Via Mariano Stabile 118/b
90139 Palermo (PA)
Italy
BAPTISM
In baptism, we thank God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledge his love. In our tradition it is usual to baptise young children (this is sometimes known as christening), but people can be baptised at any age.
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Baptism is a Sacrament (an enacted sign that brings about what it shows us – in this case membership of the Church), Jesus himself having been baptised in the river Jordan.
Baptism marks the start of a journey of faith, which involves turning away from all that is evil, turning towards Christ, and becoming a member of the local and worldwide Christian family. It is a promise of eternal life in God when we faithfully seek the Lord throughout our lives.
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Baptism in any church tradition is accepted by other churches assuming the baptism is performed with the Trinitarian words: "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
Click on the button below to connect with the Church of England for helpful information about the responsibility of God-parents: amongst which is a God-parent’s intention to pray for the Child, to speak to them about God and encourage them in their Christian faith.
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If you would like to talk about the baptism of your child or your own journey of faith, please contact Fr James.
CONFESSION - SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
All may, none must, some should…
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At Holy Cross, Confession is available daily, by appointment.
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In the Anglican tradition confession and absolution is part of corporate worship, particularly at Mass. The form involves a call to repentance by the priest, a period of silent prayer and reflection, a form of confession said together by all present and then the pronouncement of God’s forgiveness by the priest accompanied by the sign of the cross.
Private confession is also a valued element of our Anglo-Catholic sacramental tradition. Many people make their confession before major Feasts or at regular intervals throughout the year.
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Confession can also be part of a larger and ongoing practice of spiritual guidance and conversation.
If you are interested in spiritual direction, or have never made your confession privately, and would like to talk through what this involves, please be in touch with Fr James Hadley.
FUNERALS
A funeral is used to mark the end of a person’s life here on earth. Family and friends come together to express grief, give thanks for the life lived and commend the person into God’s keeping. These can be a small, quiet ceremony or a large occasion.
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The Church offers you its most sincere condolences as you suffer the loss of someone you loved. Having suffered this loss, the Church would now like to help you to honour their memory, to listen with you to words of comfort and consolation and to pray for the repose of your loved one’s soul. Having remembered, having acknowledged the pain of grief and loss and having prayed together, our hope is that you might begin to feel more at peace in our faith that the person whom you loved is at rest in God. As Christians we believe in the power of God to save all, even in death.
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If you are considering your own arrangements for your funeral, please make contact with us so that intentions can be written down and kept safe thus assuring your wish as a member of the Christian Community of Faith can be respected.
MARRIAGE
Weddings & Blessings
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Holy Matrimony is a time for celebration and festivity and also for contemplation and reflection on commitment, faithfulness and loyalty.
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Weddings are celebrated and marriages blessed at Holy Cross for those who meet the legal qualifications for marriage in the Church of England. The Chaplain is happy to travel to other churches or chapels in Sicily that are consecrated for Christian worship. It is important, however, to obtain the necessary permissions and to make clear that the ceremony would be conducted according to the rites of the Church of England.
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Some of our happiest and most moving ceremonies here at Holy Cross are with couples who wish to renew their vows after a period of married life. It may also involve the blessing or re-dedication of rings or indeed other personal acts of renewed commitment.
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If you would like to know more about how you could celebrate this Sacrament at Holy Cross, please be in touch with us the by email or telephone, or after Sunday Mass to arrange an appointment to meet.
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To our sisters and brothers in the LGTBQ+ community: Ministers in the Church of England are not authorised at this time to marry persons of the same sex. Although there are no official services for blessing a same-sex civil marriage, we are happy to support you in prayer during public worship.
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You can find out more about Marriage in the Church of England by clicking on the button below.
