The Sacrament of Baptism
If you are a new parent, congratulations! We are delighted to hear you are looking to have your child baptised and are keen to support as best we can.
Steps to Baptism
Holy Baptism is celebrated usually on the last Saturday of the month in St Mary and St Joseph, Boxmoor at 12 noon (but not in the Season of Lent and December).
To have your child baptised you need to be resident in the Parish and be attending Mass.
WHAT TO DO
1. Please make yourself known to the Parish Priest, Fr David Cherry, after Sunday Mass.
2. Make an appointment to go and see him by email davidcherry@rcdow.org.uk for about half an hour.
3. Before meeting the Parish Priest please note now the REQUIREMENTS FOR A CATHOLIC BAPTISM below.
4. At this meeting you will receive an APPLICATION FORM from the Parish Priest who will help you fill it in.
5. BOOK A PREPARATION COURSE online HERE with the Parish Catechist, Callum Moore, who runs a class usually on the last Thursday of the month, 7-8.30pm. This session gives you an introduction to the meaning and to what will happen at the Baptism. Both parents need to attend this session.
If you have attended a Baptism Preparation Class write the date attended on the Application Form.
6. BOOK A DATE FOR THE BAPTISM: When you have done the course and you have all the documents ready, please deliver your documents to the Parish Office and then contact the Parish Administrator,Shirley Bailey at shirleybailey@rcdow.org.uk to book the date of the Baptism.
To help with administration, please submit all documents together.
The Baptism date can only be booked on receipt of your Information Form and the required certificates.
DONATION: Please enclose the suggested donation of £70 with your documents.
Please do not notify friends and family of a proposed Baptism date until completion of the course and any issues that arise are resolved with the Parish Priest, especially if it may be necessary to delay the Baptism.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A CATHOLIC BAPTISM
Parents: Either yourself or your partner needs to be a baptised Catholic to have your child baptised in the catholic church. Proof of baptism is required in the form of your Baptism Certificate or a letter from the Parish Priest where you were baptised, stating that your name appears in the Baptism Register of that Church.
If neither parent is a baptised Catholic, then unfortunately it is not possible to baptise your child. This is because they will not have the example of a lived Catholic family life.
If one or both of you would like to become Catholic we are happy to help. If you would like to begin this process please email Callum at cmoore@jfk.herts.sch.uk
A Godparent should be a baptised Catholic who is at least 16 years of age and who believes and practices the Catholic faith as a member of a Catholic Parish community.
Each child being baptised is required to have at least one Godparent and that person must be a baptised and practising Catholic. Proof of Baptism of the godparent is required in the form of a certificate to be submitted with the application.
A second Godparent is allowed as well and they must be of the opposite gender from the first; and must also be a baptised Catholic.
You cannot have more than 4 Godparents.
Christian Witness of the Baptism: A Christian of another Christian faith community can be a ‘Christian Witness’ but his/her name will not appear on the Baptism Certificate or in the Baptism Register.
A proxy is someone who stands in for a Godparent who is unable to be present at the Baptism ceremony.
Emergency Baptism
In the rare event that an unbaptised child is in danger of death, any person (even a non-Christian) may baptise if they have the intention to do what the Church does. Baptisms which are considered valid must use both water (pouring, sprinkling, or immersing the one baptised) and the Trinitarian formula: “I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. For the baptism to be valid water must strike the child’s head as you say this phrase. Any variation of this procedure is not valid.