What is Baptism?
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Mt 28:19)
At the end of his earthly ministry Jesus commands his disciples to share the Christian faith, invite people to become followers of Jesus, disciples like them.
To have your child baptised is to renew your own baptism, and to choose to share this most precious gift of life in God with them. It is to make a real commitment to live in friendship with God. This includes a commitment to come to Mass on Sundays as all Catholic Christians are bound to do.
So the first thing to do is to begin attending mass if you are not currently doing so. You will find a warm welcome at our churches.
Baptism is the very first sacrament of the Christian life. It unites us with Jesus Christ, incorporates us into his redemptive death on the Cross, thereby freeing us from the power of Original Sin and all personal sins, and causes us to rise with him to a life without end. Since Baptism is a covenant with God, the individual must say Yes to it. In the baptism of children, the parents confess the Faith on behalf of the children. (Youcat 194)
How do we have our children baptised?
Congratulations if you have a new born child. What a precious gift from God.
In order to get your child baptised at least one parent must be a baptised catholic and intend to bring the child up as a catholic. A key part of living as a catholic is to come to mass on Sunday. If you have been away from the church don’t worry you and your family will be made very welcome. Having a child is often a time to reflect on what is most important in life and what values and beliefs we want to share with our children. You will find that the more they are in church, even as a baby, the more comfortable they become.
If as a parent you have been baptised but not ever received your first holy communion or confirmation then this is a good time to consider completing your own sacramental initiation as a catholic. It’s hard to share your faith with your children, and bring them up as a catholics if you haven’t received all the graces God wants to give you to help.
The process for getting children baptised at Holy Family Angels Churches is:
Fill in an application form – these can be collected from the Church when you are attending mass. We ask you also to fill-in a GDPR form so we can make sure you are on our parishioners database.
Contact the parish office to arrange to attend a baptism evening. We run these every few weeks to help you understand what baptism is, to explain the Service to you, and to help you understand the obligations you are accepting in bringing your children up as practicing Catholics. You need to be regularly attending mass to proceed to this stage.
If you don’t live in the parish you will need to obtain the permission of the priest in whose parish you live. This is usually granted on the assumption that Holy Angels or Holy Family are the church you have chosen to attend mass at.
Having attended the baptism evening you can now book a baptism date with the Parish Office.
Baptisms take place either within the mass on a Sunday, or afterwards. At Holy Angels 11am (Mass), or 12.30pm. At Holy Family 9.15 (mass) or 3.00pm.Each month there will be one or two Sundays when a baptism can take place around other church services. The baptism may take place with that of another family.
There is no charge for baptism. There is no charge for becoming a Christian so we don’t make a formal charge for a baptism ceremony. However we do ask that if you are able you give a donation to the church as a thanksgiving
A baptism certificate is provided after the ceremony. These are given during mass on the Sunday following the baptism. Let us know which Church you will be attending mass at so we can welcome you properly.
What about Godparents
Godparents are important people for you to consider. They will, of course, be people you have chosen owing to their special relationship to you or your child. But the Church asks more than this. They must be also, according to Canon Law, Catholic‘s who are committed members of the Church. They must be over 16, confirmed, and regular mass goers. You must have one godparent, and may have two in which case they must be one of each sex. A Christian from another denomination can be a “Christian witness” carrying out many of the functions of a Godparent but they cannot formally be a godparent.
What if our children are older?
Children who are 4 and above will need to be prepared for the day, and must themselves be attending church as they are old enough to begin to participate in the decision. If they are 7 years old or older then they are treated as young adults and need to be prepared differently as they will need to make their own decision (with your help) to be baptised and to become a practicing Christian. This will involve participation in a First Holy Communion or Confirmation Course, depending on their age.
Baptism as an adult?
There is no age limit to getting baptised! Jesus calls us all, young and old to follow him. If you are seeking baptism as an adult then you will need to speak to Fr Robin about RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults).
What if we haven’t been married in the church?
This doesn’t preclude the baptism of your children, but this again can be a moment to see how you can place your own relationship in a state of grace. Living family life is a beautiful calling, but one which is easier with all the sacramental grace God offers us. Fr Robin will always be happy to help talk to you about this.
In the fourth century St Gregory of Nazianzus wrote this of baptism:
Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift…. We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God’s Lordship.
We look forward to welcoming your child into the family of the church. You and your family are part of the wider family of Christians and will always find a welcome in our churches. Wherever they are in the world there is always a Catholic Church somewhere close by where they can find friends, comfort and God’s presence in the sacraments of the Church. So please make every effort to be regular at Mass and bring up your child to see the Church as an important part of their life. You won’t regret it!