Sacraments
The sacraments are rituals that teach, strengthen and express faith. They are relevant to all areas and stages of life, andCatholics believe that the love and gifts of God are given through the seven sacraments
Sign up for Newsletter
to receive our newsletter
Click on a tab below
Baptism
Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift. We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God’s Lordship.
If you wish to arrange a baptism for your child contact the Cathedral Office for further details regarding preparation.
Telephone: 01752 662537 or use the form below
Reconciliation
When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly with hold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, “for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know.”
Council of Trent (1551): DS 1680 (ND 1626); cf. St. Jerome, In Eccl. 10,11:PL 23:1096.
Times of Confession
Cathedral: Saturday – 10.30am – 11.30am
After weekday Mass (on request)
St Joseph’s and Christ the King on request and after Mass
The priest will then give you your penance: this may come in the form of a prayer or sometimes of an action. Penances have a two-fold purpose. They are symbols of our repentance and desire to reform our lives (such that performing the penance demonstrates and underscores our desire to return to God and to reject the sins that have wrenched us from him). In addition, penances are remedial – they ought to respond to the sins that have been committed in such a way as to help you overcome the temptation again. They should encourage us to the formation of good habits which will root themselves in our thinking and behaviour and counterattack the effects of the sins we habitually commit.
After he has given you a penance, he will ask you to make an Act of Contrition. This is very important, because it is the only thing which prevents the confessional from becoming a farce: we state solemnly that we turn away from sin, regret what we have done and make a firm commitment to amend our lives along the lines of the Gospel. There are many different forms of the Act of Contrition, but one short and favourite one goes like this, “O my God, because you are so good, I am truly sorry that I have sinned against you, and with the help of your grace I will not sin again.” What matters is the sincerity with which we say these words. If they are not truly meant by us, then the absolution is ineffective and our sins are not forgiven – so it is critical that the Act of Contrition be prayed with honesty and integrity.
The priest will now absolve your sins – Christ absolves us through the ministry of the priest. He says “God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Your sins are now forgiven by Christ. Say “Amen” in thanksgiving.
As you leave the Confessional, the priest may give you words of encouragement. Thank the priest, your Father before God, for the gift he has given to you from Christ.
After Confession
You will need time to offer your thanksgiving. Remember, you have been brought to life through the loving mercy of your heavenly Father, mediated through Christ. If your penance has been given in the form of a prayer, you ought to offer that prayer as soon as possible. Do not always expect it to be as easy as three Hail Mary’s! And if this is what you are given, remember what the penance is for – as a symbol of your true repentance and conversion (so offer the prayer, whatever it may be, in that spirit – repentance from sin and conversion to God through the Church) AND as a remedy to help you in the future (there may be something in the prayer which you could particularly do with contemplating for a while – if you have been given Hail Mary’s, the priest is pointing you towards Mary for some reason and this could become the focus of your prayer for the next few weeks). Whatever your penance may be, ask God to make it fruitful in your life, and not simply a dead letter, forgotten as soon as it is spoken. And remember, you have just experienced what all the prophets longed for and spoke about – but never received. You have received what the angels of God worship without receiving as we do – the life-giving and healing presence of Christ the Saviour.
An extract from ‘The Faith of the Catholic Church’ by Fr Guy de Gaynesford.
Holy Communion
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the passover meal for us, that we may eat it. . . .” They went . . . and prepared the passover. And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”. . . . And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood.”
Lk 22:7-20; Cf. Mt 26:17-29; Mk 14:12-25; 1 Cor 11:23-26.
Details for the Preparation Classes for the Children who will be making their First Holy Communion will appear in the newsletter at the end of the year. Children in Year 3 and above are invited to enrol into the Sacramental Preparation Programme and our celebration of First Holy Communion usually takes place on the weekend of Corpus Christi each year.
First Holy Communion 2026
In Catholicism, Mass, also known as the Eucharist, is the central liturgical service. It is considered the greatest form of worship and the “source and summit of the Christian life”. During Mass, Catholics believe that the bread and wine, through consecration by a priest, become the body and blood of Christ. This is known as the real presence, and the consecrated bread and wine are then received as Holy Communion.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
- Sacrament and Sacrifice:
Mass is both a sacrament (an outward sign of an inward grace) and a sacrifice. It is a sacrament because of the Eucharist, and a sacrifice because it makes present the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
- Structure of Mass:
The Mass has a common structure, typically divided into the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
- Liturgy of the Word: Includes readings from the Old Testament, the Epistles, and the Gospels, as well as a sermon and prayers.
- Liturgy of the Eucharist: The priest consecrates the bread and wine, which Catholics believe become the body and blood of Christ. The faithful then receive Holy Communion.
- The Real Presence:
The Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine, through transubstantiation, become the actual body and blood of Christ, which is referred to as the real presence.
- Importance of Participation:
Catholics are encouraged to actively participate in the Mass, responding to the readings and prayers, and receiving Holy Communion with reverence.
- Missionary Mandate:
The Mass concludes with a missionary mandate, reminding Catholics to go forth and spread the Gospel.
Confirmation
Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God’s presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts.
