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Baptism of Children FAQ
(For information on Baptism of Adults please go to the Becoming Catholic? page.)
Welcoming a child into the Catholic community of our Parish through the Sacrament of Baptism is our solemn privilege, pleasure and responsibility. The following gives guidance on how to get your child baptised at St John Vianney. First steps...... If you would like to arrange for your child to be baptised or require further information on Baptism please speak to Fr Des who is available after Mass. Click to set custom HTML
Who can be baptised?
Baptism can only be administered when at least one parent is a Catholic. If the other parent is not a Catholic, they are under no obligation to assist in the Catholic upbringing of the child, though of course it can be a great help if they do. Baptism cannot be repeated, and Baptism carried out by most Christian denominations is normally recognised as valid by the Catholic Church. Who can be a Godparent to my child?
You will be required to choose at least one godparent to assist in the Catholic upbringing of the child, but you can choose to have two if you wish. The godparent should normally be 16 or over and a practising Catholic who has been Confirmed and made their First Holy Communion. Baptised non-Catholic Christians can be witnesses in addition to the Catholic godparent. If you cannot find a suitable godparent yourself, the parish priest can nominate someone. If the godparent cannot attend the baptism, they can act by proxy. When is baptism celebrated?
Baptisms at St John Vianney are celebrated on the third Sunday of the month at 12.30pm. The normal length of a baptism service is approximately 30 minutes. Can I have my child’s baptism celebrated in another parish?
Baptism is normally celebrated in the parish you reside in. It is the expectation that this is the regular parish community that you worship with. If you wish to have your child baptised in another parish, permission for this to take place must be obtained from your parish priest. I have an older child who needs to be baptised. What do I do?
Children over the age of seven will undergo preparation for baptism differently, through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children. Please contact Fr Des for more information about this. |