Resources for young families
When we think about the Catholic family, the first thing that might come to mind is an image of a well-dressed family sitting in a pew or praying at the table. However, being a Catholic family is much deeper than that.
To be a Catholic family is to centre family life around God, to allow Him into your home and your life – as individuals and as a family – and let Him take the lead.
It means to keep God as part of the relationship between husband and wife and passing on that relationship to your children.
It means teaching your children the Faith, not always by textbook or school program, but by living out our Catholic faith in daily life and setting an example for your children to follow.
Children, especially young children, learn better by example. Witnessing their parents in their daily life gives them a template on how to live out their own daily lives.
For this reason, Catholic families should have a Catholic culture, so that children can start learning how to live their faith long before they sign up for their first faith formation class at the parish.
Parents are the first teachers of their children, after all, so it makes sense thatthey should be the first to pass on the practice of faith to them. When parents live Catholic lives, they pass on that way of living to their children who come to see Catholic living as a natural part of their life.
Booterstown Parish is here to support your family in your journey.
Schools
Primary Schools
There are two primary schools connected to our Parish. They are:-
St Mary’s Boys School www.stmarysbooterstown.ie
Our Lady of Mercy Girls School www.ourladyofmercy.ie
Also there is Willow Park Junior School and St Andrew’s College (multi-denominational)
Secondary Schools
Colaiste Iosagain,
Colaiste Eoin,
Blackrock College,
Sion Hill, Blackrock College
St. Andrew’s College
Baptism
Congratulations on the birth of your child!
Baptism is the first sacrament of your child’s Christian journey, when they will be welcomed into the Catholic Church. The sacrament of Baptism is a beautiful and magnificent gift from God. Baptism into the Catholic Christian worldwide community enhances the faith of the family, friends and parish
community in which it is celebrated.
To arrange baptism for your child, please contact the Parish Secretary who will guide you along the path.
At least one month’s notice is required. When a suitable date has been agreed, the Parish Secretary will scan a booking form to you which must be completed and signed, and returned to the Parish Office, with a copy of the child’s Birth Certificate.
If you live outside the parish of the Church of the Assumption, Booterstown, a letter of permission from the parish in which you reside must accompany the Baptism Booking Form.
A member of the parish Baptism Team will contact you prior to the date of your baby’s baptism to assist you with the preparation for the Baptism ceremony and to ensure that you have everything that is required for the Baptism. A member of the Baptism Team will be present for the Baptism
Ceremony.
Contact our Parish Secretary by emailing info@booterstownparish.ie, phone 01-283 1593 (9.00am – 1.00pm Tue – Fri) or use our Contact Form.
First Reconciliation and First Communion
The parents, the parish primary schools and the parish team work together in preparing the children for the reception of the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion.
If you and your family are parishioners, and if your child is not attending one of our two parish primary schools,
Contact our Parish Secretary by emailing info@booterstownparish.ie, phone 01-283 1593 (9.00am – 1.00pm Tue – Fri) or use our Contact Form.
Confirmation
The parents, the parish primary schools and the parish team work together in preparing the children for the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation
If you and your family are parishioners, and if your child is not attending one of our two parish primary schools,
Contact our Parish Secretary by emailing info@booterstownparish.ie, phone 01-283 1593 (9.00am – 1.00pm Tue – Fri) or use our Contact Form.
Marriage
Congratulations on your engagement!
The Church rejoices in your decision to get married and offers its continued support to you as you journey together. The Church (the people of God) sees your marriage as a sign of God’s love among us. As ministers of the Sacrament of Marriage to each other you choose to live your married lives within the community of the Church.
The Sacrament enriches your lives in a very special way, but it also enriches the community in which you will live. You become witnesses for Marriage to all with whom you make contact. Your parents, family members, friends, colleagues and neighbours celebrate your entry into Marriage and by their attendance at your wedding ceremony offer their continued support to you for your future.
Your decision to get married is a sign of your love and of your desire to be together as husband and wife. We in the parish are committed to pray for you and to help you in any way that we can.
The practicalities of getting married in a catholic church:
We will need at least three months’ notice to help you arrange for the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage at our Parish Church, but we ask that you give us as much notice as is possible. Please contact our Parish office by email, phone or through our contact form. We can then guide you through the practicalities. Here are some basic guidelines to help you:
- Both bride and groom will need to be baptised in the Catholic Church. You will be required to provide evidence of this as part of the paperwork that you will need to prepare. If you are an inter-faith couple, please contact us and we can advise you further.
- You will need to be free to marry. Please make sure to complete the Archdiocese of Dublin Statement Concerning the Freedom to Marry before
your meeting with the church. - You will need to attend a Marriage Preparation Course. A group called ACCORD is the official provider of Marriage Preparation Courses for couples
choosing the Sacrament of Marriage in the Catholic Church in Ireland. The course is entitled Marriage is a Journey not a Destination. ACCORD recognises that couples who present for pre-marriage courses are already on a journey. It is a journey of discovery which began the first time you met. It is a journey that combines your two histories, your two families and your two distinct sets of expectations of marriage. You can find more details about this course and other information on the ACCORD Website. - We’re also here to help you with some of the practicalities, such as flowers for the church. During your contact with the Parish we can provide you with contact details and information for Our Altar Society who are responsible for maintaining the beauty of our altar.
Contact our Parish Secretary by emailing info@booterstownparish.ie, phone 01-283 1593 (9.00am – 1.00pm Tue – Fri) or use our Contact Form.