Parents who wish to have their children baptised must be attending Mass in the parish and at least one of the parents must be a baptised Roman Catholic. Proof of Catholic baptism will need to be provided. If you are new to the parish or unknown to the parish clergy, you will be asked to attend Mass in the parish for three months before arrangements for the baptism can be made, or else provide a letter from your previous parish priest stating that you are currently a practising Catholic. Parents will be asked to undergo a course of preparation before their child’s baptism.
This is because baptism is one of the most significant moments in our life, for in baptism we are permanently united to Christ and begin our journey to holiness, entering into the life of the Church. It is also, therefore, a moment of great responsibility that should not be entered into lightly. The Church requires that for a child to be baptised, there must be a ‘founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the practice of the Catholic religion’, demonstrated most effectively through Sunday Mass attendance. Without this hope, baptism makes no sense and must be delayed until that hope can be proven.
Please contact the parish clergy by phone or email if you wish to register for the baptism of your child and they will arrange to meet with you. Parents are advised that they are welcome to undertake the preparation before their child is born, if they so wish.
The Church encourages parents to have their children baptised as soon as possible after birth.