Through Baptism the Parish Community and the Universal Church welcomes new members of all ages into the Christian community.
Parents seeking to have their children baptised, should contact Fr. John.
Approximately once every three months there is a meeting for all first time parents, for those anticipating the birth of their first child and for those who may be in need of a ‘refresher’ at which both the Church’s understanding of what baptism involves and the practicalities are explained.
The Preparation Courses are normally run on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Dates are published in the Parish Newsletter and on the Website.
A date for the Baptism Ceremony will only be arranged after you have attended the Baptism Preparation Course. The date will be at a time mutually convenient for the family and the parish. Baptisms normally take place on Saturday or Sunday afternoons, but can also be celebrated during the Mass that the family normally attend.
If you do not live in the Parish of Waltham Cross you MUST have a letter of permission from your local Parish Priest to have your Child baptised at another Parish. This is a requirement of Church Law
At least one of the child’s parents or guardians must be a Catholic and it is understood that the child will be brought up in the Catholic faith.
GODPARENTS:
At least one of the Godparents must be a confirmed practising Catholic over the age of 16 years. They will need to have the Form stating this witnessed by the Priest at the Church where they attend Mass.
ON THE DAY:
Please be aware that we only celebrate Baptisms once in a day.
We provide a baptism candle for your child but you are also welcome to provide your own if you have a special one. Please bring a white garment (a baby shawl or white blanket will suffice)
CHURCH OFFERING:
It is customary to make an offering to the Church on these occasions. If you have problems please speak with the Parish Priest in confidence. An envelope will be given for your offering for you to hand to the Priest at the Baptism.
PLEASE NOTE
Your personal details will be held on file, and if you are resident in the Parish, or attend Mass here on a regular basis, they will be stored securely on the Parish Data Base. After the ceremony they will also be entered into the Baptism Register, which is retained in the Parish as a permanent record of Baptism.
You can read our full privacy policy on rcdow.or.uk/diocese/privacy-policy
For details of the next Baptism Preparation Meeting, please contact the Parish Office