Arrange a Wedding
Normally one of those to be married should be resident in the parish. In the Diocese of Salford six months notice are required before a wedding. No date can be confirmed until a preliminary meeting of the couple with the priest. To begin the process please see the priest after a Sunday mass or make an appointment to see him via the Parish Office.
Arrange a Baptism
If the candidate for Baptism is a young child their principal carer must be a Catholic. A candidate for baptism must normally be resident in the parish. A priest is obliged to defer baptism if he has no well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic faith. To begin the process of preparing for baptism contact the Parish Office for an enrolment form.
Preparation for Baptism
The Bishop has approved a policy for Baptism which must be observed throughout the Diocese. Two directives in particular are:
- As an indication … of the parents’ willingness to embrace the call to live as part of the Church, it should be required that they, or at least the Catholic parent, attend Mass for at least six Sundays in preparation for Baptism.
Priests should not baptise children resident in another parish without a just reason. One example of a just reason is where one or both parents are REGULAR attenders at Sunday Mass in another parish, such that they consider that parish to be the parish to which they “belong”.
In obedience to the Bishop, this policy will be faithfully observed. After six Masses have been attended the priest will consider, together with the parents what further preparation may be necessary. In addition, to ensure that God Parents are suitable people to stand as representatives of the Church’s faith and to care spiritually for the newly Baptised, a God Parent will be required to show proof of their Baptism and obtain a letter from their Parish Priest confirming that they are an appropriate candidate for this important role.
Obtain Baptismal Certificates
Please note that to ensure the validity of the official record Baptismal Certificates will not be issued electronically.
To obtain a copy of a Baptism Certificate, please complete the application form and send it to the Parish Office at either Our Lady and St Gerard’s, 17c brownedge Road, Lostock Hall, Preston, PR55AA or St Marys Brownedge, Brownedge Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR56SP
Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope so that the copy of the Baptism Certificate can be posted to you. To ensure the validity of the original record, these will not be issued by email.
Arrange a Funeral
For detailed guidance for funerals, please click here.
Set up a Standing Order
Details about setting up regular donations for our parishes are available on the Standing Order Form for St Gerards or St Marys. It is also possible to make a Mass offering or a one-off donation online, using the St Gerards Donation Form or the St Marys Donation Form on the Salford Diocese website.
Join the Gift Aid Scheme
Please request a Gift Aid form using this link for Our Lady and St Gerard’s, or this link for St Marys Brownedge.
If you pay income tax and would like to help in this way, please you can find out more about the scheme by clicking on the link below. Joining the scheme does not incur any further expense to you. It allows the Parish to claim a refund of the Tax that you have already paid to the Government.