Sacraments of the Church

 
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. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and return as children of God. We become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in the mission. Baptism is a Sacrament of regeneration through water and the Word.

If you wish for your child to be baptised here, then please fill out our online application form or contact the parish office at bristol.stbonaventure@cliftondiocese.com (our office is open term – times only). 

 

If as an adult you wish to follow the life of a Christian in the Catholic Church, please ask about our RCIA programme.
 
 
 
To learn more about Baptism at St Bons please
see the video below
 
 
Holy Communion
 
The Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation, participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by the means of the Eucharist. At the Last Supper, on the night Our Saviour was betrayed, he instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the ages and until he should come again; and so to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and Resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
 
 
First Communion &  Confession
 
Children who have been baptised in the Catholic faith and are currently in school class Year 3 and above are invited to prepare for the sacraments of First Holy Communion and First Confession. The First Holy Communion programme will begin with the Enrolment Mass at 10am on 19th January 2025, followed by a meeting for parents straight after the Mass.
 
Children preparation sessions will run on Saturday mornings (10.15 or 11.30am). 
 
The children learn about the gifts which God has given to the world through creation, Baptism and Bible stories. They will be asked to find out the significance of why things are said and done during Mass, which makes it more meaningful for them. The children will have the opportunity to experience and learn through creative and drama activities during the preparation. The catechists not only provide a spiritual experience but an enjoyable and memorable time during the children’s preparation for their special day.
 
Our First Holy Communion Mass will take place on Saturday 17th May 2025.
 
To submit a Communion Application Form please click below
 
 
To learn more about the 1st Holy Communion programme
at St Bons please see the video below.
 
Marriage
 

The matrimonial covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership for the whole of life is by its nature ordered towards the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. The covenant between Baptised persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a Sacrament.

In many countries the situation may arise of a proposed marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic or a non-Christian. This is something that the couple can discuss with their local parish priest.

If you wish to book your wedding at St Bons please contact Mgr Bernard or phone him on 0117 942 4448 to arrange to come in for an initial meeting.

If you are resident in this area but planning to have your wedding elsewhere in the UK or perhaps overseas, then you should also arrange to meet with Mgr Bernard in order to discuss this and to begin the necessary paperwork. This should be done a long time before the proposed wedding date.

 
To learn more about Sacrament of Marriage at St Bons please see the video below.
 
 
 
 
 
Ordination
 
 
As the great English saint John Henry Newman wrote: we each have a mission to do some definite service; God has committed a work to each of us which he has not committed to another; God has called us to do his work. For some men, that calling, that mission, might be to the priesthood. As a priest, it is my role to encourage especially this particular vocation within the Church. After all, the call to the priesthood is a vital one within our Church because a priest is ordained to be a pastor, a sign and instrument of Christ the Good Shepherd for his people, to bring God’s healing touch and reconciliation, and to offer Christ’s sacrifice – the sacrifice of the Mass.
 
To learn more about Ordination to the Priesthood and Permanent Diaconate please see the video below.
 
 

Confirmation

 

The Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through the laying on of hands and the anointing with Chrism on the forehead together with the words “(Name), be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”, the seal of the gift that is the Holy Spirit.

The consecration of the sacred Chrism is an important action that proceeds the celebration of Confirmation but is in a certain way part of it. It is the Bishop who, in the course of the Chrism Mass of Wednesday of Holy Week, consecrates the sacred Chrism for the whole diocese.

At St Bonaventure’s, Confirmation for our teenagers (and the Confirmation programme for them leading up to it) takes place every two years. The next Confirmation Mass for our teenagers will be in 2025. Your child must be in year 9 or above to join the programme.
 

For adults who are baptised Catholics and who wish to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, please contact the parish priest directly.

For adults who are not baptised, you would be very welcome to join what we call our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) group – for more details please contact Mgr Bernard or the parish office. This group is also very helpful for non-Catholic Christians who wish to enter the Catholic Church and become confirmed Catholics.

 
 
 
To learn more about Confirmation at St Bons please
see the video below.
 
 
 
 
 
Confession/Reconciliation
 

Sin is before all else an offence against God. A rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God’s forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the Sacrament of Confession also called Reconciliation.

 

Confessions are held in the church on Saturdays from.     10am-10.30am 

During the seasons of Advent and Lent we often have Penitential Services during which several priests are present to hear Confessions: details are in the weekly Newsletter.

Confessions can also be heard by appointment. Please contact Mgr Bernard or phone him on 0117 942 4448
 
 
To learn more about Confession at St Bons please see the video below.
 
 
Sacrament of the Sick
 

The Church believes and confesses that among the seven Sacraments there is one specially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness: the Anointing of the Sick. The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament only for those who are at the point of death. Hence as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for them to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.

If a sick person who received this Anointing recovers their health they can in the case of another later illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious this sacrament may be repeated. It is also fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.

If you or a member of your family would like to receive the Sacrament of the Sick please contact Mgr Bernard or the parish office on 0117 942 4448

 
 
To learn more about Sacrament of the Sick at St Bons please see the video below.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Not a Sacrament – but very important
 
Funerals
 

Losing a loved one can be devastating. Jesus himself experienced bereavement, we are told in John 11:35 that Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. The Church shares your sorrow for the death of your loved one, and at St Bonaventure’s we wish to do all we can to support you at what is a difficult time.

We are used to conducting Funeral Masses for the Repose of the Soul of loved ones. If you need to arrange a Funeral, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0117 942 4448.