Baptism
Contact: Martha Mahoney, ext. 21 email: mmahoney@churchofpresentation.org
The Sacrament
The Baptism of a child is an event not restricted to an individual family celebration or tradition. A child's Baptism is no less than the community which is the Church, the People of God, giving birth to itself. Because Baptism is a sacrament communal in nature, we do not offer “private Baptisms.” We do limit the number of babies at each celebration.
We celebrate Baptism on the average of two to three times per month, either on a Saturday (usually at noon), or Sunday (usually at 1 p.m.). There are no Baptisms during Lent. The Baptism celebration lasts approximately one hour 15 minutes.
Parishioners
Because Baptism is initiation into our Catholic Christian community, we require that your family to have a formal connection to our community by registering as parishioners in order that we may serve you better. Contact Martha to register.
Baptism Preparation Session
If you are new parents and/or have not had Baptism preparation before at this parish, both parents must attend Baptism preparation, held monthly in one of the meeting rooms at the Church. While not required, the godparents are welcome to attend. You’re welcome to bring your baby .
Rehearsal
There is typically a rehearsal the Friday evening immediately prior to the baptism.
Guest Participation
There are a total of three readings for which volunteer lectors are asked to read. Most families welcome the opportunity to have one of their guests take an active role in the celebration.
Godparents
The role of godparent goes back to the days when most adult converts to the Christian faith did not usually have Christian parents. Godparents spoke up for the baptized person and, if necessary, helped him or her to grow in the faith. Today, we understand that the parents are the primary religious educators in the faith, with the godparents setting an example and providing support.
The Church requires that at least one godparent, or sponsor, be a practicing Catholic who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation, whose primary role remains that of supporting the parents in bringing up the child in the Christian faith. But most parents choose two. When this happens, provided one godparent is Catholic, it is certainly allowable for a non-Catholic baptized Christian to act as a witness to the Baptism. We do not require any documentation from the godparents as to their faith or standing. We trust our parents’ ability to make good decisions for their children.
Having two godparents of the same sex is not technically possible, but one can be the "official" godparent for the sake of the record book, and one can be the "honorary" one (you don't have to tell either which is which). Having more than two godparents is also not technically possible. However, again, one can be "honorary" godparent and you needn't tell who is and who isn't. Just tell Martha, so that she can record the information for the parish records. Non-Christians, unfortunately, cannot serve as sponsors for Baptism, since they themselves are not baptized. However, you can certainly invite a non-Christian to have a special place in your child's life and share with your child his or her own faith tradition.
Directions to the Church: Click here for directions.
Fees
There is an offering of $75 for the Sacrament of Baptism.
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