Services

Baptism is the Church’s sacrament of welcome and the gateway to all the other sacraments. The Baptism of a child is a very special occasion in the life of a family.

It is also a very special occasion in the life of the Church. Just as we welcome a child into our families, so too the Church welcomes children into the family of God.

Baptism initiates a person into the Christian Community, making them children of God and members of the local parish. Baptism is a graced moment in which we meet God, and the decision to celebrate the sacrament deserves careful consideration.

The Sacrament of Baptism is currently celebrated every Sunday @ 12.45 pm. Arrangements for same should be made initially through the parish office (090 6626209 / roscommonparish3@gmail.com).

Parents are required to fill out a Baptism Enquiry Form which can be downloaded here.

All baptisms booked will be subject to the return of the completed Baptismal Form and birth cert copy of the child to the Parish Office.

Taken from The Faith Of The Catholic Church, a CTS Publication

How is the Christian initiation brought about?

An individual is initiated as a Christian through three Sacraments: Baptism, which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation, which is the strengthening; and the Eucharist, which nourishes with the Body and Blood of Christ so as to make the Christian disciple more like Christ.

Why is Baptism important?

Baptism is important because it brings the individual to a new life in Christ and to membership of the Church. According to the will of the Lord it is necessary for salvation, as is the belonging to the Church.

The Eucharist is a very important Sacrament for Catholics.

The Eucharist is celebrated at every Mass and can be received once a Catholic has taken their First Holy Communion, when they will receive the Eucharist for the first time. Whilst every Mass reminds Catholics of the Last Supper Jesus shared with His disciples, the Eucharist itself is a symbol of the sacrifice that Jesus made through dying on the Cross and rising again.

On First Holy Communion day, the children of the parish, receive the Body of Christ,and the challenge for not only the children, but for all of us, is to go out and be the Body of Christ in the world, in our parish, in the neighbourhood we live, in the family we belong to. We are called to be Christ’s presence in our everyday lives and to bring Christ to everyone we meet, even those we find difficult. When we do this, we begin to understand the wonderful gift we receive on First Holy Communion day, and every day after, that we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. It should not be seen as a habit, a chore, a requirement, but as the greatest gift we receive. When we prepare well and learn more about Jesus, we begin to see just how important the Eucharist is in our lives.

First Holy Communion year provides families with a great opportunity to learn more about their faith and to become closer to the Holy Family, who are always our inspiration and guide.

As a parish, we always look forward to First Holy Communion, but what we look forward to even more is seeing the fruits of the great gift that the children have received. It is the days, weeks and years after First Holy Communion that we must encourage one another to remain strong in the faith and to come regularly to Mass to receive this most precious gift so that we can be as God wants us to be. He gave us His only Son as food for our journey. It is Christ who invites us to share in this feast at Mass.

Each week we come to share our common story, we come to listen to God’s Word, to be transformed, along with the gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. We come to break the bread and share the gift of God’s great love; His total self giving, We go to be bread for each other, to be Christ for each other so that we can love and serve the Lord, announce the Gospel of the Lord and glorify the Lord by the lives we live.

Taken from The Faith Of The Catholic Church a CTS Publication

What is the Eucharist?

The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood instituted at the Last Supper. It perpetuates the sacrifice of the cross for all time. It completes the process of Christian initiation begun by Baptism and developed and developed by Confirmation by enabling the Christian to share in Christ’s own sacrifice and life. It is the life giving food for the Christian’s journey.

Is the Eucharist called by any other names?

The unfathomable richness of this Sacrament is indicated by the variety of names given to it, among which are: The Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, the Breaking of Bread, the Eucharistic Assembly, the Holy Sacrifice, the Holy and Divine Liturgy, Holy Communion, Holy Mass.

Whereas the Sacrament of Baptism welcomes an individual into the Church, the Sacrament of Confirmation confirms the individual as a complete member of the Catholic Church. 

For those who were baptised as infants, it is an opportunity for them to renew the vows that their parents and Godparents made on their behalf at their Baptism.  The Sacrament of Confirmation makes a Catholic a witness of Jesus in the world with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Confirmation Day is a wonderful day for the Parish community. Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Church. It completes the journey of Initiation into the Catholic Church, together with Baptism and Eucharist. In Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit.

