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Being a single parent takes enormous strength. Every worry, every concern is yours. Maybe you think that people are judging you - but what do they know about your life and the problems which you have had to overcome. At St. Wilfrid's we do not judge, we just welcome and accept and offer whatever support we can. So, in answer to the usual questions - yes, you can have your child Baptised; yes, they can make their First Holy Communion; yes, they can get Confirmed; yes, even  if you are not married! 

If you have been through the pain of divorce you can still be nurtured on the Sacraments, especially Confession & Holy Communion. As Catholics we believe in the sanctity of marriage but we also recognise that sometimes staying together is not an option. When people want to remarry, they will often ask the Archbishop to examine their first marriage. If he finds that the marriage lacked the essential elements to be a valid marriage, he will declare the marriage invalid and then you are free to marry in Church.

In order to receive Holy Communion, you have to be in a state of sanctifying grace. If you commit a serious sin (mortal sin) you need to go to confession prior to receiving Holy Communion. But confession is not magic, in order to be forgiven we must repent of our sins and have a firm desire not to sin again.   

We all make mistakes. Family and friends may not understand what you have been through. At St. Wilfrid's we do not believe that your mistakes define who you are. We believe very much in the power of God's grace to heal the wounds of the past and give us the hope of a bright future. Trying to reintegrate into society and face the future is difficult, but you are not alone. We will give you a warm welcome and a listening ear. We will walk with you and do all that we can to support and encourage you in your journey to a brighter future. Don't forget, Jesus was in prison and considered an outcast as was St. Peter and St. Paul!
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While we know that God created us in His image and likeness, and God does not make mistakes, we can often struggle to reconcile who we are with our faith. At St. Wilfrid's we believe that Jesus calls, embraces and supports us as we are.  In order to be holy we have to accept ourselves as we are - wholeness - and then, with God's grace, we can achieve the seemingly impossible. Pope Francis reminds us that the Church is a field hospital where wounds are healed and people are made strong. As a family we love and support each other and do our best to help each person to be the image of Christ in the world. Hear the voice of Christ calling Lazarus from the dark tomb of death to life; listen closely, because it is you he is calling.

If I had a physical wound it would be so much easier for people to understand. Some people think I am odd or stand-offish, others think I am lazy and don't care. But living with depression or a mental illness can be like walking through a dark cloud. There is nothing to look forward to; at times I wonder what the point of life is. There are days when it takes all my energy to get up and wash. The thought of going out to the shop to get a carton of milk will play on my mind all day until finally, just before it closes, I get there - another days work completed! Anxiety seems to come from nowhere. I am convinced others are talking about me or looking in a judgemental way. I would talk to my therapist but it takes months to get an appointment. At St. Wilfrid's I find people who listen and care. What I like most is I am not the centre of attention and they just treat me like everyone else. I often find myself telling jokes or encouraging someone else who suffers the same way I do - I am certainly not alone! When I pray, I often think of Our Lady at the foot of the cross going through mental agony and feeling every wound Jesus endured - she knows what I am going through.

St Wilfrid's Parish is part of the Roman Catholic Church. The head of the Church is Jesus Christ who we believe to be both God and Man. During his earthly life Jesus established the One True Church and endowed it with authority to teach, and grace to administer the sacraments - seven signs of God's love. The earthly head of the Church is the successor of
​St. Peter, Pope Francis. Together with the College of bishops, Pope Francis continues the mission entrusted by Our Lord to the Apostles. The centre of our faith is the belief that at every Mass, through the action of an ordained priest, the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Mass makes present the one perfect sacrifice of Calvary, the action of Christ at the Last Supper and his glorious resurrection.  

St. Wilfrid's is part of the  Archdiocese of Southwark which is headed by Archbishop John Wilson. St. Wilfrid's is one of eleven parishes in the Cathedral Deanery of this diocese. We are located in Lorrimore Road, SE17 (see Contacts). We serve the people of Kennington and West Walworth. It is a warm and friendly community of believers and everyone. We are all children of God.

The safeguarding of our children and vulnerable adults is an absolute priority. Any adult who takes on a role in the Church has to undergo a police check (DBS). Concerns are always acted upon without hesitation. Such vigilance ensures that parents and guardians can be assured that at
St. Wilfrid's their concerns are our concerns. For more details on our approach to safeguarding, please go to the diocesan safeguarding webpage. In addition to working closely with the police and social services, we also ensure that our procedures conform with those of the national Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service. 

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                                                                                         SACRAMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                      
Baptism
Adults, and children over the age of 7, go through a period of instruction. Children meet on Saturday mornings at 11am. Adults meet on Saturdays in a group known as: RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). The priest will meet with you first to discern what period and type of preparation would be suitable. The preparation covers: delving into the scriptures; focusing on important historical events in the life of the Church; the sacraments; the mystery of the Church; the moral life; the spiritual life and combating evil. Adults, who have not been baptised, will be prepared for the reception of: baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation, at the Easter Vigil.

The baptism of children under the age of 7 is by appointment; this can be arranged by speaking with either the priest or the deacon.

