Baptism Preparation

We Are Glad You Are Considering This

We are glad you are considering the Sacrament of Baptism for your child. Baptism is “the foundation of the whole Christian life” and “the gateway to life in the Spirit.” Through Baptism, we are freed from sin, reborn as children of God, incorporated into Christ and His Church, and welcomed into the life of the Christian community. (CCC 1231)

Baptism is more than a ceremony or family tradition. It is the beginning of a lifelong journey with Christ and our entrance into the New Covenant—a covenant of grace, communion, and faithful discipleship.

“Through baptism they may be reborn as children of God and receive the gift of faith.” —Pope Francis, Lumen Fidei, 43.

 Your Role as Parents

Because infants cannot yet profess the faith personally, parents and godparents make the baptismal promises on their behalf. You are asking the Church to welcome your child and promising to help your child grow in the Catholic faith.

This includes teaching your child to pray, participating in Sunday Mass, learning the teachings of Christ and His Church, and seeking to live as a disciple. The Church asks for a sincere and realistic commitment to provide this Christian upbringing. (Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Instruction on Infant Baptism. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1980.)

Baptism preparation is therefore more than an administrative requirement, a “rite of passage”, or a cultural or peer appeasement. It is an opportunity to reflect on the promises you will make and on the lifelong responsibility of bringing your family and self to God, ultimately in the end but also daily.

A Note About the Celebration of Sacraments

The Church safeguards the sacraments and those who receive them because the sacraments are not private religious symbols or assurances of salvation. They are powerful, personal, and sacred actions of Christ. Their celebration:

• Requires reverence and fidelity to the Church’s liturgical practice;
• Calls for the proper dispositions and openness of heart;
• Protects the unity of the Church, the clarity of her teaching, and the spiritual good of the faithful.

For this reason, the sacraments are to be received with the dispositions required for valid, licit, and fruitful reception.

The International Theological Commission explains:

“The reception of the sacraments can be valid or invalid, fruitful or fruitless.… What is decisive is the positive disposition to receive what the sacrament signifies. Each fruitful reception of a sacrament is a communicative act and thus part of the dialogue between Christ and the individual believer.”

The Baltimore Catechism describes the “right dispositions” as “the proper motives and the fulfillment of all the conditions required by God and the Church for the worthy reception of the Sacraments.”

For infant Baptism, this disposition is expressed primarily through the parents’ and godparents’ willingness to accept the responsibilities of Christian formation. The Church seeks a well-founded hope that the grace received in Baptism will be nurtured through family life and participation in the Church. (Commission, International Theological. The Reciprocity between Faith and Sacraments in the Sacramental Economy. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2020.)

Continuing Formation

Baptism begins a lifelong process of formation. Children baptized as infants must later be formed in the faith so that they can personally embrace the faith into which they were baptized.

After a child reaches the age of reason, it may be necessary for the child to participate in the Order of Christian Initiation of Children (OCIC) or another appropriate formation process. This enables the parish to fulfill its responsibility to provide adequate formation and to help ensure that the child is properly prepared and disposed for any subsequent sacramental reception.

This is not intended as a punishment or barrier. It is a way of accompanying the child patiently and responsibly toward a personal relationship with Christ and an informed participation in the life of the Church, allowing for that right disposition to make the sacrament fruitful.

Register for Baptism Preparation

Baptism preparation sessions are offered on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Sessions are held virtually by teams or in the Church Narthex Library and are facilitated by trained parishioner couples.

Both parents are encouraged to participate, whether Catholic or not. Pre-registration is required.

Register for Baptism Preparation

Please request a Baptism date at least one month before the desired celebration date. Baptisms are typically celebrated during one Sunday Mass each month. Baptisms are not ordinarily celebrated during Lent.

Online Baptism Registration Form

Preparation Resources
Please review the following resources before attending the session.
Introduction
Video: Introduction to Catholic Baptism
Understanding the Sacrament
Catholic Baptism Video Playlist
For a simpler presentation of similar material:
Video: Raising Holy Children
Video: The Ultimate Guide to Catholic Baptism
Theological Background
Video: Baptism in the Bible
Video: Biblical Background on Baptism
For a deeper study of Baptism in Scripture, theology, and Christian life consider this faith study guide: Vivat Agnus Dei: Baptism
Parents Helping New Parents

Baptism preparation facilitators accompany parents before their child’s Baptism. Facilitators are generally parishioner couples, though others may also serve in this ministry.

If you enjoy working with families and helping them begin their children’s sacramental journey, please contact Carter Carruthers in the Religious Education Office at 402-558-1898.

 

Contact Carter Carruthers,  Faith Formation Office, 402-558-1898