In Confirmation, we confirm what we have already received. We are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit through the Anointing with the Oil of Chrism. Chrism is Olive Oil mixed with balsam, a sweet smelling perfume. As we are anointed with this oil in Confirmation, we should bring the fragrance of Christ with us everywhere we go. The Holy Oil of Chrism is blessed by the Bishop in the Cathedral in Sligo on Spy Wednesday evening. We become witnesses to Christ in our world.

The Baptismal Candle which was lit from the Paschal Candle is once again lit and passed on from sponsor to the Confirmation Candidate. It is the candidate’s responsibility to keep the light of faith burning brightly in their lives, with the support of the parish community and their families.

Confirmation Candidates are generally 6th Class students but people can be confirmed at any age. Adults who wish to be baptised and confirmed in the faith usually complete the RCIA. Anyone wishing to be confirmed at a later age, should make contact with one of the priests of the parish and they will give them further information about the process.

Confirmation Registration Evening – We will be holding a Confirmation Registration Evening for all parents/guardians of Children who wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Anyone who is unable to attend the meeting should make contact with the Parish Office on 090 6626298 before the meeting to register their child.

Confirmation Commitment Ceremony – The Confirmation Commitment Ceremony will be held in Sacred Heart Church, Roscommon on the first Sunday of Advent at the 8pm Vigil Mass. During this Mass, the names of all the children registered for Confirmation will be called out and they will commit to following the programme of preparation for the Sacrament.

Choosing a Sponsor – For the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, there are sponsors who promise to support the candidate to grow in the faith as a follower of Christ. The sponsor promises to help the candidate in their journey of faith. While the sponsor at Baptism, the Godparent, doesn’t have to be the sponsor at Confirmation, it is nice to maintain the link between the two Sacraments if at all possible. At Confirmation, the sponsor presents the candidate to the bishop. The sponsor stands behind the candidate and places his or her hand on the candidate’s shoulder as a sign of support. The sponsor also hands over the Baptismal Candle to the candidate during the Ceremony. When picking a sponsor it is important to remember that the sponsor should be at least 16 years of age, a firm believer, baptised and confirmed, fully initiated into the life of the Church. The sponsor is to be a good role model and someone who practices their faith, through prayer and regular attendance at Mass.

Choosing a Name – It is important when choosing a name for Confirmation, that the candidate picks the name of a saint. Saints are people who have been Christ like. They inspire us to be better people. We are all called to be saints, through our Baptism. This can be difficult at times and that is why it is good to look towards the saints to encourage us on our own faith journey. When people in the Church and in the Bible were setting out on a new journey in life, they were given a new name. The saint whose name the candidates take is to have special meaning for the person and is to be inspirational for themas it was for so many people in the past. There are countless examples of people who have taken a new name. For example, Simon became Peter, Saul became Paul and more recently Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope and took the name Francis.

At Confirmation, candidates choose a new name. This is a sign that the candidates are ready to start a new stage of their journey. They are ready to begin living in a new way as witnesses to Christ. The candidates are ready to serve God and live out their baptismal vocation. Please spend some time choosing a name of a saint. There are many wonderful resources on the internet, where candidates can research different saints and see which one appeals to them most. The important thing is that the candidate is inspired by the life of the saint and not simply the name.

Taken from The Faith Of The Catholic Church a CTS Publication

What is Confirmation?

Confirmation is the Sacrament that perfects the grace of Baptism. It gives the Holy Spirit so as to root us more deeply in our relationship with God as His sons and daughters, to incorporate us more solidly in Christ, to strengthen our link with the Church by associating us more closely in her mission, and to help us to witness to the Christian faith in word and deed.

The Sacrament of Marriage joins a man and woman together in a loving covenant with God. A marriage in the Catholic Church must be permanent, exclusive and open to the possibility of having children and raising them within the Church. Catholics believe that marriage is a gift from God, as Jesus was united with his bride, the Church, and therefore husband and wife should grow together in love and trust.

For a checklist of Marriage Procedures in the parish click here.

It is advisable for couples preparing to get married to make contact with the Parish office as soon as they can, in order to ensure that the Church is available on their chosen date and to book their marriage ceremony.

Couples preparing for marriage are advised to contact their priest at least six months prior to their wedding date and notify the State of their marriage also so that the necessary documentation can be completed.

