From the earliest times, the Church, to which the mission of preaching the Gospel and of baptizing was entrusted, has baptized not only adults but children as well.  Our Lord said, “no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”  The Church has always understood these words to mean that children should not be deprived of baptism, because they are baptized in the faith of the Church, a faith proclaimed for them by their parents and godparents, who represent both the local Church and the whole society of saints and believers. 

Parents wishing to present their children for Baptism are invited to contact the parish office and arrange a personal meeting with the Pastor to begin preparations for this joyful celebration of new life in Christ.  Following the initial meeting, parents are required to participate in the preparation meeting prior to the Baptism celebration.  The following are the dates for Baptism and the corresponding dates for the Preparation Meetings during the 2025-2026 Pastoral Year.

• Baptisms are celebrated at 11:30 a.m.

• Preparation Meetings take place in the Parish Hall following the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass

BAPTISM DATE PREPARATION
MEETINGS

September 21, 2025 September 14, 2025

October 19, 2025 September 14, 2025

November 16, 2025        November 9, 2025

December 21, 2025         December 14, 2025

January 18, 2025           December 14, 2025

February-March – no Baptism during Lent

April 19, 2026           March 22, 2025

May 17, 2026                    April 26, 2026

June 28, 2026               June 14, 2026

July 19, 2026             June 5, 2026

August 16, 2026              August 9, 2026

All meetings take place on Sundays at 11:30 a.m.  Meetings take place in the rectory meeting room; baptisms take place in the church. On occasion, the Sacrament of Baptism may be celebrated at Sunday Mass or at other times under special circumstances.

Children who have completed their seventh year (usually in grade three) are required to celebrate all three Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist).  A special parish program of formation is provided for them and their families.Sunday, April 27, 2025

FIRST COMMUNION

Children who have received the age of seven years are invited to come to the Eucharistic Table for the first time, to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.  Catechetical preparation is provided in our Catholic School and, for children not attending the Catholic School, through the Diocesan catechetical program.  The reception of First Communion marks the beginning of a lifetime of full participation at the Sunday Eucharist.

 Parents who wish to present their children for First Communion are invited to an Information meetingin the Parish Hall on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. (following the Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m.).  Registration forms will be available at this meeting.

The Registration deadline for First Communion is Friday, February 13, 2026.

 The Enrollment of Children for First Communion will take place at the Parish Masses on the weekend of February 21/22, 2026 (Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.). Following Mass, each child will receive a book, We Share in the Eucharist.  Dates for Presenting the gifts at Mass and the dates for First Communion will be selected at this time.

 First Communion will be celebrated at the regular Sunday Masses (Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.) on the following weekends:

April 18/19, 2026

April 25/26, 2026.

FIRST RECONCILIATION

The Lord Jesus has entrusted to the Church his mission of healing, forgiveness and reconciliation.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the great sign of God’s mercy and forgiveness for all who have failed to live fully their baptismal life in Christ.  As St. Ambrose reminds us, the Church “possesses both water and tears, the water of baptism and the tears of repentance.”

Children preparing for First Communion are prepared also to celebrate this Sacrament of God’s mercy and forgiveness and given the opportunity to celebrate this Sacrament prior to First Communion.  Catechetical preparation is provided in our Catholic School and, for children not attending the Catholic School, through the Diocesan catechetical program.  

Parents are invited to participate in an information meeting in the Parish Hall on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (following the 10:00 a.m. Mass).  Resources will be provided to assist the parents in the immediate preparation of their children for this Sacrament of God’s mercy.

The reception of First Reconciliation will take place on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the church.

The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist constitute the sacraments of Christian initiation.  The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated with adults immediately following their Baptism and before their first reception of the Eucharist.

Baptized children usually celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation following their First Communion.  In the Diocese of Hamilton, children are invited to celebrate Confirmation in grade seven or later.  The catechetical formation for this sacrament takes place in our Catholic School and, for children not attending the Catholic School, through the Diocesan catechetical program. 

