Sacraments
Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and the anointing of the sick. Ring the presbytery for any of them.
The sacraments
Ring the presbytery for any of them. None of it is a form-filling exercise.
Baptism
Usually on a Sunday afternoon. One evening of preparation for the parents and godparents, which is a conversation rather than a course. No charge.
First Confession & Communion
Preparation runs from September for children in Year 3 and above, in the parish rather than in school. Children not at a Catholic school are just as welcome and always have been.
Confirmation
From Year 8, with the bishop coming most years. Adults who were never confirmed are prepared alongside those becoming Catholics.
Marriage
Six months' notice, and rather less paperwork than people fear.
Ring before you book anything else. There is a legal side that takes time — particularly if either of you was baptised abroad or was married before — and it is far easier to start it early than to discover it in April.
Marriage preparation is four evenings with two other couples. Everyone dreads it and almost everyone says afterwards it was the useful part.
The sick, and the dying
If someone is seriously ill, going into hospital, or near death, ring at any hour. The number below diverts out of hours and it is answered. Do not wait until the morning and do not worry about whether it is serious enough.
The Sacrament of the Sick is not only for the dying, and it may be received more than once. Communion is brought to the housebound every week by parishioners who would be glad of another name on the list.
Becoming a Catholic
Or coming back after a long time away.
A group meets on Thursday evenings from September through to Easter. It is a conversation, not a syllabus, and people leave it at any point without anybody minding — a good number come for a year and decide not to, which is a perfectly good outcome.
If you were baptised a Catholic and simply stopped, you do not need any of this. You need Confession, and then you need to come to Mass.