Sacraments & ceremonies

At key stages in life, the Church recognizes symbolic acts which bring people into contact with God in their particular situation. These symbols are signs that date back to the life of Jesus Christ. They are known as sacraments and ceremonies and they are signs of God's closeness to us.

Taufe

BAPTISM

What is Baptism?
Nobody is born a Christian. You are not automatically a Christian. You become a Christian through baptism. In Christian families, babies are usually baptized shortly after birth. It is rarer for adults to decide to be baptized. Through baptism, a person is accepted into the Christian community.

Do I have to register for a baptism?
Register your child for baptism at the parish office. Please bring your family register with you. Baptism registration should be made at least two weeks before the baptism date in order to be able to have an informative talk with the parish priest.

When do baptisms take place?
In the St.-ARNOLD-JANSSEN-Church:
1st Saturday and Sunday of the month, at 3.30 pm
In St.-MARIA-MAGDALENA-Church:
3rd Saturday and Sunday of the month, at 3.30 pm.

Erstkommunion

FIRST COMMUNION

What is First Communion?
Shortly before his death, Jesus celebrated communion with his friends. He gave them bread and wine with the words: ‘This is my body, this is my blood.’ And he gave them the command: ‘Do this in memory of me!’ Even the first Christians celebrated a meal together in memory of Jesus. In the Catholic Church, we call this meal ‘Mass’ or 'the Eucharist'.
At First Holy Communion, your child receives the Holy Bread for the first time in the form of the host.

How and when do I register my child for First Holy Communion?

If you would like your child to take part in the preparation course for First Communion after the summer holidays, please register your child at the parish office before the summer holidays.

The First Holy Communion celebrations take place on Saturday and Sunday after Easter the following year.

Is there a preparation course for the First Holy Communion?

The preparation course for the First Communion starts after the summer Holidays and lasts until Easter.

Firmung

CONFIRMATION

What is the sacrament of confirmation?
When a child is baptized, the parents decide that the child should become a member of the Christian community. When children have become adolescent, they can confirm this decision themselves. This is why confirmation is also regarded as the ‘completion of baptism’. During confirmation, young people receive the power of God's spirit when the bishop lays his hands on their head and anoints their forehead with chrism.

Do I have to register for confirmation?
All Catholic young people between the ages of 14 and 15 are contacted by our parish to be asked whether they would like to take part in the confirmation preparation course. Of course, you can also enquire about the confirmation dates yourself at the parish office and register yourself or your child for the preparation course.

When do confirmations take place?
The bishop comes to the parish every year to administer the sacrament of confirmation. The preparation course takes place together with the other parishes in the pastoral area of Goch and Uedem. The dates are announced in the preparation course and via the media and on the homepage.

Beichte

CONFESSION

What is the sacrament of confession?
Normally, we humans do not like to deal with what we have done wrong. We give this topic of our guilt a wide berth. But that doesn't make it go away. It often burdens us and our relationships for a long time. Jesus Christ forgave people their sins and thus gave them a fresh start. And he entrusted his apostles with the ministry of forgiving sins. In the sacrament of confession, Jesus wants to free us from the burden of our guilt and give us a new beginning.

When and where can I go to confession?
Confession with Father Manfred Krause SVD: 02823 - 9 28 75-513
Confession with Father Hans Peters SVD: 02823 - 41 95-161
Confession with Father Georges Makonzo Mondo SVD: 01525 - 7588 475

Ehe

MARRIAGE

What is the sacrament of marriage?
The sacrament of marriage expresses the love of the spouses for each other. This love is also a sign of God's boundless love for us humans. The couple says to each other: ‘I accept you as my wife/husband and promise to be faithful to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love, respect and honour you as long as I live.’ This is a profound commitment. That is why the couple state this commitment under the blessing of God.

When and where can we register for a church wedding?
You can register for the sacrament of marriage (‘for the wedding ceremony’) at any time in the parish office. Afterwards, meetings will be arranged to prepare for the wedding ceremony.

Are there set dates for the church wedding?
The date for the wedding is agreed upon during the wedding preparatory talks.
This also applies to celebrating marriage anniversaries.

Segensfeier

BLESSING CEREMONY

What is a blessing ceremony?
In Latin, blessing means ‘benedicere’ = ‘to say good things’. A good word can give us strength, orientation and confidence. Jesus himself already blessed people. The church has taken this up. It blesses people and relationships to strengthen them on their journey, to give them the right perspective when making important decisions and to encourage them.
But houses and new flats can also be placed under God's blessing. Before the summer holidays, we perform a so-called 'vehicle blessing'. The blessing is primarily intended to give drivers strength and protection.

Do I have to register for a blessing ceremony?
For a private blessing ceremony, please contact the parish office in good time.

Are there any special dates to note?
Please arrange appointments for desired blessings individually with a pastoral counsellor from our parish.

Krankensalbung

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

What is the anointing of the sick?
In its pastoral care of the sick, the church looks after the spiritual care of the sick and dying. This also includes the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Through this sacrament, the sick are promised salvation and healing by Christ.
The anointing of the sick can be received before a difficult operation or at the first sign of a serious illness. It can also be administered several times.
In our parish, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick is also administered publicly once a year, on Whit Monday.

How can I make an appointment for a personal anointing of the sick?
You can make an appointment for an anointing of the sick via the parish office. However, you can also simply call one of the priests of our parish, whose telephone numbers can be found on this homepage.

Bestattung

BURIAL

What is a church funeral?
As with baptism at the beginning of life, the church also accompanies people after their death. At the funeral, it honours the deceased as God's beloved children. It expresses in words and rituals that death does not have the last word for Christians. It is an expression of our belief in resurrection.

How do I organise a church funeral?
If you would like a Christian funeral service, please discuss this with the funeral director. He will quickly get in touch with the parish office. We will then contact you.

The funeral can consist of a word service in the chapel at the cemetery followed by the burial. A requiem mass can be said in the church beforehand or a resurrection mass after the burial if desired.

How do I find a funeral parlour?

Funeral parlours in and around Goch:

Bestattungen Großkopf | van Sommeren
Bestattungen Flören
Bestattungshaus Koch
Trauerhilfe Niederrhein – Zweigstelle Goch

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