recently issued Baptism Certificate
from the church where you were baptised.

2. A Confirmation Certificate
from the Church where you were confirmed.

3. Evidence of Freedom to Marry.
You need to establish that you are “Free to Marry” by submitting Letters of Freedom, and/or Declaration/Affidavit sworn before a Solicitor, and/or letters from parents etc. If you have lived in a number of places since the age of 16, it will take longer time to gather the documentation. Your local priest will guide you as to what’s necessary.

4. Pre-marriage Course Certificate.
Those getting married in a Catholic Church are required to spend some time in preparation for marriage and are asked to attend a Pre-marriage Course.

5. Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form.
When you have the obtained the aforementioned documents, arrange to meet your local priest who will fill out a Prenuptial Form.

This important form will contain data as to name, age, date of birth, parents, residence and asks a number of questions to confirm that you understand the commitment that you are about to make.

All the documents are then sent by your local priest to Dunmore church. This should be done at least six weeks prior to the wedding

Eucharist – First Communion

Preparation for First Holy Communion

All children will complete the “Do this in Memory” programme prior to receiving their First Holy Communion. A significant part of the programme will take place at Sunday masses during the year. Parents will be advised of the specific masses to attend with their children.

Confirmation

In Dunmore Parish, Confirmation takes place every 2 years. The next Confirmation in the Parish will take place in 2019.

Confirmation in the faith

Confirmation celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the Acts of the Apostles chapter 2, verses 1 to 13, we read of the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit. They had been hiding after Jesus’ death, afraid and uncertain. The coming of the Holy Spirit with his gifts inspired them and enabled them to take the step of preaching the good news. We are made members of God’s family at Baptism.

At Confirmation, our Baptism is completed or “sealed” by the Holy Spirit and we are called to be Christian witnesses, just like the apostles. The whole of our Christian living and the life of the Church, too, are sustained by the same Spirit.

Who Can Receive?

Any baptised Catholic wishing to advance on the path of developing their faith. For young people, this is usually part of the 5th/6th class primary school programme. For adults who were not confirmed as children, it means taking part in the Rite of the Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.)

Sponsor

Sponsor A sponsor stands behind the candidate for Confirmation at the Confirmation ceremony and places their hand on the shoulder of the candidate as a sign that they will support them in living out their baptismal promises. However, the role of the sponsor is not just for one day. The sponsor undertakes to assist the confirmed person in growing in the fullness of their faith and in their membership of the Catholic Church. A person qualifies as a sponsor by being a reasonably mature adult, who is at least 16 years old, and has already received the Sacraments of Initiation, (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) themselves. The Confirmation sponsor may be one of the people who was a sponsor at Baptism (subject to the notes here).

Choosing a sponsor

Choosing a sponsor To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must: be appointed by the candidate, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it; be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made; be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken; not be either the father or the mother of the candidate.

Name

Name The tradition of taking a new name at Confirmation emphasises the new identity of a Christian being called to witness to their faith. People are encouraged to take the name of a saint or a person from the Bible who inspires them in some way.

Oil

Oil The oil used is called the Oil of Chrism. It is olive oil mixed with balsam that is blessed by the bishop and priests of the diocese in the Cathedral at the ‘Chrism Mass’ on Holy Thursday. The Sacrament is conferred with the anointing with this ‘Oil of Chrism’ on the forehead as the Bishop says ‘Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit’.

PARISH OF DUNMORE