All couples getting married must also participate in a pre-marriage course. ACCORD – the Catholic Marriage Advisory Committee – facilitates these courses and booking for this course can be arranged by your priest or by contacting Accord.

(ACCORD Office – 090 6626619)

Please find below links to Mass Booklet and Mass Readings you can choose from.

Mass Booklet

Scripture Readings for the Wedding Mass

Wedding Reflections

It is advisable to pick music of a Liturgical nature for your Marriage Ceremony.  There is beautiful music for Wedding Masses.  If unsure, if your music is in line with what is appropriate in the Church, it is best to check with the priest.

Taken from The Faith Of The Catholic Church, a CTS Publication

What is the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage?

The Sacrament of Marriage is a sign of the union between Christ and the Church. Spouses are given the grace to love each other with the love by which Christ has loved the Church. The grace of the Sacrament is intended to perfect the couple’s love to strengthen their insoluble union and to sanctify them in their journey to God.

Reconciliation is the Sacrament of Forgiveness and it is also known as Confession. 

Confession is one of the most beautiful Sacraments we can receive.We are invited by Jesus to avail of the Sacrament as often as we can. There are countless stories in the Bible where we see just how much God loves us and wants us to be close to Him. God is always ready to forgive us. His arms always ready to embrace us, like the Father in the Parable of the Lost Son. He waits for us to come back to Him so he can show us that we are loved, cherished and forgiven.

Each Saturday, there are Confessions in the Church from 10.30am – 11.00am and also before the Vigil Mass each week from 6.30pm – 7.00pm.

During the Year, especially in preparation for Easter and Christmas, we have Communal Celebrations of the Sacrament of Penance in the Church. We have a lovely Prayer Service in which we, as a community, come to receive God’s forgiveness. There are many priests from the parish and surrounding areas to hear individual Confessions during these beautiful ceremonies.

Confession is also available on request. Please contact the parish.

Taken from The Faith Of The Catholic Church, a CTS Publication

How can we obtain forgiveness for those sins committed after Baptism?

The forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is obtained through the Sacrament of Penance. This Sacrament is also called the Sacrament of Conversion, of Confession, and of Reconciliation.

When did Jesus speak of this Sacrament?

After his Resurrection, the Lord Jesus showed Himself to His Apostles and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

Jesus Christ is the healer. Jesus saw the hurting people in his midst and responded to them holistically, both to their bodies and spirits. Healing was a principle sign of the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ healing ministry should be seen in the context of his forgiving sin and his proclamation of God’s kingdom and the need for repentance. Jesus charged his disciples to continue his message and mission. 

Today, the sacrament is administered not only to the dying but also to those who are sick; it is administered with the laying on of hands, a biblical symbol of Jesus’ touch and the outpouring of the Spirit of strength, love and forgiveness, together with the anointing with blessed oil. People are encouraged to request the sacrament during serious illness or before a serious operation.

The sacrament is administered not only to the dying but also to those who are sick.

If we only knew the precious treasure hidden in infirmities, we would receive them with the same joy with which we receive the greatest benefits, and we would bear them without ever complaining or showing signs of weariness. St. Vincent de Paul

The sick are at the very heart of the parish here in Roscommon. It is in often in suffering that we come to experience the love, compassion and closeness of Christ. The priests of the parish visit the sick each First Friday of the month. There is no need for the sick to fast before the priest comes. Eucharistic Ministers also bring Holy Communion to the sick of the parish on Sundays by request.

It is important to inform the Parish office or one of the priests, if you or someone you know,would like to be added to the list for First Friday calls.

“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Romans 5:3-4

The healing is not only a prayer for the healing of the physical body, but also a prayer for inner healing to help the individual to understand that God is with them should they ever feel alone or scared. The prayer for forgiveness also contributes to the inner healing and ultimately a feeling of peacefulness.

If you or a loved one is facing an operation or has been rushed into hospital then please contact us and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Taken from The Faith Of The Catholic Church, a CTS Publication

What does the Scripture say about the Anointing of the Sick?

The Apostle James says,”If one of you is ill, he should send for the Elders of the Church, and they must anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

When should this Sacrament be received?

The Anointing of the Sick is for those faithful who begin to find themselves in some danger of death through sickness or old age, and is by no means only for those at the point of death.

In the event of a death please contact the parish priest.

Funeral Masses are celebrated on request any day at 11.00am except Sundays.