Baptism

Congratulations! The birth of your child is an occasion of great joy for you and your family. Our church community shares this joy as you present your child for baptism. You desire the best for your child and that means beginning to share your faith in a wonderful and unique way. God wants to entrust to you, as parents, the care of your child’s unique gift of faith in this sacrament. It is like the precious mustard seed, which through your careful guidance and love over the years, will grow into the magnificent tree which Jesus calls the Kingdom of God and the promise of eternal life. Through baptism your child will become a child of God in Christ. Baptism is also the first sacrament of initiation into the community of faith and the life and mission of the Church.

Please read this carefully and download the Baptism Registration Form.

What Should I Do

Please complete as much of the form as possible and return it by email or directly to the parish office at The Presbytery, 39 Duncan Terrace, London N1 8AL. If you live in another parish, you will need to bring a letter of permission from your parish priest.

Preparation

All baptisms must be preceded by preparation. Before any dates can be arranged or confirmed, the diocese asks that you attend baptism preparation sessions.

Dates, times and place for preparation course and baptism

All preparation courses are at 6pm. It is one evening session which lasts 40 minutes. The location of the preparation evening is at The Presbytery, 39 Duncan Terrace, N1 8AL. Both parents are expected to attend and godparents are most welcome too.

All baptisms are at 12pm on a Saturday at St John the Evangelist Church, 39 Duncan Terrace, N1 8AL.

For February, the preparation date is Monday 5th and the baptism is Saturday 17th.

March, preparation is Wednesday 6th and the baptism is Saturday 16th

April, preparation is Monday 15th and the baptism Saturday 20th

For May and the beginning of June, preparation is Tuesday 21st May and the baptism is on Saturday 1st June. There is no baptism in May, only a preparation course on the 21st

For the end of June, the preparation is Monday 24th and the baptism is Saturday 29th

For July, the preparation is Monday 15th and the baptism is Saturday 20th

For August, the preparation is Monday 19th and the baptism is Saturday 24th

For September, the preparation is Monday 23rd and the baptism is Saturday 28th

Baptismal Names

Your child’s name is unique and careful thought goes into choosing it, but the name should have a Christian sentiment. It goes without saying that the best names to choose are those of the saints. It means that we have a patron (a friend in heaven) praying for us. You can follow the link ‘Saints’ at www.catholic.org for a full list of saints’ names.

Godparents

The role of godparents is very important. They will help you nurture the seed of faith in your child and help you to see that your child is brought up in the living-out of faith. Godparents are very welcome to attend the course. At least one godparent must be a practising Catholic who has been confirmed. Please, speak to a priest before inviting other people to be godparents.

Church Offering

It is customary to make an offering to the Church on these occasions. As a guide, the amount should be in proportion to other expenses involved in the baptism and is for the support of the church.