The Seven Sacraments, by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1448
Information for those wishing to receive the sacraments in our church.
- Infant Baptism
- First Holy Communion and First Confession
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Rite of Catholic Initiation/Adult Confirmation
Infant Baptism
Baptism marks one’s entry into the Church where we are incorporated into the Body of Christ. The sacrament of baptism is where we are claimed by and for Christ and are graced to carry the title ‘Christian.’
If you are resident within the parish boundaries* and are seeking for your child to receive the sacrament of Baptism, please:
- Attend a Sunday Mass at St Dominic’s and ask for Baptism Form from one of the attending priests. The priest will sign and date this, and you should take it home with you and answer the various questions listed.
- Return the form to a priest at a subsequent Sunday Mass, where he will sign and date it, and give it to the parish secretary. If all the information is correct and in order, she will contact you to arrange for a baptism preparation class (unless you have had a child baptised at St Dominic’s in the last 5 years in which case no class is necessary unless requested) which takes place after the 10am Family Mass on the 3rd Sunday of each month.
- Once you have completed this session, the parish secretary will contact you to arrange for a date for the baptism of your child at St Dominic’s. Baptisms ordinarily take place at 12noon on Saturdays.
Please note below information for Catholic godparents:
If you need anything clarified about this process, please contact the parish secretary at london.secretary@english.op.org.
*If you do not reside within the parish boundaries, you will need to seek written permission from the priest of the parish you reside in, granting permission for the baptism to take place outside of his parish boundaries.
First Holy Communion and First Confession
One’s First Holy Communion is a beautiful and most special occasion at which we receive the gift of Christ’s body and blood for the very first time.
The sacrament of the Eucharist has been instituted by Christ, to be celebrated in memory of him. Through the Eucharist the Church re-presents his once and for all Sacrifice to the Father, and from the Eucharist the Church receives spiritual food and drink, Christ’s Body and Blood, that she might live strong in faith.
The First Holy Communion programme at St Dominic’s runs from January until the summer. There are short 20-30 minute classes after the 10am Sunday Mass and three workbooks to be completed at home over the duration of the course.
Any child seeking to be enrolled onto the First Holy Communion programme at St Dominic’s:
- must reside within the parish boundaries (children at the Rosary School should make their First Holy Communion in the parishes they reside in, unless permitted otherwise).
- must have been attending Mass regularly for at least a year prior to enrolment and be familiar to the clergy of St Dominic’s.
- must have and show regular use of a parish passport. These can be obtained from a priest after a Sunday Mass.
The sacrament of Reconciliation is also prepared for during the First Holy Communion programme. One’s first confession is made before receiving one’s First Holy Communion. Confession and Holy Communion go together not only at this stage, but throughout our Catholic lives. If we are receiving Holy Communion, we should also make sure we are going to Confession with frequency.
For more information or to enquire further, please contact the parish secretary at london.secretary@english.op.org.
Confirmation
In the sacrament of Confirmation we are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen that faith infused in our souls at our baptism. Through this sacrament, we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live our Christian lives more effectively and authentically in the world.
To be enrolled on the Confirmation programme, teenagers should have been previously baptised as Catholics, be in year 9 at school or above (aged 14 by the time of summer), and have been attending Mass regularly at St Dominic’s over the course of the year. The sacramental programme takes place over the course of 3 months with classes each week.
To enquire further, please contact the parish secretary at london.secretary@english.op.org.
Marriage
If you’re thinking about getting married, congratulations!
Through the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, God blesses the love of husband and wife and enriches it making this love a manifestation of Christ, an effective sign of His presence.
This sacrament will be a source of strength and encouragement for you in your love for each other. It will also be an invitation for you to be ministers of love for others, especially as a couple and in your home – as parents and as hosts to friends and strangers alike.
If you live within the parish boundaries and are thinking of getting married here or elsewhere or would like to have your civil marriage convalidated (“blessed”), please contact the parish secretary at london.secretary@english.op.org. If you live outside this parish but would like to marry here, you must first contact the priest of the parish in which you live.
The earliest that marriage paperwork can begin is 6 months before the proposed date of marriage. You will be required (where appropriate) to obtain copies of your baptism and confirmation certificates from the church in which you received these sacraments. These must be dated within 6 months of the proposed wedding date (NB certificates you may have obtained at the time of reception of these sacraments are not valid and cannot be used).
Up to a year before the proposed wedding date, and no later than one month before the proposed wedding date, notice must be given by you to Camden Council concerning the proposed wedding (marriage schedule).
Up to 6 months before your proposed wedding date, you will need to swear before a Commissioner of Oaths (solicitor) using the designated forms provided by the priest, declaring that you are truly and legally free to marry.
On receiving the various sacramental certificates, the Statutory Declaration of Freedom before a solicitor, the marriage schedule from the Council, along with payment of £100 (£50 parish admin fee + £50 diocesan admin fee), your paperwork will be sent to the diocesan chancery office for processing. If you are not getting married at St Dominic’s, your paperwork will need to be sent to the church in which you will be married once the diocese here has processed your paperwork. If you are marrying at St Dominic’s, but are not resident within the parish boundaries, written permission from the priest of your parish of residence will be necessary.
Whilst this can all seem overwhelming, please do not worry. For any enquiries, please contact the parish secretary at london.secretary@english.op.org.
Rite of Catholic Initiation/ Adult Confirmation
It is great that you are thinking of becoming a Catholic or seeking to be Confirmed! The clergy and people of the parish and shrine are ready to assist you in this process, and to help you along the way.
Ordinarily, those seeking to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church (whether previously baptised as Christian in another church or ecclesial communion or not) are received at the great celebration of the Easter Vigil. The RCIA programme consists of a number of months of one hour group classes where the Catholic faith is explored.
This programme is also used for those adult Catholics who have never been Confirmed but have been baptised as Catholic and have potentially made their First Holy Communion.
If enquiry is made at other points of the year, it may be possible to receive one-to-one preparation and to be welcomed into full communion with the Catholic Church at other points in the year.
The programme ordinarily begins in the autumn of a given year. For more information, please contact the parish secretary at london.secretary@english.op.org
