The following contains information regarding what procedures to follow when you wish to enquire about the reception of the sacraments.  These include:

Baptisms

Marriages

First Confession (Reconciliation)

First Holy Communion

Confirmation

BAPTISMS

Baptims are usually celebrated on the Third Sundays of each month in St Comgall's Church, Brunswick Road.

Parents are requested beforehand to complete a Baptism Registration Card which can be obtained at the Parish Office in the Parochial House, beside the Church, (office hours Monday-Friday 9.30am-1pm.)  All details on the card should correspond with the details on the child's full birth certificate as issued by the Registrar of Births.  When you return your completed card to the Parish Office, no later than two weeks before the proposed date of Baptism, please bring with you a copy of the full birth certificate.  This will be returned to you either after details have been checked, or at the celebration of the child's baptism.

In keeping with the Diocesan aims of promoting lay ministry we are enlisting the help of various groups in promoting faith.  At the moment the Legion of Mary are helping with baptism preparation.  With your permission members of the Legion of Mary will be in touch with you before the baptism for a pre-baptism briefing.

The Priests of the Parish look forward to celebrating your child's baptism with you and your extended family and friends.

MARRIAGES

Couples intending to marry should give NO LESS THAN 3 MONTHS NOTICE to the priests of the parish.  It is preferable that you contact the priests first to affirm that the intended date is free, that the Church is free, and that a priest is available for the marriage to take place.

Marriage paperwork involves: a) Civil Registration and Notification of your intention to Marry, at the Registrar's Office at the Town Hall of the parish where the wedding is to take place,  and b) the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry which will be handled at your meetings with the priest.

Civil Registration:

A Notification of Marriage form needs to be filled in by the couple to be married and signed by the Priest who is to do the wedding (The Officiant) before the forms are taken to the Registrar's Office.  For more information please contact the priest or the General Registrar of Northern Ireland Website at www.groni.gov.uk, where these forms can be downloaded. [See Section "How to get Married", then click on link "Completion of the Marriage Notice Form"]

Church Paperwork:

The Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form needs to be filled out for each person of the engaged couple, separately and alone.  There are two parts to the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form: A) Background Information, including Freedom to Marry, and B) Questions to be answered following appropriate course of instruction.    These sections provide background information for  each person, details of their freedom to marry and their understanding of the importance, rights and obligations of marriage.  An Appropriate Course of Instruction is run by ACCORD, the Catholic Marriage Advisory Service.  For further details and information on Pre-Marriage Courses run by ACCORD please refer to www.accord.ie.

CIVIL REQUIREMENTS FOR MARRIAGE

The new legislation on marriage came into effect on 1 January 2004.  Parties who give notice of their intention to get married after this date must follow the new legislation and in addition to giving at least three months notice to the church must also give notice to the registrar of the place where the religious marriage is to be celebrated.

To fulfil the new civil law each party to an intended marriage must submit a completed Marriage Notice form to the Registrar for the district where the marriage is to take place, not later than 15 days before the proposed date of marriage.  Parties can notify the Registrar up to a year in advance of the marriage date.

Parties from outside Northern Ireland are bound, in full, by the new legislation.  When giving notice of a marriage, a person is obliged to present a birth certificate (EU nationals) or a passport (non-EU nationals).

Once the Registrar has received the Marriage Notice and there is no impediment to the marriage and the person who will perform the ceremony is an approved Officiant (celebrant) a Marriage Schedule is prepared for collection by the parties at the Registrar’s Office.

It is the responsibility of the parties to produce the Marriage Schedule to the Officiant at least three days before the wedding.  A marriage cannot take place without a Marriage Schedule.   It is the parties’ responsibility to return the signed Marriage Schedule (which replaces the certificate used up to now) to the Registrar’s Office within three days of the wedding.

Further information can be obtained from the local Registrar’s Office and online at www.groni.gov.uk.  Notwithstanding the new civil legislation all current Church regulations regarding marriage remain unchanged.

Come back later for more information on Preparation for the sacraments of First Confession, First Communion and Confirmation.....