Sacraments


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The Sacraments

Mass Times

Sundays

Saturday Vigil Mass at 7:00pm
Sunday 9:00am, 11:00am, 12:15pm

Holy Days

Vigil Mass at 7:00pm
Holy Day 9:00am, 11:00am

Weekdays

Monday to Friday 9:45am in the Parish Church

Saturday 11:00am in the Nursing Home

Funerals

Cross in centre of Ratoath Cemetery

The death of someone you love is always traumatic. But even in your darkest moments, you need not fear, for God is with you. He is close to you. "Do not let your hearts be troubled", Jesus says. "Trust in God still and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house". This is the wonderful promise of Jesus – that he has prepared a place for those who love him.

The priests of the parish will be glad to discuss with you any aspect of the Funeral Liturgy. We will assist you in the preparation of the Funeral Liturgy – readings from Scripture, Prayers of the Faithful, Offertory Procession, Sacred Music, etc. It is our wish that the Liturgy will be a time of prayer for your loved one and of consolation and hope for you. In the course of the Funeral Liturgy, we try to let God’s word speak to the hearts, so that we all might hear and be comforted by the Christian message,

that life is changed, not ended; when the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven

(Preface for the Dead 1)

www.requiem.ie is a useful website to help families prepare the funeral liturgy.

For links to organisations who can assist you in your bereavement please visit our Support Services page.

Directives of the Diocese of Meath for Funeral Masses

Old Tower in Ratoath Cemetery

Eulogies are not to be part of the Funeral Mass. These can take place in the Funeral Home or in the Cemetery, after the burial.

Readings at the Funeral Mass must be taken from the Lectionary and music must be appropriate. Songs, poems and texts devoid of a Christian content are out of place.

A post-Communion reflection of a prayerful nature can serve to enhance the Liturgy.

Expressions of thanks to those who supported or cared for the deceased can be included in the Prayers of the Faithful.

Policy on Ratoath Parish Cemetery

Ratoath Cemetery

Cemetery Plots

Plots are available

Double plots (10 ft long by 7½ feet wide) €400
Single plots (10 ft long by 3¾ feet wide) €200

Cemetery

There is no pre-booking of plots in the parish cemetery.
Plots are sold in sequence, (a family receives the next plot in line)
Plots are only sold to people living in the parish.
Double plots are 10 feet long and must be between 7¼ and 7½ feet wide in total. i.e. the outer limit for grave side kerbs must not exceed 7½ feet. In the case of single plots the grave side kerbs must not be more than 3¾ feet in width.
Those erecting cemetery monuments must take good care not to damage any other plots in the cemetery. They should also ensure that they remove pieces of stone or cement etc from the cemetery when completing their work.
All monumental workers should contact the Parish Office before commencement of work.
Any monument erected or any work carried out on a monument may only be done by people who have produced proof of insurance
The policy will be reviewed periodically.

Date: 14th December 2001

Amended by the Finance Committee on 17th October 2005

Baptisms

Each year about 150 baptisms take place in the parish. We are delighted with the opportunity this provides to meet with the families concerned and we work hard to ensure that the ceremony itself will be both relaxed and memorable for all.

Dear Parents and Godparents and dear friends, you have asked to have your child baptised. By water and the Holy Spirit your child will receive the gift of new life from God who is love. It will be your constant care to bring your child up in the practice of the faith. Baptism is parents' day too, since you publicly promise to hand on the faith to your child.

We welcome your child on behalf of all in the Christian family. May all children come to know that they are sons and daughters of God and members of the Church. May they be faithful followers of Jesus and true witnesses to the Gospel.

To Register...

An electronic copy of the Registration of Baptism form (in PDF format) is available here

Baptisms take place in the church on the first and third Saturdays of the month at 4:30pm. Baptisms also take place on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 1:15pm.

The family are advised to arrive 15 minutes before the Baptism. Please bring a Baptismal Candle and a white robe for the ceremony.

Confessions

Confessions are heard before the Saturday night Vigil Mass and before and after the 9:45am First Friday Mass. Also available on request.

The Eucharist

The Eucharist is at the very heart of Christian life. We welcome you to join with the community in our celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sundays. At Sunday Mass, Christians relive the experience of the Apostles on the evening of Easter when the Risen Lord appeared to them as they were gathered together. “The close connection between the appearance of the Risen Lord and the Eucharist is suggested in the gospel of Luke in the story of the two disciples of Emmaus, whom Christ approached and led to understand the scriptures and then sat with them at table. They recognised Him when he “ took the bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them” (24:30)”
(Dies Domini)

Details of mass times are available here.

Weddings

Getting Married in Ratoath

Congratulations. We are very happy that you have decided to get married. We wish you every joy and God’s blessings. We hope that your life together will be a happy and fulfilling experience. We, the priests of the parish, will be happy to help you in your marriage arrangements, so don’t hesitate to call us. We will assist you in every way to make your wedding day a happy and a memorable occasion. We welcome all couples who wish to be married in our church. We assure you of our care and support and once again pray God’s blessing upon you both at this important time in your life. We hope that you will find the following information helpful.

Booking Form

Couples who plan to marry in the Holy Trinity Church, Ratoath, must fill in a booking form, obtainable from the parish office, before the wedding is booked. (Click here to download an electronic copy in PDF format)

If you wish a priest of the parish to conduct your marriage ceremony, check the date and time with him.

Couples are advised to discuss the ceremony with the officiating priest – readings, hymns, marriage rite etc.

You should contact ACCORD (www.gettingmarried.ie) and register your pre-marriage course at least 6 months in advance. It is advisable to book early, as these courses are usually heavily booked.

In the celebration of the marriage ceremony, the readings must be taken from scripture and all other prayers from the marriage ritual.

The music should also be appropriate to the celebration of a Sacrament. Accord has prepared a suitable CD of wedding music.

Accord and CatholicIreland.net offer a website at www.gettingmarried.ie as a service to all couples preparing for a Church wedding. The web site is very attractively designed and easy to navigate. It has a wedding timeline which highlights some points to consider at specific stages in the couples journey towards their wedding day. The site provides answers to the many questions that couples are faced with when preparing for their wedding day including information on Church expectations, essential steps, the ceremony, marriage preparation, faith and knowledge. The website has a special section on the wedding booklet that should prove extremely useful to couples in preparing their own booklet as it outlines the various options available including vows, prayers, readings and hymns etc. This site is worth a visit.

A Wedding of Your Own by Padraig McCarty is a book published by Veritas for couples planning a Catholic wedding.

Getting Married in A Catholic Church Abroad

All couples wishing to celebrate their marriage abroad must firstly fill in a form available from the parish office. This form requests the name of the Diocese in which the ceremony is taking place, the name of the church in which the marriage is being celebrated, the name and address of the officiating priest and the date of the ceremony

All Church papers for weddings abroad (pre-nuptial enquiry forms) are to be completed at least six months prior to the date for the marriage.

All papers for marriages abroad when completed in your parish are then sent to the diocesan office for onward transmission to the Diocese where the marriage is to take place.

In Irish law the obligation to oversee the civil registration of marriage rests with the couple. The civil registration of marriages differs from country to Country.


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