​First Holy Communion
Children who are either entering year 3, or in higher years at primary school, are eligible for enrolment in the First Holy Communion Program. The group meets on Saturday mornings at 11am. The children look at: important aspects in the life of Our Lord; the ten commandments; the Church; prayer; confession & the Holy Mass. The sessions are led by a trained catechist who is also a primary school teacher. She works closely with the Parish Priest who is actively involved in the children's preparation. Children attending secondary school and adults, follow a similar program on Saturday mornings at 11am. 

Confirmation   
Young people who are either entering year 9, or higher years at secondary school, are eligible for enrolment in the Confirmation Program. The group meets on Saturdays at 11am. The young people look at the: scriptures; the Church; the sacraments; the moral life; prayer and avoiding evil. Adults, who have not been confirmed, follow a similar program.

Holy Orders   
All of us are called by God - that is what we mean by a vocation. Some boys and men feel that God might be calling them either to the Sacred Priesthood or to the Permanent Diaconate. In order to discern God's will, the Parish Priest acts as a guide to walk with the person on their journey. Sometimes God is simply calling the person to deepen their prayer life and learn more about their faith, however, if you are being called to Holy Order do not ignore it; God's call never ceases. Have a chat with your Parish Priest. Remember, God does not call us because we are saints, he calls us as we are and gives us the grace to strive for sanctity. 

The Religious Life   
Some boys and girls, men and women, experience an overwhelming desire to give their whole life to God. This desire is realised by entering the religious life (a religious order such as the: Franciscans, Dominicans, Benedictines etc) and consecrating your whole being to God through solemn vows. Religious usually live in communities and dedicate their time to prayer and good works. Those who tend not to go into the world are known as monks and nuns; those who work in the world are known as sisters and brothers. These zealous souls might well be considered the Church's power house of prayer. Have a chat with a priest or deacon or a religious to find out if God might be calling you to this incredible way of life. Remember, you are called to be a saint through the support of the religious community you join - you do not have to be a saint before you join!

Weddings
You must give a  minimum of six months notice if you wish to marry, even  in another Church. A Catholic is, ordinarily, bound to marry before a Catholic priest or deacon and two witnesses. A Catholic invalidly attempts marriage by marrying in a non-Catholic Church or registry office. If you find yourself in this situation, do not worry, just speak to a priest or deacon.

Become a Catholic?
It is a bit like falling in love, you cannot always explain the attraction or the desire to be with someone, it just feels right to be with them; you feel complete. Every human being is created in God's image and likeness. We each have a capacity for God in our soul - a bit like a plug socket which will only take a particular plug. While every man and woman is a member of God's human family, God calls each one of us to be part of his heavenly family, the Church.

The benefit of being a member of the Church on earth, is that we can eat from the family table - we call this food the sacrament of Holy Communion. This sacred meal (The Mass) makes present: the perfect sacrifice which Jesus offered on the cross, the fruits of the Last Supper, and the glory of His resurrection.

In order to sit down for a meal, we must first wash to make sure we are clean. So, the first step to becoming a Catholic is baptism - a washing away of sin. Baptism is the first of seven sacred signs which Jesus left to his Church, we call these sacred signs sacraments. To be a Catholic is not easy. We have to forgive others; which does not mean we ignore the pain which we have suffered. We have to be honest and truthful, kind and loving. Now Jesus knew this would be difficult for us so, to strengthen us in our mission in the world, he sent the Holy Spirit down on the Church to strengthen us. We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation.
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If we sin after baptism, we go to the sacrament of confession. Jesus works through the priest and absolves us of our sins. There is NO sin which cannot be forgiven. Because we are speaking directly to Jesus, the priest can never reveal or act on what we tell him in confession - Never! No matter how bad it is.

Jesus is always with His Church, he never abandons her. In every Catholic Church you will see a box like object called a tabernacle. The Sacred Host from Mass (usually round and made from unleavened bread)  is placed by the priest in the tabernacle. The Sacred Host is the body and blood of Jesus. He is alive and waiting for us in the tabernacle. Obviously, as God, Jesus is everywhere but, as the God/Man, he is in heaven and in the tabernacle.

So, to help us through life Jesus gives us spiritual guides who are successors to Jesus' Apostles, these guides are called bishops. They become bishops through the sacrament of Holy Orders. Now bishops can't be everywhere so they ordain Priests to help them to look after a particular area. Now, the priest can't do everything so the bishop ordains deacons to help the priests.
Most men and women enter into the sacrament of marriage but those in Holy Orders tend not to marry in order to dedicate themselves to looking after the people of God. That is why when you are sick, and send for the priest, he can come straight away and strengthen you with the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

I know you may have mixed feelings about taking the next step to becoming a Catholic. Everyone always feels the same way. Just go and have a chat with your priest or deacon; what have you got to lose!
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Now, I will let you into a secret. Those seven sacred signs were given by Jesus to the Church for you. Yes, I mean you. It is your spiritual inheritance, your right. So when you go and see the priest or deacon do not be shy and timid, have confidence and go and claim what is rightfully yours. It will fill that gap and make your life complete. 
 
 
  

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