‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven’.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Marriage
‘God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them’.
-1 John 4:16
The Anglican Church teaches that marriage is a sacred, loving and lifelong union between a husband and wife, through which a new family is established. In the marriage service, the couple exchange vows and receive God's blessing for their life together.
To be married in an Anglican church, either the bride or groom must be a baptised Anglican and both must be eligible to marry each other according to civil and church law.
Couples are required to meet with the parish priest, complete the necessary legal documentation, and attend a marriage preparation course. If either person has been previously divorced, they must seek and obtain the Archbishop’s permission before a church wedding can take place.
Baptism
“Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children…”
-Acts 2: 38-39
Baptism (also known as a ‘christening’) is more than a naming ceremony or family tradition – it is a sacrament through which a person becomes a Christian and, before God and his Church, commits to living as a disciple of Jesus Christ. For infants and young children, this promise is made on their behalf by their sponsors.
In the baptism service, the candidate or their sponsors publicly declare their intention to turn to Christ, repent of sin, reject Satan and all evil, and embrace the faith of the Church. The person is then baptised with water in the name of the Holy Trinity, symbolising the washing away of sin and the beginning of new life in Christ.
Baptisms usually take place during Sunday Mass, following a period of preparation led by the parish priest. When adults are baptised, Confirmation is typically administered at the same time.
Funerals
‘God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’.
-Revelation 21: 4
A church funeral marks a Christian’s passing from death to eternal life. It offers an opportunity for family and friends to honour, mourn and farewell their loved one, while giving thanks to God for the gift of their life.
An Anglican funeral is a distinctly Christian service. It includes prayers, scripture readings, hymns, a eulogy and homily, and may be celebrated within the context of a Mass. The burial or the interment of ashes may take place on the same day or at another time.
Our parish hall, complete with a commercial kitchen, is also available to host funeral receptions.