Holy Communion is available to Catholics attending Mass throughout the week.

Reconciliation is available weekly and the times are given HERE.

To receive any of the other sacraments contact Fr Tony via the Parish Office  on 01275 873205 to find out more and to register your interest. 

Matrimony When planning your wedding you will need to allow at least 6 months for preparation and for all paperwork to be processed.

First Holy Communion Our annual preparation course begins in September and runs until June, when the children receive their First Holy Communion. 

Confirmation A preparation course usually begins in January and runs until June when Confirmation Masses happen. Bishop Bosco will give the Sacrament in one church in our local Deanery. 

Anointing of the sick  If you are a patient in hospital can receive this sacrament by contacting the hospital chaplain. Let him or her know the patient is a Catholic and would like to see a Catholic priest. If you are at home and would like to receive the Sacrament of the Sick (Anointing), please contact the Friary.

Holy Orders  Do you feel that you have a calling to the priesthood or religious life? Have a look at the Diocesan webpage for Vocations . To find out more about the Franciscan Religious Life look at their website, http://www.friar.org or speak to one of the Franciscan friars in Clevedon. 

Baptism is the foundation of the whole of Christian life. It is the gateway to life in Christ and the support of the Holy Spirit. It is the door that gives access to the other sacraments. Baptism is a one-off event but anyone who has not previously been baptised may seek Baptism at any age. Through Baptism we are reborn as a daughter or son of God. 

Following His resurrection, Jesus issued a divine mandate known as the Great Commission, instructing His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This commission (Matt 28:19-20) is Jesus' authorisation for the practice of baptism as a means of initiating individuals into the community of believers and symbolising their commitment to His teachings and mission.

It is through Baptism that we begin our formal relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit comes to us through baptism offering inspiration, enlightenment and guidance, as well as the courage, strength and motivation to live according to God’s ways.

The phrase “to baptise” means to "plunge" or "immerse". The immersion in water, or alternatively the pouring of water over our head, symbolises our union with the death of Jesus. Just as Christ rose from the dead, we rise from the water as a "new creature", a member of the Church.

Baptism consists of a person's immersion in water three times or of the pouring of water over the person's head three times, with the recitation of the words, "I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Those who have been validly baptised in another Christian tradition, and are seeking to become Catholics, do not need to be baptised again.

The sacrament of Confirmation continues, strengthens, confirms and celebrates the gifts of the Holy Spirit received in Baptism.  At the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He promised his followers that He would send them the gift of the Holy Spirit who would help them to live as He had taught them and to pass on His message to all the nations. (See John 20:22 and Acts 2).

In the very early Church, Baptism and Confirmation were conferred by the bishop and celebrated together. However, over time, access to bishops became more difficult and Baptism came to be conferred by the local parish priest. The power to confer Confirmation was reserved to the bishop so this sacrament began to be celebrated separately. 

In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the bishop lays his hands on the baptised person and prays that the Holy Spirit will fill the person with spiritual gifts. Then, using holy oil, the bishop  makes a cross on the person’s forehead. It is usual for the person being confirmed to take on an extra name, that of a particular saint. The saint will be a source of inspiration by the way he/she lived life while on earth, and an intercessor in prayer to God.

Holy Communion is the action of receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of bread and wine, most often during the Mass.   

The word, Eucharist, which is Greek for “thanksgiving”, is the term used for the whole ritual of the Mass. Many Catholics tend to use the words Eucharist and Mass interchangeably. The action of coming forward and receiving the body and blood of Jesus is called Holy Communion or (also!) Eucharist.

A person’s “First Communion”, receiving the body and blood of Christ for the first time, follows a period of formation in Catholic teaching and receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. Children usually receive their First Communion around the age of seven when traditionally they are considered able to tell right from wrong.

Catholics believe that the body and blood of Jesus Christ is truly present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. This concept can be difficult to understand and a simple (but incomplete analogy) might help: think of a woman who has given birth, she is still a woman but her essence has been profoundly changed - she is now, and always will be, a mother.

There is a rich theological and biblical tradition supporting the belief that bread and wine has been changed into Christ’s body and blood. Scripture shows us that the teaching about the Eucharist is consistent with what happened at the Last Supper. This is how Mark relates it in his gospel: “While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body”. Then he took a cup, and giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” (Mark 14:22-24).

