Baptism

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The Sacrament of Baptism

“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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door that 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 necessary for salvation.

Infant Baptism at St. Helen’s

Parents are obliged to see to it that infants are baptized within the first weeks after birth. As soon as possible after the birth, or even before it, parents are to go to the parish office and to request the sacrament for their child. Parents must properly prepare for the celebration of their child’s baptism and those parents anticipating baptism of a child should meet these basic requirements:

	Register the child for baptism in the parish office during regular office hours. A copy of the birth certificate must be presented at the time of the registration. The date and time of the actual baptism will be set at the time of registration.
	It is customary in the Catholic Church to have one godfather and one godmother. Only one godparent is necessary. Godparents must be Catholic who are baptized, confirmed, and have made First Holy Communion. Godparents must be at least 16 years of age.
	The parents and godparents of the child must attend baptismal preparation class before the baptismal date. Failure to attend class will result in postponement of the child’s baptism.
	Godparents who are Catholic but are not married in a Catholic Church (civil marriage) or who are ‘living together’ (cohabitation) are required to contact the priest about validation of their marriage. Date of class will be given at the time of registration.

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