BAPTISM 

Who to contact for Baptism

To register your child in our next Baptism Preparation Program, please use the on-line registration form below or contact the Baptism Coordinator.

 Schedule of Baptisms

Baptisms are celebrated four times a year.  They usually take place during our Sunday Masses (Saturday evening at 5:00 pm and Sunday mornings at 9:00 am or 11:00 am) so that the entire community may be present and the relationship between baptism and the Eucharist may be clearly seen.   

Before the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism, parents are required to attend Baptism Preparation Sessions  on two Tuesday evenings from 7:30 p.m. until about 9:00 p.m.

The Baptism schedule for the upcoming year is as follows:

Baptism Date Preparation Sessions Dates
2025:
February 1st & 2nd		 January 21st & 28th at 7:30pm
May 24th & 25th May 13th & 20th at 7:30pm
June 28th & 29th June 17th & 24th at 7:30pm
September 27th, 28th weekend. September 16th, 23rd at 7:30pm
   

How do we prepare for Baptism?

The celebration of Baptism doesn’t just happen!

There is a fair bit of preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism. The following is a brief overview of the process, when it comes to an infant or a young child:

  • Parents contact the parish with the request to have their child baptized;
  • One or two members of the “Baptism Team” visit the parents at home, at which time the parents will be given some preparatory material to study and review; then,
  • Over two consecutive Tuesday evenings, all parents will meet at the church:
    •  to reflect on the experience of pregnancy and birth, on being a child of God, being called by name by God;
    •  to reflect on Jesus Christ who, as a New Moses, leads us through his death and resurrection to life in fullness with God
    • to reflect on being filled with God’s Spirit of Holiness and on becoming members of the Church. Where possible, godparents are present for this evening.

Guidelines for the selection of godparents sponsors

As a Catholic parish, we need to follow the Code of Canon Law in all Sacramental requirements. The people you choose as your child’s godparents need to be:

  • at least 16 years of age
  • A baptized Roman Catholic who has been confirmed and received Holy Communion
  • In good standing with the Catholic Church.
  • Is not the biological or adoptive father or mother of the child to be baptized
  • One male or one female sponsor or one of each.

Non-Catholic Christians may participate in the Catholic rites of Baptism, but they cannot serve as a godparent. They are referred to as “Christian witnesses” in the official record of the baptism. As with godparents, Christian witnesses are expected to foster the faith received by the child from the Church at Baptism.

Non-baptized individuals cannot serve as a godparent or witness to the baptism.

What about Baptism for an older child or adult?

There is much diversity in the route which leads to Baptism today. Most people are baptized as infants, but we also receive requests for Baptism from school-aged children, teenagers, and adults. If you are interested in learning more about Baptism, we invite you to meet with us so that we might work out a journey of preparation which allows you to be accompanied by members of our faith community, to ask questions, to listen to the Word of God, and to celebrate the sacraments of initiation to the Christian life: Baptism, Confirmation and participation in the Eucharist. The place to start is by contacting the parish office by telephone (819-684-6926) or by e-mail. 

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