However, the Eucharist is more than acting out what happened at the Last Supper. When people gather to celebrate the Mass they come to thank God for the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross and His resurrection. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is:

1363: Not merely the recollection of past events but the proclamation of the mighty works wrought by God for us. In the liturgical celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real. This is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt: every time Passover is celebrated, the Exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they may conform their lives to them.

1364: In the New Testament, the memorial takes on new meaning. When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ’s Passover, and it is made present: the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present.

The Eucharist is therefore a “sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross,” (1366).

In the Gospel of John there is a long discourse where Jesus speaks to the crowds telling them that he is the “bread come down from heaven” and that he is the “bread of life”. Reading John 6:51-58 and Mark 14:22-24 can provide a richer understanding of the background and meaning of this sacrament.

This sacrament is one of only two sacraments that Catholics may receive regularly through the normal course of their lives (the other is Reconciliation) and therefore is a particularly valuable source of grace. 

Reconciliation or Confession is a sacrament offering us forgiveness for the times we have sinned and turned away from God.  It also reconciles us with Christ and His Church because He is wounded by our sins.

Every time we sin, we hurt ourselves, other people and God. In Reconciliation, we acknowledge our sins before God and the Church. We express our sorrow in a meaningful way, make reparation for what we have done and resolve to do better in the future.  We may then receive Christ’s forgiveness for the harm we have caused.

This sacrament Is sometimes called the sacrament of Confession, as a person is required to confess their sins in order to receive absolution. It is sometimes called the sacrament of Penance because this is the way a person makes reparation and receives God’s forgiveness through the ministry of the priest.

Today it is most frequently called the sacrament of Reconciliation. This emphasises the essence of the sacrament: the reassurance of God’s reconciling and forgiving love for the person confessing their sins.

What does the sacrament involve?

First, it is important we examine our conscience. This means reflecting carefully on the areas in our life where we have failed to love God and our neighbour, and considering where possible, how we can be reconciled to the person we have failed or hurt. We may decide to seek guidance on any habits of sin worrying us.

The next step is to accept the sacrament. We may make our confession anonymously, sitting behind a screen in the confessional, unseen by the priest. Alternatively we may sit face-to-face with him. Whether hearing our confession anonymously or face-to-face the priest is under a sacred and absolute oath not to share our confession with anyone at all. 

We will confess our failures to live up to Christ’s teachings and end by reciting a prayer of contrition.  If it is a long time since we have been to Reconciliation and we cannot remember the words, we let the priest know and he will help us. There is usually a printed guide in the confessional.

At the end of the sacrament the priest, on behalf of Christ, will absolve us of our sins, subject to our sincere contrition and resolve to turn away and not repeat them. He will then ask us to undertake an act of penance. 

Reconciliation is one of only two sacraments that Catholics may receive regularly through the normal course of their lives (the other is Holy Communion) and therefore is a particularly valuable source of grace. 

The risen Lord instituted this sacrament on the evening of Easter when He showed Himself to His apostles and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23).

When Jesus was on earth, He openly expressed his care for the sick and healed many people who were brought to Him. Sickness, in its many forms, will touch each one of us. This sacrament makes present God’s care for us in our suffering, especially as we approach death.

What happens? The priest prays for the sick person’s deliverance from sin and the sacrament of Reconciliation may be celebrated. The priest will pray for the patient’s physical and spiritual healing, usually by laying his hands on them. Using an oil blessed specially for the purpose, he then anoints them, usually on the forehead and then on the hands.

In the Gospels, we read of Jesus’ many encounters with the sick and of His mercy in healing them from illnesses of the spirit and of the body. Jesus sends His disciples to perform the same work and gives them the power to heal: “They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” (Mark 6:13). 

Later, St. James instructed: “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-16).  It is significant that the first major event following Pentecost was a dramatic healing when in the name of Jesus, Peter healed a crippled man at the gate of the temple (Acts 3:1-8).

We may receive this sacrament more than once as needed.

In this sacrament, a solemn and binding agreement is made between a man and a woman in the presence of a bishop, a priest or a deacon and two witnesses. It is a bond for life, with an openness to having and caring for children. The love expressed by the couple makes present the deep love that Jesus has for us.

