Baptism
Born again in Christ through water and the Holy Spirit.
What is Baptism?
The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation and the basic sacrament of the Catholic Church. Through baptism — the gate to salvation — we become children of God in a special way: Brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ as well as all those baptized throughout the world. In the Sacrament of Baptism, your child is welcomed into the Family of Faith – the Church. For this reason, it is important that the family be connected to a local Ecclesial community.
In the sacrament, the parent(s) or guardian(s) are the instruments of God's grace for the child. It is essential that what is begun on Baptism day is followed up in the home. God does not do all the work in our sanctification. Rather, God co-operates with us to bring about salvation. Our children learn their faith from us. If God is important to us, usually God will be important to our children.
First step, contact us!
Before you make any plans for your child’s baptism, complete the Baptism Request Form and submit it to the office at least three months before the intended baptism. The form can be obtained and completed either online or at the Parish Office.
Once you submit your request, someone from the parish will contact you to begin the process. You'll be required to participate in two one-hour meetings as part of the baptismal preparation. The first will be an informal – but necessary – meeting with another family from our parish. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the challenges and graces associated with raising children in the Catholic faith. The family you meet has been trained to answer a lot of your initial questions regarding baptism at the parish. Very often, this meeting takes place after the 9.30 a.m. children’s mass where your two families, and other children, can meet.
The second meeting will be an evening with the other families who will celebrate the Sacrament of baptism on the same date as you. This is an opportunity for you to meet others in our parish that are embarking upon a similar journey. Even if you have previously had a child baptized at our parish, these two meetings are an important way to build connections in the community. As we're taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we are a single community of faith — it is our hope that you will get to know us. If you are not registered as a member of the parish, we encourage you to do so.
Baptism Dates for 2023 (Sundays at 1pm)
January, April, May, June, September, October, November, December
Godparents
Godparents are people who promise to assist the family of the child primarily in the task of passing on our spiritual tradition. They become like a second aunt or uncle; they're a special part of the family placed there by faith.
Usually there are two primary Godparents, often a male and a female. At least one of these should be a practising Catholic in good standing with the Church. If only one Godparent is selected, they can be either male or female and must be Catholic.
The primary Godparents should be about the same age of the parents or younger, and at least 16 years old. They should live nearby so they can be involved in the child's upbringing. The child may also have honorary Godparents. Honorary Godparents can be any age, but will not be listed in official Church records.
Offering
There are no fees for Sacrament of Baptism, but a sincere offering to the parish will be gratefully received. All such gifts allow us to assist others with the same sacramental preparation that you are to receive.