St. Ambrose, De myst. 7,42:PL 16,402-403.
Anointing the Sick
The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given to those who are seriously ill by anointing them on the forehead and hands with duly blessed oil – pressed from olives or from other plants – saying, only once: “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”
Cf. CIC, Can. 847 § 1.
Anointing of the sick the sacrament which is administered to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness, especially near the time of death. It is likely to be one of the last sacraments a person will receive. A sacrament is an outward sign established by Jesus to confer inward grace (basically, it is a rite that is performed to convey God’s grace to the recipient, through the power of the Holy Spirit). A person can receive this sacrament more than once.
Holy Matrimony
How can I ever express the happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father? . . . How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit.
Tertullian, Ad uxorem. 2,8,6-7:PL 1,1412-1413; cf. FC 13.
For you to get married in one of our churches, you need to satisfy the following conditions:
-You must both be free to marry (ie neither of you should have been married before)
-One of you must be a baptised Roman Catholic.
-You must be prepared to attend a marriage preparation course.
-You must both see marriage as a lifelong commitment, and be open to the possibility of children.
If all the above conditions are met, then you can arrange a date, by telephoning the office on 01752 662537, giving a clear six months notice. If you do not live in the Cathedral Parish (comprising the city centre, St Judes, Stonehouse and Devonport) then you will need permission from your own parish priest, who may decide he needs to see you as well. You will also need to visit Plymouth Register Office, since the civil authorities require notice of marriage to be give.
Holy Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.
Vocations newsletter
The Diocesan vocations team has recently launched a digital newsletter to keep enquirers and the parishes informed about our work, including our vocations events hosted throughout the Diocese. If you would like to find out more and read about some of the young men currently in formation in the Diocese, please subscribe to the mailing list by visiting https://priesthoodplymouth.co.uk/
Catholic Youth Ministry Internships
Castlerigg Manor (The Lancaster Diocese Retreat Centre) is looking for young Catholics aged 18-25 to join their Youth Ministry Internship Programme. The scheme gives participants wide ranging experience, skills, training, and qualifications as well as the opportunity to work with a fantastic team based in the English Lake District. For more information contact director@castleriggmanor.co.uk
Ordination is the sacramental ceremony in which a man becomes a deacon, priest, or bishop and enabled to minister in Christ’s name and that of the Church. There are three ordinations in the Sacrament of Holy Orders: diaconate; priesthood; and episcopal. The ordination ceremony includes various rituals, rich in meaning and history, e.g., prostration, laying on of hands, anointing of hands, giving of the chalice and paten, sign of peace, but the essential rite of the sacrament, i.e., when it takes place, is the laying on of hands and prayer of consecration. This is an ancient tradition in the Church, mentioned in the Bible. Only a bishop can ordain a priest because he shares in the ministry of Jesus passed down through the apostles. When the ordaining bishop and the other priests participate in the laying on of hands they are actually invoking the Holy Spirit to come down upon the one to be ordained, giving him a sacred character and setting him apart for the designated ministry.
You may wonder why the ordinand (or the soon-to-be priest) lies in the prostrate position during the ordination… this is because it symbolizes his unworthiness for the office to be assumed and his dependence upon God and the prayers of the Christian community.
After the newly ordained priest receives the stole and the chasuble (these are vestments which pertain to his office and have symbolic meaning) which both have symbolic meanings: the stole symbolizes the authority and responsibility to serve in imitation of Christ. It reflects the line from Scripture: “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:30) The chasuble is the principle garment of the priest celebrating the Eucharist and is the outermost vestment.
Anointing of the hands signifies anointing with oil stems from the Old Testament and indicates that someone or something is being set apart for a sacred task or duty. The anointing of the hands signifies that the hands of the newly ordained priest are being prepared for the sacred duties and vessels which will be part of the priestly ministry, for example, offering the bread and the wine, anointing the sick and blessing people. The bishop says as he anoints the hands: “The Father anointed our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God.”
The ordaining bishop hands the ordinand a chalice and paten because the Eucharist is at the heart of the priesthood and this ritual highlights the importance of celebrating the Eucharist in the life of the priest and its meaning, as seen in the words which are spoken by the bishop: “Accept from the holy people of God the gifts to be offered to him. Know what you are doing, and imitate the mystery you celebrate; model your life on the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”
When a young (or older) man decides to become a priest, he has to engage in a challenging program of priestly formation which lasts from five to thirteen years, depending upon his background and the seminary he attends. There are three levels of seminary: high school; college/pre-theology; and theology. Seminaries address four types of formation: human, spiritual, academic (intellectual) and pastoral. In addition to the academic course work, seminarians participate in a full schedule of spiritual activities, e.g., daily mass, Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer), and spiritual direction and retreats. At each level of seminary training, the seminarian prepares for future pastoral ministry in various settings, such as schools, religious education programs, hospitals, prisons and parishes. All of the formation takes into consideration the human person; human growth and development is fostered by community living, workshops and other programs. The formation of future priests includes practical learning, too, for example, preaching, presiding at Mass and pastoral counselling.
After ordination a diocesan priest will lead a life of simplicity consonant with the people they serve: us.