General Parish Information

Communion to the Sick at home

If a person is consistently unable to come to Sunday Mass (due to age or illness), please advise the priest and parish office. We will visit the housebound parishioner and where appropriate place them on the weekly Communion to the Sick list.

If a parishioner is unable to come to Mass for just one or two weeks, they can simply make a Spiritual Communion in place of receiving the Holy Eucharist.

In the rest homes of the parish, Holy Communion is either brought to the rooms of the Catholics in the facility or they are gathered together for a simple liturgy.

My relative is dying – will the priest come and visit?

Our care for the sick and dying is a high priority for our priest. Please advise the priest of the circumstances and he will visit as promptly as the circumstances suggest. Also please contact the parish office in this regard.

What happens at the time of death of my loved one?

Ideally our priest should be called before the person passes away so that the Last Rites may be administered. When a Catholic dies, the priest is happy to come to offer prayers for the dead. After your loved one has passed away, speak with your priest about what funeral rites are appropriate in your circumstances. He will also talk with

you about dates and times. You should then call an undertaker to assist with the practical arrangements.

We are pleased to be able to assist you and your family at such a special time.

Going to Hospital – how do I contact the Chaplain?

When you, your family member or a friend gets admitted to the hospital (Greymouth) please advise the parish office and we will pass this information on to our priest for him to visit the patient. You may wish to inform our priest by yourself.

Offering Mass for a Special Intention – what do I do?

It is a praiseworthy tradition to have Mass offered for a special intention and especially for the happy repose of a person who has died. If the Mass is being offered for someone who has died, that person’s name will be published in the newsletter so that other may pray for them as well. Please contact the parish office or the priests with your intention. It is usual to make an offering to the priest of $10 for each Mass offered.

I need food / money / power – can you help?

Our parish has an active St Vincent de Paul Conference who contribute food items. The normal way to receive help from the SVDP Society is to phone their office. A Conference member from our parish will call on them to talk with them about their needs. The main help they offer is food.

I have something I want to speak to a priest about – what do I do?

Please reach out, via our Parish office or other contact channels.

I would like to join the parish – what do I do?

Welcome! Contact our priest or Parish office for a registration form. He will help you to fill it in, introduce you to other parishioners. Our priest  can visit you at home to help with the process.

I am interested in becoming Catholic – is there someone I can talk to?

Welcome! We advise those wanting to become Catholic to join us for Sunday Masses before beginning formal classes (usually facilitated in mid-October each year), or you can contact the parish office to introduce yourself.

I want to contribute to the Planned Giving Programme – what do I do?

We need to budget, pay salaries etc., so a regular declared income is so important for us. Enquire if they would like weekly envelopes or if they are happy to go on automatic payment. The latter is our preference – regular income and we don’t have the expense of printing stationery. For most people one-third of their annual donation is refunded to them by IRD.

I want to become more involved in the life of the parish – what should I do?

Please to fill out a parish registration form, or feel free to contact our priest or parish office.

Getting married – what’s the first step?

Questions:

My fiancé is not Catholic. Is that a problem? 

No, we offer a warm welcome to those who are not of our faith.

We are thinking about an outdoor wedding. Is that a problem? 

The preference of the Church is for weddings to take place in a Catholic church because of the sacred nature of such buildings. However talk with our priest about the possibilities.

We will be marrying overseas. Can you help us prepare and complete marriage papers? Certainly. We would be pleased to help.

Do you have a Youth Group in the parish?

Yes we have a Junior and Senior Youth Group - Please contact the parish office if you have a child/young person wishing to attend.

I want to know more about the New Zealand seminary formation and Vocation Direction.

Contact the parish office for more information.