Saint Malachy Parish - Baptism Guide

Saint Malachy Parish - Liturgical GuideSeries

The Celebration of Infant Baptism

The celebration of Baptism is a most joyful andproud moment in the life of the Church. For adults seeking membership inthe community of believers, it is a time of conversion, faith and commitmentexpressed and ratified in the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmationand the Eucharist. For infants, it is no less a time of conversion, faithand commitment but the reference point now is the parents of the one tobe baptized and, by extension, the larger community of the church. We areextremely happy that you are considering Saint Malachy Parish as the communitywhere your child will be welcomed into the church and where her/his faithwill be nurtured in the coming years. As you contemplate the baptism ofyour child, we are glad to share a few ideas and invite you into a processof thoughtful preparation.

Baptism introduces your child to the mystery ofchurch. Through this sacrament your child first relates to the church, themystical body of Christ, the local worshipping community. Too often, thissense of church as a major factor in baptism has been but a pale backdropto what is perceived as primarily a private family event. At Saint MalachyParish, both our preparation for and actual celebration of baptism striveto develop and affirm this larger communal sense of the sacrament. It isfor this reason that we expect those who present their children for baptismto be worshipping members of the parish. It is for this reason that ourpreparation program brings together a number of families in a setting tomeet, discuss and pray with each other. For this same reason we often schedulebaptism during mass on certain Sundays of the year, i.e. when the largerparish community can be present. In what follows we will lay out a typicalscenario for infant baptism.

First Steps: Either during pregnancy or shortlyafter the birth of your child you should make contact with the parish toindicate your interest in having your child baptized at Saint Malachy Parish.Usually this is by way of a phone call but please feel free to talk withone of the staff right after weekend mass. Since all sacraments are actionsof the church, those presenting their children for baptism are expectedto be believers [at least one of the parents] and members of a particularchurch [parish]. If you are not registered in the parish we will spend sometime talking with you when we meet with you in person [see below] aboutwhat parish membership means and ask you to formally register in the parish.

It often happens that the birth of a child is thefirst contact that a young couple have had with the church in a long time.If this is your case, be assured that we want to extend to you our congratulationson the birth of your child and our sincere welcome should you decide tojoin Saint Malachy Parish. Joining a parish is more than filling out a form.Joining a parish means bonding with other believers especially through regularparticipation in Sunday worship, lifelong learning and ministry. Soon afteryou make contact with the parish you will be invited to meet with the pastor,pastoral associate or other staff person who will extend the parish's greetingsand attempt to answer any questions you may have about the sacrament orthe parish and how you can begin to feel more at home at Saint Malachy's.We prefer to meet with young parents in person, preferably after the massyou usually attend on the weekend, so that we can get to know you a littlebetter.

The Preparation: After this initial meeting, youwill be invited to join with a staff person and host couple who will conducta one afternoon preparation session in the church. The session begins withattendance at the 12 noon Sunday liturgy during which the child to be baptizedis signed with the cross. A special blessing is prayed over the children,parents and godparents towards the end of the mass. Afterwards, a lightlunch is served and then, for the next hour or so, parents and godparentsmeet with the other new parents in a context of reflection and prayer. Thestaff person and host couple will explore with the participants the meaningof baptism, the ensuing roles for the parents and godparents in the religiousdevelopment of the child, the role of the parish in the ongoing life ofthe family, etc. The session is intended to be informal, friendly and informative.In addition to attending this preparation session, you will at some pointbe asked to fill out a form listing some of the pertinent information thechurch will need to register your child's baptism. This includes the namesof both the parents and godparents, the child's date of birth, etc. Sincein the Catholic Church one's baptismal record is of lifelong significance[all future sacraments including marriage are recorded on your church ofbaptisms registry], this information is very important. Regarding godparents,at least one should be a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic who is activelya member of the church. The second person, should you choose to have one,may be a Protestant Christian who, again, is actively involved in his/herchurch. Asking nonbelievers or inactive Christians to be godparents putsthem in a compromised position of publicly having to affirm what they donot really believe or practice. It is important to view the godparent'srole as far more than a social convention. The godparent is a witness toa life of Christian faith, prayer and service.

The Celebration: We regularly schedule baptismsabout ten times a year either during one of the Sunday masses or on a Sundayafternoon. On rare occasions [illness in the family, relatives travelinga long distance who are not able to be present on a regularly scheduledSunday, etc.] we will try to celebrate baptism at a different time. Experiencehas shown, however, that baptism during mass with festive music, robustritual and a supportive congregation is far more beautiful and engagingthan a private family ceremony.

While many of the details regarding the actual celebrationwill be covered in the preparation session, we mention just a few salientfeatures here. Family and friends of those to be baptized arrive early andare seated near the front of the church. All are asked to participate fullyin the liturgy by attentively listening to the readings, fervently prayingand joyfully singing the hymns and liturgical responses. The families areintroduced at the beginning of the service to the congregation by the couplewho have led the preparation session. After the readings and homily, theprayers of the faithful and the litany of the saints are sung by all. Thereafter,water is poured and blessed for the baptism. The parents and godparents,along with the entire congregation, are invited to profess their faith byresponding in song to the questions of the creed. The children are thenbathed in the water [baptized] and rubbed with chrism oil [anointed] infront of all the church. At this point, in one of the most touching aspectsof our baptismal ritual, the child is held aloft by the parents while thecongregation sings the acclamation You are God's great work of art fashionedwith great love. Children and parents thereupon proceed to the sacristywhere the children are dressed in their baptismal garment. Upon reenteringthe main body of the church the families are given a baptismal candle toremind them that the light of faith is meant to be kept burning brightlyfor the rest of the child's life.

We hope that this thumbnail sketch of the preparationand celebration of baptism at Saint Malachy Parish is a help to you as youcontemplate the baptism of your child. As a parish we share your joy andgratitude for the gift of new life in our midst. As you baptize your child,we earnestly pray that we may be a worthy community of support, exampleand prayer for you and your family in the years ahead.