We welcome your child to be baptised at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Whenever we welcome new life, our life as a faith community is enhanced. Parents, godparents, and the community promise to share the joys and challenges of living our Catholic faith.
As a Sacrament of Initiation, Baptism is the first step in our life-long journey of faith. Parents who decide to have their baby baptised are also choosing to share their own faith by the example of their words and actions. Baptism, then, makes visible your commitment and that of the godparents you choose, to the ongoing growth in faith of your child. A faith that is alive and active is “caught” more than it is “taught.”
We hope that this time of preparation and celebration will be an opportunity for you to both reflect on your faith and to renew your commitment to living out your chosen responsibilities. May you understand as addressed to you the words of Christ to His disciples:
“Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always….”
Guidelines
- Parents are expected to participate in baptismal preparation sessions prior to scheduling their child’s baptism.
- The family of the child to be baptised is to be a registered member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.
- Baptism initiates a child into the faith community of the Catholic Church. It is celebrated in the midst of the parish community, whose presence witnesses its willingness to support and encourage its newest members and their parents.
- Please contact the parish office to pick up the necessary forms.
- You will be given a document to read to help you understand what it means to have your child baptised into the Catholic Church.
- You will also receive an attendance form to be signed by a priest for the following 6 weeks of Sunday masses before the baptism can take place.
- We will then make an appointment for you to meet with one of the priests and book a date for the baptism.
God Parents
You need at least ONE Confirmed Catholic Godparent (Sponsor) who has received the Blessed Eucharist and who is a practicing Catholic. A Christian from another denomination can act as a witness to the Baptism so long as there is also the Catholic Sponsor for the child. The role of a Godparent is to accept the responsibility of instructing the child in the faith, by supporting the child and their family but especially if the parents fail in this duty.
On the Day of Baptism
Please ensure that you are seated at least 15 minutes before the start of the ceremony. We provide a baptism candle for your child, but you are also welcome to provide your own if you have a special one. The candle is lit from the Paschal (Easter) candle, symbolic of the light of Christ, to shine forth in the life of the baptised.
What your child should wear
It is important that you bring a white garment with you (a baby shawl or white blanket will suffice), which is placed over the child at the appropriate moment in the ceremony. The white garment symbolises that your Child has ‘put on Christ’. It is symbolic of new life in Christ, to be worn throughout our lives.
Church Offering
It is customary to make an offering to the Church on these occasions although there is no charge to receive a sacrament.
Welcoming/Going Forth Mass
At the Sunday mass after the baptism, the child will be presented with their Baptismal Certificate and be welcomed as an official member of the Church and the parish community.