Fr Ethelbert baptism copy

Baptism

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit , and the door which gives access to the other sacraments (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213).

The Rite of Baptism

Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons and daughters of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: Baptism is the Sacrament of regeneration through water in the Word (CCC 1213).

The Rite of Baptism involves immersing the candidate in water or pouring it over his/her head, while invoking the Name of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (CCC 1278).

If you are not Catholic but have received Baptism as described, we consider your baptism valid. So you will not be baptised again if you choose to join the Catholic Church. Rather, you will be initiated into full communion with us through the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

Do you want to receive the Sacrament of Baptism?

Baptism is a Sacrament of faith, and the Church asks for a serious and loving commitment by the parents and godparents of a child to live the life of the Sacraments. The baptism ceremony for adults and teens is similar to baptism of children except that you make the baptismal promises yourself. Instead of godparents, adults have sponsors whose role is to encourage you in the Catholic Faith.

For children aged 6 and below

At least one parent should be a practising Catholic
Parent(s) to attend Infant Baptism preparation sessions at the parish
Either one godparent, or two (one male and one female), who is a confirmed Catholic over the age of 16

Contact us for more information and assistance in your preparations. If you are seeking baptism in another parish please contact Fr Ethelbert in the first instance. As a first step please complete the Baptism form and return it to us at the Parish Office.

For children aged 7 to 18

Contact Fr Ethelbert via the Parish Office for more information.

For adults

If you would like to be baptised as an adult you will need to participate in some instruction, individually or through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). If you would like to do this, please fill out the attached RCIA form and return it to the Parish Office.

For further information on the sacrament of baptism click here.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

Welcome to our parish

We are pleased to have you as a member of our varied community. We have people from all walks of life and from many countries and we hope you will feel at home here.

Meet us at Tea and Coffee after Mass

Why not stay for tea or coffee after Mass on the first Sunday of every month - both at Hawkhurst and Goudhurst - and meet Fr Ethelbert and your fellow parishioners?

Parish Register

We would appreciate you filling out your details in the Parish Register form and returning it to us. You can do this by emailing a scan to the parish office, putting it in the post, or dropping it in to the Parish Office in person.

Volunteering

It would be great if you could help out the parish by volunteering. We have a lot of activities going on and it's a great way to meet others in the parish. If this is of interest, please download the Parish Volunteer form and return it to us as above.

Donating

We are self-financing as a parish and need to raise funds to support our Priest in Charge, maintain our buildings and fund our activities. We receive no subsidies from the Archdiocese or the wider church. We would be most grateful if you would consider taking out a Standing Order to support us. Applicable to those who pay income tax, this allows us to recover any basic rate tax that you pay to HMRC, increasing the value of your donation by 20%. If you would be happy to do this, please download the Standing Order form and return it to us as explained above.