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How to:
If you would like to find out more about getting
married or baptised please either come to our
Saturday surgery (10.30-11.30am in St Saviour's) or
contact the office (01803 835540). We
will then arrange for a priest to meet with you to have an
initial conversation, and if you decide to proceed
to find a date and time for the service to take
place. He will then arrange for a further
meeting with you, to explain what happens at the
service, and the kind of promises that you are
making for yourselves, and for your child. We also
hope that you’ll want to come to worship with us,
and that we’ll see you sometimes at our main Sunday
service which is at 11am
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Getting
Married
Congratulations...
We’re delighted that you are thinking about getting
married in our benefice - we look forward
to sharing the celebration with you, and to
supporting you in the future.
The Benefice of Dartmouth and Dittisham takes the
preparation of those seeking a church wedding very
seriously. Christians believe that your love for
each other reflects something of God’s love for each
of us, and that love is God’s greatest gift to us.
We wish to celebrate with great joy the fact that
you have found each other and wish to make this
lifelong commitment.
If you are not already a member of the church here,
we hope and expect you will strongly consider
becoming one. We look forward to working with you as
you plan both your wedding day and the rest of your
married life together – and will hope to support you
not only in the short-term, but also in the medium
and long-term.
Marriage and the Law
In order to be married in any Parish Church in
England you have, by law, to meet certain
requirements – which have to do with your status as
a baptised person, your resident status in the UK,
your place of geographical residence and/or the
place where you habitually worship. There are also
considerations which are relevant to those who have
been married before. In accordance with the
regulations of the Bishops of the Church of England,
the normal practice for those who have been divorced
is for there to be a blessing in church following a
civil wedding.
Before you do anything else come and see a member of
our ministry team during the Surgery hour
10.30-11.30am every Saturday in St Saviour’s. They
will explain the law as it applies to your marriage
and will discuss the possibilities of either a
Wedding Service in church (if you are able to fulfil
the requirements for this) or (in other
circumstances) a Blessing after a Civil Marriage.
Whichever is possible, we aim to support and
encourage you as a couple as you begin your married
life together.
Marriage Preparation
A wedding day is a few short hours – but a marriage
is a lifetime together.
Alongside the lavish preparations you will be making
for your ‘big day’, you will be expected to attend
our Wedding Preparation Day where the significance
of Christian marriage is stressed and practical
advice is given. This will also be an opportunity to
meet the clergy, the director of music and the
parish administrator, who will ensure we have
recorded your details correctly and arrange for your
Banns of Marriage to be called in church. We will
also expect that you will attend marriage
preparation meetings with the member of the Clergy
who is to conduct your wedding. As part of these
meetings, you will receive further instruction and
guidance and make decisions about the resources open
to you, such as your choice of music, readings,
prayers and flowers for your Wedding Service.
Underpinning the advice given at these meetings are
the convictions that a good marriage depends on the
ability to communicate well, to exhibit flexibility,
to be aware of strengths and potential weaknesses in
your relationship, to have shared values and to
address differences and conflict effectively.
Some resources that may be useful as you plan your
wedding day are downloadable here:
Click here for
information on the marriage service
Click here for some
suggested readings
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Thanksgiving,
Baptism & Confirmation
Thanksgiving and Baptism
We’re delighted you’re thinking of baptism for your
child. Your child is precious to you and precious to
God. At baptism you promise to raise your child to
know God loves them, and to help them to follow
Jesus as a member of the Church.
In baptism, you as parents are thanking God for his
gift of life, making a decision to start your child
on the journey of faith and asking for the Church’s
support. Christians believe that baptism marks a
highly important moment in our lives; through the
water of baptism we are joined to Jesus in a unique
way, so that it marks the beginning of an eternity
of friendship with him. Baptism is sometimes called
by an old English word, Christening. Baptism and
Christening are the same thing, and this old English
word reminds us that it is about being made one with
Jesus Christ.
Baptisms in the parish of Dartmouth usually take
place during the main Sunday morning Eucharist at
11am. At Baptism we each become members of the local
and world-wide family of the church and it is
therefore important that church members are there to
welcome their new brother or sister.
When you bring your child for baptism, you are asked
to declare publicly on behalf of your child that you
believe in God and that you will bring your child up
to follow Jesus.
You should have at least three godparents: two of
the same sex as the child and one of the opposite
sex. Godparents can be family members or friends.
However, it is important that you choose people who
will take an interest in your child’s spiritual
welfare and who will pray for you and your child.
Godparents must themselves have been baptised.
Godparents make the same promises on behalf of the
child being baptised as parents. Godparents promise
to pray and support the
child and to help the parents to bring up the child
in the Christian faith. It is an important and
responsible role, though primarily a spiritual one -
it is not the same as being a legal guardian for
instance.
You may feel that Baptism is too big a step to take
on behalf of your child just at the moment. If this
is the case we do offer thanksgivings for the safe
arrival of your precious baby. During this simple
service we thank God for being entrusted with the
joy of parenthood and pray that guided by God we may
be given the strength to make a good job of it.
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Confirmation
Children and teenagers are prepared for Confirmation
and First Communion generally from 11 years of age
and above if they demonstrate a desire for deeper
involvement in the Church’s life and the Christian
Faith and have the support of their parents.
Adults too, who may not have been baptised as
children, may find themselves wishing to make a
commitment to Christ and to the life of the Church.
In such cases, Baptism, Confirmation and First
Communion are administered at the same time, after a
period of preparation together with other adults
exploring faith.
The clergy will be happy to discuss ways in which
you can deepen your level of commitment and
involvement and the practical issues concerning the
sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. |
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Bereavement, Funerals and Memorial Services
Please contact us whenever you need to.
The clergy of the parish are skilled and experienced
in helping families to deal with the trauma of death
and loss, and the parish of Dartmouth has
considerable musical and liturgical resources, that
can help you to arrange an appropriate service –
whether that is a Funeral or a Memorial Service.
We can, and want to help before the point of death
too – rather than being summoned after the event, we
would much prefer to be called during times of
serious illness when spiritual questions and
anxieties can become particularly prominent in
patients and their families.
Support before and at the time of death is what we
should all want for ourselves and our loved ones.
Often the thoughtful, prayerful company of a member
of the clergy or a trained visitor can help to guide
people through challenging and uncharted waters as
their life, or the life of their loved-one, draws to
a close.
If you would like to discuss a visit, a Funeral or a
Memorial Service please contact the office on 01803
835540.
Burials
St Clement's Churchyard is the only one of our
churchyards still open for burials;
the town cemetery at Longcross is the
responsibility of Dartmouth Town Council: email:
clerk@dartmouthtowncouncil.org
01803 832281
The Garden of Remembrance at St Petrox and the
graveyard at St Clement's Church remain open for the
burial of ashes for those who have a connection with
Dartmouth and the surrounding area. The mortal
remains of loved ones are laid to rest during a
simple service of committal. Please contact the parish office for more information.
Download forms for St Petrox Garden of Remembrance:
Explanatory Letter
Click here
Garden of Remembrance Burial Form
Click here
Book of Remembrance Form
Click here
Gift Aid Form
Click here
Memorial Stones
Awaited |
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