Parents and candidates who wish to celebrate Confirmation are invited to an Information Meeting in the Parish Hall on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (following the 10:00 a.m. Mass).

Following this information meeting, the candidates will be asked to participate in the Parish Preparation Program, which includes a retreat.  The Retreat will take place on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall and Church.

The Celebration of Confirmation will take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the church.

Adults who are interested in the Catholic faith and wish to become members of the Catholic Church, are invited to contact the parish office to arrange a personal meeting with the Pastor.  The preparation for Christian initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist) includes weekly meetings (beginning in September and concluding shortly after Easter), and attendance at the Sunday Eucharist, which is the heart of a Catholic way of life. Our Initial Meeting will take place at St. Joseph Parish Hall on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 beginning at 7:00 p[.m.

The formation for Adult Initiation takes place as a collaborate ministry of St. Joseph Parish, Canadian Martyrs Parish and the Cathedral Basilica Parish.  Meetings are held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.  The associated rites are celebrated in the respective parishes.

Adults who have been baptized in other Christian churches who wish to become Roman Catholic are invited to join the non-baptized for all or part of this period of formation.

Marriage between two Christians is a Sacrament – an effective sign that reveals and makes present the mystery of God’s love for humanity, and in particular, the mystery of Christ’s love for the Church, which is his Bride.  It is always an occasion of great joy within the Christian community.

The marriage between a Catholic and non-Christian, although not a Sacrament, is likewise a celebration of the Church because it is an occasion of joy, which celebrates divine love and human love and the establishment of a new family.

Couples who are registered or living within our parish and who wish to celebrate their marriage at St. Joseph Parish are invited to contact the parish office to arrange a personal meeting with one of the priests.

Participation in a marriage preparation program is required for all couples celebrating their Marriage in our Parish.

In order to complete the marriage preparation program and assemble the necessary civil and church documents prior to Marriage, couples must contact the Parish at least six months prior to their proposed date of marriage. 

Sacrament of the Sick

Through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, those members of the Church who are seriously ill receive the special help of God’s grace.  In this Sacrament, the faithful are strengthened to fight against evil, are comforted by the Lord’s anointing and experience the healing power of Jesus, which he entrusted to the Church and its ministers. The Sacrament may be celebrated with those who are seriously ill, those with a lengthy or chronic illness, those preparing for surgery and may be repeated as desirable. 

The Communal Celebration of the Sacrament of the Sick will take place in the church at the regularly scheduled Masses on Saturday, October 25 (5:00 p.m.) and on Sunday, October 26 (10:00 a.m.).  

When a family member is seriously ill, either at home or in hospital or an extended care facility, please call the parish office to request a pastoral visit, which may include Communion and/or the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. 

If the sick person’s health is critical, and they are in danger of death, please contact the parish office to request the Sacrament.  As soon as one of the priests is available, he will respond.  If the person is in the hospital, the priest on-call can be contacted to provide the Sacrament.

In the face of death, the Church confidently proclaims that God has created each person for eternal life and that Jesus, the Son of God, by his death and resurrection, has broken the chains of sin and death that bound humanity.  For Christians, the funeral rites are proclamations of our share in the Paschal Mystery, the death and resurrection of Christ.

It is customary to celebrate the death of a member of the Church in three stages: visitation at the funeral home with a Vigil of Prayer (usually the day before the Funeral), the Celebration of Mass at the church, and the Rite of Committal at the cemetery.

It is the preference of the Church that the body of the deceased is present for the Funeral Mass; however, it is also possible to have the cremated remains present for the Mass.

In particular circumstances the Funeral Mass may be replaced with a Funeral Liturgy (Liturgy of the Word only) celebrated in the church or funeral homeWhen death occurs, family members are asked to contact the parish office for an appointment to plan the funeral rites for their loved ones. Arrangements for the funeral liturgies are to be made with the parish prior to meeting with the funeral home.