 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
Baptism
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),[4] and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons 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)
Preparation for Baptism
In dealing the Baptism the Church distinguished between Infants (those under the age of seven) and Other Persons.
Any person who has reached the age of reason (7 years old) receives all three sacraments of initiation ( Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) in a single celebration. For their preparation the parish provides two programs:Infant Baptism:
The Code of Canon Law requires that there be a well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion. This foundation of this hope is normally the active participation of the parents in the parish.
Parents who wish to have their child (below the age of six) receive the sacrament of baptism are asked to attend the one evening preparation class. At leaset one parent must be an active parishioner for at least 3 months before a child may be baptized. Consult the Calendar for the date of the next class. As part of the preparation for the baptism of your child, the parents are asked to select the godparents.Godparents:
It is the duty of the godparents to assist the parents in their duty to raise the child in the practice of the faith.
Each person being baptized must have one godparent, they may have two: a godfather and a godmother. In order to serve as a godparent a person must themselves:- have received all three sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist),
- be at least 16 years of age,
- be leading a life in harmony with the faith and role to be undertaken. A godparent must be a practicing Catholic who goes to mass on Sunday, receives the sacraments regularly, and sees to the religious instruction of his/her family.
- a letter of elegibility from the godparent's pastor is required if the godparent is a member of another parish.
The father or mother of the person being baptized may not serve as a godparent.
If there is a baptized non-Catholic Christian to whom the parents wish to give a special role in the baptism, they may serve as a Christian Witness. If you have questions please contact either Eva Warner or Fr. David.