CHURCH SERVICES
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
All infant Baptisms are held on Sundays at 10.30 am.
Parents wishing to have their child baptized need to the following:
- Participate in a Pre-Baptismal Catechesis course before the child is born preferably in the early months of pregnancy. This course is conducted every 3 months in the parish and consists of 4 sessions held on Wednesday evenings.
- Fill in the Baptism form available at the Parish Office and submit it to the Priest/ Deacon along with the necessary documents at the time of the child’s baptism.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
In our Parish, Confirmation is given only to those who have begun their First year of Junior College (Std. IX) of later. Since the Sacrament of Confirmation completes the initiation into the Catholic Church they are required to have already received the Sacraments of Baptism, the Holy Eucharist (First Holy Communion) and the sacrament of Reconciliation (confession).
When applying for Confirmation, candidates are required to fill in the application form and return it on or before the stipulated date along with a photocopy of their Baptism Certificate at the Parish Office.
Any other relevant rules / policies regarding attendance, date of reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation etc. will be discussed with the candidates and their parents at a meeting held in the first month of the commencement of Confirmation classes.
SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST (FIRST HOLY COMMUNION)
First Holy Communion is given to children who are in Std IV. They are required to attend Sunday-School regularly in order to prepare for this Sacrament.
Other details will be discussed with the parents at the periodical meetings held during the year. At least one parent must attend these meetings.
The first Holy Communion is usually held in December around Christmas time. The date of the reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist will be decided at the meeting with the parents.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILLIATION (CONFESSIONS)
Every Saturday: 5.00 pm to 6.00 pm in the Church
In addition, Confessions during the special seasons (Lent and Advent) are organised, details of which will be announced at the appropriate time.
Parishioners who wish to make their confessions apart from these scheduled times are requested to make an appointment with any priest of the Parish.
SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY
Those wishing to get married must contact any of the Parish Fathers at least 6 months prior to their marriage in order to begin the necessary paperwork. Both parties need to attend a Marriage Preparation Course conducted by Snehalaya Family service Centre whose office is at Victoria Church Compound, Mahim.
After you have met the Priest, book the Mass for your Marriage. Your Marriage can be scheduled for any day at the timings now fixed by our Church. In case there are two or more marriages on the same day, they will be celebrated together at the same Mass.
Printing of Wedding Booklets is strongly discouraged. Not only is it an unnecessary expense, but it is also a disservice to Liturgy as these Booklets (containing hymns and vows) are often thrown away or left behind in the Church. You are encouraged to use the parish Hymnal as far as possible as these are both easily available in the pews as well as contain hymns sung in most Churches of the Archdiocese of Bombay and elsewhere in the country. Please get approved by the Priest doing your paper work, hymns chosen for your Mass as well as the Liturgy, much in advance before your Marriage.
FUNERALS
When someone dear to you, from our parish, expires, please first get in touch with any of the Parish Priests, before you fix the timing of the funeral or publish/print any other information. Funerals are now held at fixed timings, here in our Church. Please do not request for a change of timing as it inconveniences and disrupts the other schedules of our Church.
When approaching the Parish office / Parish Priests to intimate us about a funereal, kindly note, no announcement or funeral will be fixed, without first producing the Death certificate of the deceased.
If there are two or more funerals on the same day, all will be held at the same time.
Adjustments in the timing will be made, at the discretion of the Parish Office. If a wedding mass or any other Church Service is already scheduled at the appointed time.
SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK
We no longer refer to this as Extreme unction. This is a Sacrament of healing and can be administered to any individual who requires to be healed of any sickness – whether mental, physical, emotional, psychological etc. Since this sacrament can only be administered by a Priest, please contact any of the Parish Fathers as and when required.