BAPTISM
Hi and congratulations on the arrival of this extra special member of your family. It’s amazing how, just when you are so tired, so filled with wonder and worry about what is the best you can do for him/her (or even “them!!” 😊 ), there are soooo many other things to do! And so before you go any further with paperwork etc, find some time to sit down and relax even for only a few minutes and check out this site: http://flameoffaith.org.au/baptism. It has a short video about Baptism followed by some helpful FAQ’s. It’d probably be very helpful to discuss what you see and hear with your baby’s other parent.
Paperwork is a real pain in the neck but a necessary one in our modern society. As a minimum, you will need:
In our Parish we celebrate Baptisms on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 10.30am (EXCEPT during LENT). Please ring/email the parish to arrange a suitable date (we baptise babies from a limited number of families each month and it is ‘first in, first served’).
The Baptism Application Form is found here - click here to download.
Contact: Parish Office Ph: 3356 7155 or by email to [email protected] to ascertain available dates.
Paperwork is a real pain in the neck but a necessary one in our modern society. As a minimum, you will need:
- a copy of your baby’s Birth Certificate,
- the Catholic Parent’s Baptism Certificate – (which can be obtained from his/her place of Baptism) and
- the Baptismal Application Form mentioned below.
- a copy of the Catholic Godparent's Baptism certificate - (If there are two Catholic Godparents, only the certificate for one is needed.)
In our Parish we celebrate Baptisms on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 10.30am (EXCEPT during LENT). Please ring/email the parish to arrange a suitable date (we baptise babies from a limited number of families each month and it is ‘first in, first served’).
The Baptism Application Form is found here - click here to download.
Contact: Parish Office Ph: 3356 7155 or by email to [email protected] to ascertain available dates.
What if I wish to have my child (who is 7 years old or older) baptised?
Baptism for these children requires a very different process to that of babies or young children. In short, it involves the child and his/her family being a part of the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) – adapted, of course, for the age of the child.
The RCIA is a journey of conversion. It has four “signposts” – Word (a deepening appreciation of the Scriptures), Worship (developing a sense of and a commitment to praying with the Christian Community), Community (becoming a part of the local Parish community in name and in fact), Service (developing a sense of being called to make the world a better place after the example of loving service that Jesus witnessed).
Like all other areas of the child’s life, their faith is primarily influenced by the example of his/her parent(s) who are the “first and best educators in the ways of faith” (from the Rite of Baptism of Infants). This journey for your child, will involve him/her being accompanied all the way, ideally, by his/her whole family but at least by one of his/her parents.
Just as with the child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development, this development of faith is a gradual one and unique to him/her and can take an extended length of time.
If you are considering this, and/or would like more information, please contact the Parish Office
Ph: 3356 7155 or by email to [email protected]
Baptism for these children requires a very different process to that of babies or young children. In short, it involves the child and his/her family being a part of the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) – adapted, of course, for the age of the child.
The RCIA is a journey of conversion. It has four “signposts” – Word (a deepening appreciation of the Scriptures), Worship (developing a sense of and a commitment to praying with the Christian Community), Community (becoming a part of the local Parish community in name and in fact), Service (developing a sense of being called to make the world a better place after the example of loving service that Jesus witnessed).
Like all other areas of the child’s life, their faith is primarily influenced by the example of his/her parent(s) who are the “first and best educators in the ways of faith” (from the Rite of Baptism of Infants). This journey for your child, will involve him/her being accompanied all the way, ideally, by his/her whole family but at least by one of his/her parents.
Just as with the child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development, this development of faith is a gradual one and unique to him/her and can take an extended length of time.
If you are considering this, and/or would like more information, please contact the Parish Office
Ph: 3356 7155 or by email to [email protected]
