Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.

Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism

For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Baptism is the first sacrament of Christian initiation. Through Baptism we are freed from sin, we become adopted sons and daughters of God and are embraced into the family of the Church.

The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters.  . . .  Jesus did not need to be baptised because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptise all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.

Baptism transforms us. It marks our soul for life and eternity. In baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ’s call to holiness. In baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.

Although we Catholics believe that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God, it is through baptism we become sons and daughters of God and are brought into that most mysterious communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Through Baptism, God enables us to participate in his life in Jesus Christ and makes us his children. It is through this sacrament that we receive the Holy Spirit and become members of the People of God, of the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Baptism becomes our commitment to grow in this new life and to strive to acquire spiritual maturity. By baptism, God purifies us from sin.

Baptism is the sacrament of faith which has the Risen Christ as its source, and it is the offer of salvation for all people. Intimately linked to Confirmation and to Eucharist, Baptism is, with these two sacraments, Christian Initiation. The child is baptized in the faith of his/her parents, of his/her godparents and of the Church.

The Rite of Baptism

Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons and daughters of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: ‘Baptism is the Sacrament of regeneration through water in the Word.’’ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213.

The Rite of Baptism involves immersing the candidate in water or pouring it over his/her head, while invoking the Name of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (CCC 1278).

If you are not Catholic but have received Baptism as described above, we consider your baptism valid. So, you will not be baptised again if you choose to join the Catholic Church. Rather, you will be initiated into full communion with us through the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

Want to receive the Sacrament of Baptism for yourself or your child?

Baptism is a Sacrament of faith, and the Church asks for a serious and loving commitment by the parents and godparents of a child to live the life of the Sacraments. The baptism ceremony for adults and teens is similar to baptism of children except that you make the baptismal promises yourself. Instead of godparents, adults have sponsors whose role is to encourage you in the Catholic Faith.

For children aged 6 and below:

At least one parent should be a practising Catholic.

Parent(s) to attend Infant Baptism preparation sessions at the parish.

Either one godparent, or two (one male and one female), who is a confirmed Catholic over the age of 16.

Baptism Preparation Meetings are held quarterly in the months of February, May, August, and November.   Contact your parish for more information and assistance in your preparations. If you are seeking baptism in a parish other than the one in which you live, you ought to contact your own parish priest in the first instance.

As you are seeking the baptism of your child in the Roman Catholic Church, the following guidelines are presented to help you embark upon this journey of faith with Christ and his Church.

Basic Guidelines and Information for Infant (to include young children) Baptism (Code of Canon Law, cc. 867-868; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1251)

Parents are responsible for bringing their child to the Sacrament of Baptism as soon after birth as possible. Except in case of necessity, the church is the usual place of baptism.

In order that a child be baptized, it is necessary that the parents’ consent, or at least one of them, or someone legally standing in their place, and that there is reasonable hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith.

GODPARENTS: A person may only have one or two godparents (also called sponsors); if two are chosen, they must be male and female.

In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent they must be chosen by the parents, have the ability and the intention to fulfil the role, be at least 16 years of age, and be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist charist, is leading a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith (including Marriage) and will be a good role model for the one being baptized, and be neither the father nor the mother of the child. A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a “Christian witness” (not a godparent) provided that there is at least one Roman Catholic godparent who fulfils the above criteria. A non-baptized person cannot be a witness (Code of Canon Law, cc. 872-874; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1255).

Baptismal Preparation in your Parish (Code of Canon Law, c. 851; Catechism of the Catholic Church 843)

In order to respect your request for the baptism of your child, you are invited to follow closely the stages of preparation offered below:

• Contact your parish office and express your desire to have your child baptized.
• Introduce yourself to the parish priest if you do not already know him personally.
• Open yourself to the invitation to actively join the faith community of your parish. If you are not registered parishioners, please consider becoming involved in the prayer and celebration of the Sunday Eucharistic community.

While baptismal preparation varies from parish to parish, you will be invited to participate in some manner of faith formation prior to the baptism of your child. This may take the form of a meeting(s) with the pastor, pastoral assistant, or participation in a baptismal preparation session for parents.

It is extremely important to take your faith-life seriously because, before God, you have taken on an awesome responsibility for the salvation of another—your own child! Your commitment and openness to baptismal preparation will help develop the faith-life of your child as he/she matures.

Other Information (Catechism of the Catholic Church 857)

Are you living in a parish other than the one in which you wish to have your child baptized?

You are required to take your Baptismal Preparation in the parish in which you reside and then receive a testimonial letter from your Parish Priest to have your child baptized in another parish. This requirement respects the reality that pastors normally have sacramental jurisdiction only over their own parishioners.  Therefore, when one seeks a sacrament outside of one’s parish, the proper pastor’s permission is necessary.  Furthermore, the invitation to connect with one’s own proper parish first is founded on the hope that the faith-life of the family and of the one(s) to be baptized will be lived in community and not in isolation.

Marital Status

Your marital status will be clarified during the baptismal preparation process. Baptism is not denied if the parents are unmarried or not married in the Roman Catholic Church. However, there may be reason to postpone Baptism if parents are not practicing the Faith or have no intention of living a Catholic life in harmony with the Gospel. If your status is not in harmony with the Roman Catholic understanding of sacramental marriage, please inquire as to how we may help you.

For children aged 7 to 18:

All of the above information applies to Baptism of an infant or young child only. If you have a child to be baptized who has reached catechetical age/the age of reason (Year 2 -13), you and they will receive different preparation. Having sufficient understanding, the preparation will now be for the full complement of the Sacraments of Initiation, i.e., baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.

The Church prepares older children and adults for all three sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Those children who have never been baptized will participate in the RCIA process adapted for children and celebrate their sacraments at the Easter Vigil.

Those children already baptized in other Christian communities will make a profession of faith into the Catholic Church and will receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation in the rite of Reception into Full Communion with the Catholic Church. Preparation will be provided.

Contact your parish priest for more information.

For adults:

If you would like to be baptised as an adult you will need to participate in some instruction, individually or through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Traditionally adult baptisms take place during the ceremony of the Easter Vigil. In some parishes, therefore, you might be asked to wait for Easter for Baptism.