What happens? This is a sacrament where, uniquely, the couple confer the sacrament upon each other. The priest is both a witness to the marriage and ensures that the sacrament is celebrated validly.

The sacrament of Matrimony establishes an exclusive and lifelong bond between the spouses. "It is not good that the man is alone," said God as Adam slept in Eden. "I will make him a helper like himself." It is God's design that man and woman should complete each other, draw strength from each other, contribute to one another's spiritual growth.  This purpose of God is achieved in the lifelong espousal of one man and one woman, in which minds and hearts as well as bodies are fused into a new and richer unity.

God himself seals the consent of the spouses. So a marriage which is ratified and consummated between baptised persons can never be dissolved. This sacrament also gives the couple the grace necessary to grow in holiness in their married life and to responsibly accept the gift of children and provide for their education.

Jesus’ institution of marriage as a sacrament has been a constant and unbroken tradition of the Church. This is justified by the account of the marriage feast at Cana and more directly in the account of the time He instructed the Pharisees: "Have you not read that the Creator, from the beginning, made them male and female, and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? Therefore now they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matthew 19:4-7).

The sacrament of Holy Orders creates a deacon, a priest or a bishop. 

Holy Orders " … is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to His apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry”. It includes three degrees … "the orders of bishop, priest, and deacon”. (Catechism, 1536)

A priest offers sacrifice on behalf of the congregation. In its original meaning a sacrifice is the offering of a gift to God by a group, through the agency of someone who has the right to represent the group. The purpose of such an offering is to acknowledge God's supreme lordship over mankind, to thank Him for his blessings, to atone for human sin, and to beg for His benefits.

It is not that God needs our gifts. But it has pleased God, from the very beginning of human history, to have us "act out" our feelings towards Him by means of sacrifice. In ancient times from all that God had given us, we would take the very best (whether it was a lamb or a bullock or fruit or grain) and offer it back — destroying it upon an altar to symbolise the act of giving. 

Nothing that we can offer is really worthy of God therefore these were only "tokens" that expressed, better than words, the deepest sentiments of the human heart towards God. Sacrifice, in short, is prayer in action of a group. And the one who offers the sacrifice in the name of the group is the priest.

Jesus instituted the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Last Supper. In this new sacrifice the gift offered to God is not a mere token. The offering now is a gift worthy of God. It is the gift of God's own Son - a gift of infinite value, even as God himself is infinite. In the Mass Jesus daily renews the once-and-forever offering He made of Himself upon the cross to God. In the Mass He gives each of us the opportunity to unite ourselves with Him under the appearances of bread and wine. Through Christ we participate in the perfect offering.

The apostles were the first human agents whom Christ used for the offering of Himself. He gave them the power of making the God-Man present upon the altar under the appearances of bread and wine. At the Last Supper He gave them the command, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:20). It is the power to offer sacrifice in the name of Christ and of His Church which made the Apostles priests. To this power of changing bread and wine into His Body and Blood, Jesus added the power to forgive sins in His name. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said; "whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained" (John 20:22-23). 

This power of the priesthood which Christ conferred upon his Apostles was not to die with them. Jesus came to save the souls of all people who ever would live, down to the end of the world. Consequently, the Apostles passed their priestly power on to other men in the ceremony which we now call the sacrament of Holy Orders.

The sacrament of Holy Orders has three stages, each conferring particular powers: 

• For the deacon it is the right to baptise, to preach, and to administer Holy Communion.
• For the priest it is the power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and to forgive sins.
• For the bishop, who alone has the complete fullness of the priesthood, it is the power to confirm and to ordain - to pass the power of the priesthood on to others in the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Finally the one ordained receives the sacramental grace entitling him to claim from God whatever actual graces he may need in the faithful discharge of his office.

Above all else, Holy Orders makes possible the extraordinary gift of the Sacrifice of the Mass to all humanity through all time - a gift from Christ himself.

I have produced these pages drawing on various resources published by Catholic organisations notably www.catholic.org.au - the website of the Catholic Bishops of Australia - which has kindly granted us permission to use their material.

Fr Reg, our parish priest at the time of writing, approved the pages for our website however any errors remain my responsibility.

Anthony Palmer, October 2024