Sacraments
REQUESTING THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated in Saint Helen's on a Sunday, usually after the 12.30 pm Mass. Only for a very exceptional reason would another time be considered.
It is also appropriate for the celebration of Baptism to take place during one of the Sunday Masses.
Parents have the primary responsibility in requesting that their child be baptised.
There must be at least one Godparent who must be a practicing Catholic. A Baptised member of another Church may act as a "Christian Witness".
We will shortly be putting in place a short course of preparation which parents and Godparesnts will be expected to attend.
Priests in the Archdiocese of Glasgow are not permitted to baptise children who have attained the age of reason. Therefore if your child is 7 years of age or over he or she will be enrolled in the RCIC programme (Rite of Christian Initiation of Children) and will be prepared for baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil.
Please give at least one month's notice. You can download the application form here which you should complete and bring along to one of the priests who will talk to you further about the responsibilities involved in requesting the Sacrament of Baptism and will inform you of appropriate preparation programmes.
SACRAMENTS OF FIRST CONFESSION, CONFIRMATION AND FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Normally children in Primary 3 are prepared to receive First Confession in Lent. They will then receive the Sacrament of Confimration later the same year, with First Holy Communion being received the following May.
This is a particularly important time in the child's journey of faith and one in which a good example of living the faith by the Catholic parent(s) is vital.
Application must be made at the beginning of this process. Please download the application form here and bring it personally to one of the priests who will discuss the matter with you further.
Preparation of the children is undertaken in the Catholic School. If your child does not attend a Catholic School, the parent or guardian will be resposible for preparation. Resources are available from the Pauline Bookshop, Royal Exchange Square.
There are Parish Preparation Sessions which complement the work done in school. These take place in the weeks leading up to the celebration of the Scraments.