The Sacrament of Baptism

Congratulations

The Catholic Community of Our Lady of the Rosary congratulates you on the birth of your child. Already, you have experienced some wonderful  moments in the life of your child. Birth is a new beginning. Part of this beginning is your choice to present your child for Baptism. At Baptism we are joined to Christ in and through the community of believers.

What happens at Baptism

As parents, you are given the responsibility of taking care of the natural life of your child. At Baptism, you take on the responsibility of looking after the spiritual life of your child. Hence, you are asked to consider carefully what this choice means. The Baptism ritual celebrates the beginning of our journey into the Christian community. Each baptised person is being helped not only to live a good life here on earth, but to prepare him/herself for a life with God which is the purpose for which God created us. Your home is where your faith is first nurtured through the example of your personal and family  prayer-life. Your regular participation at Mass and reception of the sacraments is your way of bringing your children to a sense of belonging to a community of faith where their own faith is At Baptism, you also commit yourself to present your child for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion, and Confirmation when they are ready to receive these sacraments.

Baptism Ceremony

During the Baptism ritual, Parents and Godparents will state their own personal faith in Christ and His Church through the Baptismal promises. You will promise to make every effort to pass on this faith to your child. You will undertake the responsibility to instruct your child carefully in the knowledge of the faith and to be examples of how good Christians should live. If in the past, you have not been faithful to your spiritual life in the Church, this is the time to renew your faith and to rededicate yourself to a life with Christ in and through the Christian community. Essentially, in the Sacrament of  Baptism, you as parents begin to nourish your child through your example, together with the example of your child’s Godparents.

Are you from another parish?

Normally, Baptism should be celebrated in one’s own parish, for it is in your home parish that your child’s faith is nourished and strengthened in the long-term. If you are from another parish, you are welcome to have your child baptised at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, as long as your local Parish Priest fills in and signs the standard Permission Letter and returns it to the Parish Office. Essential to this letter is the permission from your local Parish.
Priest stating that he is aware that your child is to be baptised in this Parish, and that he has prepared you for your child’s Baptism.

Baptism Preparation

You are expected to attend a Baptism Preparation evening if you wish your child to be Baptised at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish. The purpose of this program is to help you to understand more about what the Sacrament of Baptism means to you and to your child. We encourage both parents to be present at the Baptism Preparation Program and we strongly encourage the godparents to also attend. The Baptism Preparation Program takes place at 7:00 PM on the designated day of the month in the Parish Meeting Room. The preparation evening will be a chance for you to connect with other  families in the Parish and help you to understand the community aspect of this sacrament. Best wishes and God’s blessings as you prepare for this very special day.

Godparents:

When choosing a Godparent, at least one of them must be a fully initiated Catholic (Baptised, Confirmed and have received the blessed Eucharist), over the age of 16 and not one of the parents. It is customary to have 2 Godparents: one male; and one female. If it is part of your culture to have more than 2 Godparents, you need to designate two for the parish records. The Godparents are encouraged to attend the Baptism Preparation evening with the parents, as they have an important role in helping to foster the spiritual life of the child.

Candles:

A Baptismal Candle will be used for one part of the ceremony. Kindly bring a white candle to be used as the Baptismal candle.

Clothing:

A white garment is customary so the child should wear something white.

Baptismal Name:

In most cases your child’s first name is also his or her Baptismal name. Some parents choose a second name (preferably the name of a saint) which is the child’s Baptismal Name.

Offering:

It is customary on the occasion of Baptism for an offering to be made to the parish. You may use the envelope provided for this offering.

Things to do

To apply for Baptism at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish you need to contact the Parish Office to receive an application form. If you wish, you can call the office and we can send you an electronic copy or call Parish office on 9724 5997. You need to fill out this form and bring it to the Parish Office along with a copy of your child’s birth certificate attached. Copies can be made in the office and the original given back to you. You will need to choose a date for the Baptism and for the Baptism Preparation Program which precedes the Baptism ceremony. Baptisms take place on the first Sunday of each month and part of the ceremony takes place during the 10:30 AM Mass. The remainder of the ceremony takes place after 10:30 Mass.

Form


2 Weston Street
Fairfield NSW 2165
Phone: 9724 5997
Email: [email protected]