One of the most precious gifts is the gift of faith.
It is a lovely thing when parents wish to raise their child to know and love Jesus - and found their lives on the rock of his love and goodness.
Parents who wish to take on that responsibility, can find themselves in all sorts of circumstances.
- Sometimes both parents are Catholics, and are regular at Sunday Mass, actively seeking to live their Christian faith. Sometimes one parent is active in living their Catholic faith and the other parent comes from a different Christian tradition, and may be active in that or not. Sometimes one parent may be of a different faith, and in some cases one parent may not have faith in God. In some cases parents are both baptised Catholic but have not taken part in the shared life of the Church for some time.
- Sometimes parents are married in the Catholic church. Sometimes they have married outside of the Catholic Church. Sometimes they are not married.
- Sometimes the parents of a child are no longer together, and sometimes just one parent now shoulders the responsibility for parenting their child.
- And then there are families with two mothers, or two fathers, and so on.
Most every family is different. But in all these cases and more our parish is ready to help support parents who are ready to step forward, and prepare to take on the responsibilities of bringing up their children in the practice of our Catholic faith.
The Church speaks of how each family is invited to learn to live as a domestic church. The family at home is seen as THE place where parents and children share faith, learn to pray, develop and deepen their relationship with God, and neighbour.
Parents are called to be leaders of the domestic church – exercising their role there, sharing in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet and king.
This vocation is a privileged one. It can also be a challenging one.
So at St Nicholas parish we give time and space for parents to consider different aspects of the life of faith which they are invited to make their own and that they will want to share with their children in the years following baptism.
Typically this will include times to reflect together on
If you are a parent considering baptism for your child, and this is something that you want to explore further, then please speak with Fr Allen after any Sunday Mass.
The Church speaks of how each family is invited to learn to live as a domestic church. The family at home is seen as THE place where parents and children share faith, learn to pray, develop and deepen their relationship with God, and neighbour.
Parents are called to be leaders of the domestic church – exercising their role there, sharing in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet and king.
This vocation is a privileged one. It can also be a challenging one.
So at St Nicholas parish we give time and space for parents to consider different aspects of the life of faith which they are invited to make their own and that they will want to share with their children in the years following baptism.
Typically this will include times to reflect together on
- the power of prayer
- who Jesus is
- the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist
- and parenthood
If you are a parent considering baptism for your child, and this is something that you want to explore further, then please speak with Fr Allen after any Sunday Mass.
