Baptism

When you choose to baptize your child, you should fully understand what baptism is truly about and that you intend to live the Catholic life in such a way that your child will grow in faith and love and come to know the Lord Jesus. This is why parents and godparents prepare for baptism with the parish priest.

When bringing your child to the parish to be baptized, we must affirm you are a faith-filled member of good standing; you share regularly at the Sunday liturgy; you accept the teachings of the Catholic Church; and you are committed to a way of life that is guided by the Gospel of Jesus, valuing prayer and service to others.

Baptism is a sign of our unity with Christ's community, and a witness to our desire to be a disciple of Christ. In baptism, we become a new creation, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, sharing in God's own life. We are formed into God's people and are incorporated into the Body of Christ.

"The mark of baptism is indelible; there is nothing we can do to lose the promise of salvation gained for us in those holy waters, though it is the beauty of the Church which offers us more sign posts along the way to the salvation to keep us on the right path. These are the other sacraments. We gain access to these sacraments through our entrance into the bod y of Christ at our baptism and we are reminded of that baptism each time we bless ourselves at the entrance of Church in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen" (from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati website)

The Godparents' role:

It is the duty and privilege of Catholic parents to pass on the gift of faith to their newly baptized child, and likewise, it is the duty and privilege of godparents to assist the parents with this all important task.

To be a godparent, the person must be a fully initiated Catholic, one who is baptized and has received the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. In order to be a sufficient maturity and capacity, the godparent must be at least 16 years of age. And very importantly, it should be a person "who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on" or, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, the godparents "must be firm believers."

There are several other considerations. There may be one or two godparents: one male sponsor, the godfather; or the one female sponsor, the godmother; or one of each. According to the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, "A sponsor who is married must be married in accord with the laws of the Church." Additionally, canon law states that a baptized person from a different Christian denomination may only serve as a witness and not as a godparent. A parent may not be the godparent of this or her own child, and anyone bound by a canonical penalty may not serve as a godparent.

Freed from Sin

Baptism frees us from the bondage of original and actual sin. Water is poured in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Today, the sacrament of baptism is often performed on infants, shortly after birth. Adult baptisms take place at the Easter Vigil through the restored Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Adults or children who have been baptized in a valid Christian church are not baptized again in the Catholic church. As we say in the Nicene Creed, “I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins…”

The Catechism teaches:

"The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ" (CCC 1279).

Baptismal Symbols

• Water – The waters of baptism recall Jesus’ own baptism by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. Water is a symbol of cleansing and renewal as we begin a new life in Christ. We are washed clean of sin.

• Oil – At baptism we are anointed into the life of Christ as “priest, prophet and king.” A cross is traced on the candidate’s forehead as a reminder that we are inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

• Light – The baptismal candle is lit from the Paschal or Easter candle that stands in the church as a sign of Christ’s light in the world. At baptism, we receive the light of Christ and are called forth to share this light with the world.

• White garment – The white garment that is placed upon us at baptism is a symbol of Christ’s victory over death and his glorious resurrection. Likewise, the white garment or pall that is placed over the coffin at the time of death recalls our baptismal promises and reminds us that we are destined for eternal life.

While in ordinary circumstances, sacraments in the Catholic Church are administered validly by a member of the ordained clergy, in an emergency situation, the sacrament of baptism can be administered by anyone.

In case of necessity, any person can baptize provided that he have the intention of doing that which the Church does and provided that he pour water on the candidates head while saying: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (CCC 1284).