Arranging the baptism of your child at St. Mary of the Angels is simple: just speak to the parish priest after one of the Sunday Masses.
We are truly delighted when parents come forward to have their child baptised, and thus to become a much-loved child of God. Parents have the awesome privilege of bringing their child to Jesus, and we are very happy to help them begin that journey.
In preparation for this life-changing event, we invite parents to look afresh at their own faith, the faith they will be passing on to their child. Using parts of the acclaimed SYCAMORE programme (www.sycamore.fm) and Zoom, we are able to meet virtually with parents at convenient times in the comfort of their own homes. There are opportunities to raise all manner of questions about our Catholic faith and to consider what it means to live as a Christian today.
As a sign of his love, Christ instituted the seven Sacraments, beginning with baptism, that are offered through his Church. Through them he invites each one of us into a personal relationship with himself, and gives us the grace to become like him as we grow in love for God and our neighbour. His Holy Spirit dwells within us, helping us to live our vocation as Christian parents. He himself reaches out to each one of us regularly through the Mass when we receive him in Holy Communion.
Just as parents model their Catholic faith for their child, godparents are intended to do the same, thus supporting parents in the task of passing on the faith. Godparents should therefore be practising Catholics of at least 16 years of age, while a non-Catholic can serve as a Christian witness alongside a Catholic godparent.
Since Mass is a vital part of the practice of our faith, we hope you will join our parish community at Sunday Mass regularly, along with your children, including very young ones, who are always welcome. The ideal time to contact us about baptism is therefore after one of the Sunday Masses (Sat. 6pm, Sunday 11am and 6pm). If for any reason you are unable to come to Mass, please email Fr. Keith on keithbarltrop@rcdow.org.uk
Testimonials
“The Baptism preparation at St Mary of the Angels parish left a lasting impression on us. We found the SYCAMORE videos as not just lessons, they were like friendly conversations, informative and engaging and presented in a modern and relatable manner, making the learning process enjoyable. We continued watching the videos even after we finished the preparation. The subsequent conversations with Margaret were very helpful. We value the most the practical advice she shared with us and moments of reflection, which led to building a sense of community and understanding. We sincerely appreciate the effort put in creating this beautiful program!”
Kristina, Ivan & Adam