Early in the Baptism ceremony the priest says “The Christian Community welcomes you with great joy.” This is the core theme and meaning of the ceremony.
The Sacrament of Baptism
In the Sacraments we meet Jesus. Baptism is a Sacrament. Sacraments use familiar, everyday things, (like water, oil, bread, movement) to make real for us the presence of Jesus. Each day we use words and signs to communicate with one another. God also communicates with us in the sacraments through words and signs. The signs used in Baptism are water, oil, white garment and light.
When someone is baptised, that person is joyfully made a child of God, a brother or sister of Christ, and a member of the people of God, the Church.
“The Christian Community welcomes you with great joy.”
In our Parish our Ceremonies are limited to three families. As you can appreciate this brings its own enrichment to the celebration. Please find below important details to ensure the celebration is one of dignity and respect.
- Baby should be dressed in white.
- Baptismal Candle (New candle for each baby/child).
- White blanket / Shawl.
Godparents
When choosing Godparents for your child we would like to advise the following according to the Law of the Church, Canon Law (872-5):
A person to be baptised is to be given a sponsor (Godparent) who, together with the parents, presents an infant/child for baptism.
A sponsor also helps the baptised person to lead a Christian life in keeping with Baptism and to fulfil faithfully the obligations inherent in it.
There should only be one sponsor (Godparent) or if there are to be two, they should be male and female.
To be permitted to take on the function of a Godparent a person must:
- Be over 16 years of age,
- Be a Catholic who has been Confirmed and has already received the Sacrament of the Eucharist and leads a life of faith.
Baptism Preparation
When preparing for Baptism parents are also required to attend our Parish Baptism Preparation meeting. These meetings take place on the first Tuesday of the month from February to November.
If you would like to be included in our Parish Baptism Diary or if you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Carol in our parish office on 01-8412647 or e-mail secretary@sjparish.ie.
We look forward to starting this wonderful journey of faith with you and your family.