Welcome, as our Rite of Christian Burial prays: in the waters of baptism your loved one died with Christ and rose to new life, may they now share with him in eternal glory.
As a Christian people we believe that God, in Jesus, shared in the joys and sorrows of life, in sickness and suffering and in death. But God raised Jesus up to new life. We hope that all of us will share in God’s eternal glory.
Your loved one may have died after a time of illness, they may have been taken from you suddenly. We are here to support you in this time.
After the time of death either the Funeral Director or next of kin contacts the parish. The parish phone number is 02 6254 1827. They then arrange a time to meet and negotiate a time for the funeral. They will work through the music, booklet etc. Any financial costs for the funeral are all co-ordinated by the Funeral Director. They pass on relevant monies to florists, musicians, clergy etc.
In our Archdiocese of Canberra/Goulburn, clergy are usually available for funerals Tuesdays to Saturdays. As there are less clergy than in previous generations and they cover various centres, they need to have a break on Mondays in order to serve you more effectively on other days. They are often away on Mondays so may not be available for funeral preparation then either.
Every baptised Catholic has the Rite of Christian Burial regardless of how often they attend Churches. The usual way to celebrate Christian Burial is a Funeral Rite or Funeral Mass in a Catholic Church or Chapel. This is usually followed by a brief Rite of Committal at the cemetery or the crematorium. Cremation committal does not complete laying loved ones to rest and we are expected to advise families to prayerfully lay the ashes to rest at a later date. We can assist with this.
We are not encouraged to celebrate graveside services only. There are two reasons for this. Clergy are given faculties by their Bishop to minister according to the Rites of the Catholic Church. The role of these rites carry the expectation that they take place in a sacred place using prayers and readings from the Bible. The second reason concerns the ancient Christian quality of hospitality. When we invite someone to celebrate with us we offer them shelter from the weather and somewhere to sit. For funerals people may have travelled distances and some may have limited personal mobility. It shows a lack of courtesy to have them standing around in the weather and is therefore poor hospitality.
After the funeral family and friends often gather for a wake. The Funeral Director can offer you some assistance with whom to contact for a venue and catering.
The time of the funeral can be a very involved, dramatic and exhausting time. We encourage you to care for yourselves. In the weeks and months afterwards you may experience some challenging moments. Please seek help from family and friends, from other support and from us if you feel the need arises.
We take hope in God’s word ‘Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;
Let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.’ Rev 14:13
Wedding Ministry
Welcome and Some Catholic Things
Welcome, The Rite of Christian Marriage tells us that Christ abundantly blesses the love of a couple. He enriches and strengthens them by a special sacrament for their faithfulness together. Like all sacraments Marriage builds on our Christian beginning in baptism.
As Christians we believe Jesus is present in us and each other in many ways. For many centuries the Church has seen Jesus present in a married couple. They make him present to each other and to the people they meet. That is why we say marriage is a sacrament or sign of God’s love. This is a love that never ends. It is also a love that seeks to grow and deepen in unity. It is a love that is so life giving that it nurtures even new life in children. You might like to check out the Busted Halo website http://bustedhalo.com/video/matrimony-why-make-it-catholic .
If you are a couple seeking marriage in the Catholic Church then congratulations. We are here to prayerfully help you prepare for the celebration and life ahead.
Some Nuts and Bolts About Bookings
As we all know, life can be complicated and busy. So we strongly encourage you to contact us at least six months before the wedding or at the time you are booking your reception. That may help all avoid any awkward booking issues. Please contact the Parish Office on 02 6254 1827 or email to belconnensouth@cg.org.au. We will need to know if you have ever been married before. We will also need some contact details and information about the Christian background of each of you (eg if you are Anglican).
For couples who are both Catholic and have not been married before preparation is quite straightforward. If one of you are from another Christian background or have not been baptised that becomes part of the conversation. Please do not feel hesitant about marriage preparation as it is often conducted in a conversational manner and can involve quite a few laughs.
For those who have been married before we encourage you to meet with the priest and discuss your options. You may need to be flexible about the date of your wedding as you determine your freedom to marry. Again, please do not be hesitant about this as the priest will try and help you as best he can.
Catholic Clergy are registered both civilly and by the Catholic Church to officiate according to the Rites of the Catholic Church. The norm for this is a Catholic Ceremony in a Catholic Church or Chapel using approved prayers and readings. Catholic Clergy do not have automatic permission to officiate at weddings outside of a Church. Permission is required by the Bishop if couples seek this option. In some cases this permission must be sought up to six months in advance.
Visiting Clergy
Occasionally Clergy who are family or friends of the couple come to officiate at a Wedding in our Parish. They are welcome. Before they come they must contact our Archdiocesan Office on 02 6239 9800 so that our Archbishop can ensure they have faculties and check their child protection clearance status. This is mandatory for any Clergy visiting our Archdiocese for ministry, even if for just one occasion. There is also a Institute of Professional Safeguarding Standards (IPSS) register that needs to be completed by Clergy on the day of the wedding. It is located in the sacristies in our churches.
Generally weddings are on Saturday afternoons, by appointment. Some occur on Friday afternoon. Saturday weddings cannot be booked for any later than 3 pm. This is because clergy are responsible for more than one church and need to travel to other commitments. For this reason also we trust that brides arrive at the wedding on time.
It is kind of parents of couples to make enquiries about the wedding of their son or daughter. However, it is presumed that couples entering marriage are mature and responsible people. This means they need to accept responsibility for arranging their own wedding booking and preparation. If you are a parent of a potential bride or groom please encourage them to make contact with us.