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Infant BaptismA gift of grace and faith for your child
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Why baptise your child?
Baptism is the first sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. It is a sign of God's love and mercy for us, and a gift of his grace that enables us to share in his life. Baptism also makes us members of the Body of Christ, the Church, and calls us to participate in its mission in the world.
As parents, you have the privilege and responsibility of bringing your child to baptism. You are the first teachers of your child in the ways of faith, and you have the duty of helping them grow in their relationship with God. By baptising your child, you are expressing your desire to pass on the gift of faith to them, and to join them in their journey of discipleship.
We are here to support you and to walk with you as a parish community. We want to share with you the joy and the hope that baptism brings to your child and to your family.
What does baptism involve?
Baptism is a celebration of the community of faith, the Church. It is not a private, family event, but a public and communal one. The whole parish community will share in the joy of your child's baptism.
The baptism ceremony involves several symbols and actions that express the meaning and effects of the sacrament. These include:
- Water: Water is poured over the head of the child three times, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Water symbolises cleansing, renewal, and new life.
- Oil: Oil is used to anoint the child on the chest and on the crown of the head. Oil symbolises strength, healing, and consecration.
- White garment: The child is clothed in a white garment, which symbolises purity, dignity, and new identity as a child of God.
- Candle: A candle is lit from the Easter candle and given to the parents or godparents. The candle symbolises the light of Christ, which the child is called to follow and share with others.
How can I prepare for my child's baptism?
If you wish to have your child baptised in our parish, you need to apply and register for the baptism preparation programme, both of which can be done online at the bottom of this page.. The programme consists of two sessions. In the first, you will learn more about the meaning and implications of baptism, and meet other parents who are preparing for the same sacrament. The second tkes place during the Sunday Mass when your child will be introduced to the parish community and your whole family receive a special blessing.
You will need to choose godparents for your child, who will accompany you and your child in the baptism ceremony and in their faith journey. The godparents must be baptised and confirmed Catholics, who are practising their faith and are willing to support you and your child in living a Christian life. They must be at least 16 years old, and not the parents of the child. You can choose one or two godparents, of the same or different sex.
We look forward to welcoming you and your child into our parish family, and to celebrating this joyful occasion with you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help you and to pray for you.
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FAQs
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Children can be baptised from birth and the Catholic Church strongly recommends that parents do not overly delay in seeking baptism for their new-born babies. Most children are baptised within the first few months after their birth.
Sometimes older children, before they start school, or sometimes after they start school ask for baptism as well.
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Sometimes people who are brought up in the Catholic faith drift away for one reason or another. The birth of a child is often an opportunity for parents to reflect on what is truly important in life and the type of lifestyle and values in which they plan to raise their child. For some people that leads them to return to the practice of the faith of their childhood. If that is you then please know you are very welcome at Our Lady of Mercy! We hope and pray that you find in us a community in which your family can worship and grow in discipleship of Jesus Christ.
It is also the case that parents seek baptism for their child without wanting to practice the faith themselves. Perhaps because one of the parents is from a different Christian denomination or of a different religion, or for another reason altogether. When you have your child baptised part of the ceremony requires you to make a solemn promise before God that you will raise your child in the practice of the faith. At Our Lady of Mercy we want to help you make that promise fully informed of what it means and support you to keep it. If you think this might describe your situation then contact us and we can talk together and decide what is the best way forward.
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The baptism of their child is an important celebration for the parents and they naturally want to invite as many family and friends as possible to take part. One of the ways they do this is by inviting certain people to assume the role of godparent.
The godparents support the parents in raising the child in the practice of the Christian faith, and during the baptism ceremony make a solemn vow to God to be faithful to this commitment.
In the Catholic Church you can have up to two godparents. If there is one godparent, they can be either male or female; if there are two godparents then one must be male and the other female.
To be a godparent, you must be Roman Catholic, be baptised, confirmed and regularly receiving Holy Communion. You must also be older than 16 years.
Sometimes the parents will want to invite others to take a special part in the baptism of their child, but they are unable to fulfil the conditions above for being a godparent. In this case you can invite them to be a witness to the baptism, there is no limit on the people you can ask to be witness, but there must always be at least one godparent. Please also know that only the name of the godparent(s) will be put in the baptism register and appear on the baptism certificate.
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At Our Lady of Mercy Parish we have no influence over school admissions. For us, baptism is an invitation for a family to enter into a relationship of faith and love with Jesus Christ within the context of our Catholic Christian community. Receiving a Catholic Education may be part of that, but it is not essential.
Enquiries about admission to schools are best directed to the individual school; however, we would be happy to discuss your child's baptism with you at any time.
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You can use the link below to fill in an application form online, or you can collect a form from Church or the parish office.
When we have received your application one of our volunteers who help families with baptism will contact you. Usually, before a date can be set, we will ask the parents to attend some preparation sessions. These sessions help the parents understand more about the baptism ceremony and the meaning of the promises they will take on their child's behalf.
If you have any general enquiries about baptism, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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In the Catholic Church you are normally baptised in the parish within which you live - your 'home' parish. Sometimes exceptions are made if the parents, while living outside the parish, still attend Mass in the parish. Normally, however, people from outisde the parish are directed to their own parish.
If you have any questions about this one of the priests or catechists will be able to help you.
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Like all sacraments, the preparation session and the baptism are provided at no cost. Families are encouraged to consider making a donation to the parish; a suggested amount is around £30. However, this should not be a barrier to your child's baptism. Should you wish to discuss this, a priest or a baptism catechist would be pleased to talk with you.
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Apply for Infant BaptismYou'll need to fill in both an on-line application form and register for a baptism preparation session. -
Joining the Catholic ChurchIf you are thinking about baptism for yourself, or you are already baptised in another Christian tradition and would like to join the Catholic Church we'd love to welcome you!To learn more, click the button below.