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Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
John 3:5
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, 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 and in the word.”Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213
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A Command from Jesus
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus commanded his disciples to baptise all people. When we bring our children for baptism or ask for baptism for ourselves as adults, we are fulfilling Jesus' command.
In the Sacrament of Baptism, a person is reborn as a child of God, their sins are forgiven and their soul is filled with grace. Baptism confers the virtues of faith, hope and love.
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A New Creation
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:3-4
A baptised person is given many spiritual gifts:
- The gift of belief in God, hope in God and love of God;
- The gift of living under the power and the prompting of the Holy Spirit;
- The gift of living and growing in goodness and the moral virtues.
A baptised person is made a member of the Church: the body of Christ and enjoys a bond with all Christians throughout the world and throughout the ages, a bond that extends into the next world.
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At baptism, the preist or deacon prays over the water:
Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism. By the power of the Holy Spirit give to this water the grace of your Son, so that in the sacrament of baptism all those whom you have created in your likeness may be cleansed from sin and rise to a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit.
Christian Initiation of Adults
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Symbols used at Baptism
Water – When John the Baptist baptisted Jesus at the River Jordan, he poured water over him. The pouring of water at baptism recalls Jesus' own baptism. Water symbolises cleansing, renewal and life: all of which are given to us at baptsim: our sins are wahed away and we start a new life in Christ.
Oil – At his baptism, the Holy Spirit was poured upon Jesus and he was anointed “priest, prophet and king.” Holy oil is used to anoint the person being baptised to remind then they too are imitators of Christ, heirs to the Kingdom of God and sharers in his mission.
Light – Every Easter a large candle, called the Paschal Candle is blessed and lit and a symbol and reminder of Christ's resurrection adn victory over death. At baptsim a candle is lit from the Paschal Candle and given to the newly baptised. It symbolises the gift of faith and our work to share the light of Christ in the world.
White garment – St Paul tells us to 'put on Christ'. A white garmet is wrapped around the person being baptised to symbolise they have have become a new creation in Christ and now share in his victory over death. At the funeral of a Christian, a large white cloth is placed over the coffin as a reminder of the promise of eternal life given at baptism.
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Infant Baptism at Our Lady of Mercy Parish
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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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Apply for Infant Baptism
Click on the link below to fill in an on-line application.
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Joining the Catholic CHurch
If 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.
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