“Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
Matthew 28:19
Baptism – The First Sacrament
We are delighted that you are interested in having your child(ren) baptized at Saint Gregory the Great Parish. Please review the information provided on this page and contact our office should you have any questions or need clarification.
Baptism marks the formal beginning of an infant’s Christian life, Without Baptism there can be no sharing in the other sacraments. Baptism is “the gateway to life in the Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213), No longer an “outsider,” this child will be an “insider,” a member of the Body of Christ, a person filled with God’s own life.
Like the other sacraments, Baptism causes and signifies a powerful moment of creation in a person’s relationship with God. The moment of entrance can come at any time; as an adult or as an infant . The journey toward God begins whenever someone is welcomed as a member of his faithful people.
The baptized child grows in faith in light of the example and formation given by parents, godparents and the whole community of faith. Gradually the individual child himself says “I believe.”
For this grace to take root, Baptism must be remembered as more than a special moment in childhood, neatly recorded in the baby book. The nature of Baptism as sacrament has to be continually savoured , explored and rediscovered by child and parent alike.
Baptism Check List
Parents are responsible for bringing their child to the Sacrament of Baptism as soon after birth as possible. Except in case of necessity, the church is the usual place of baptism.
In order that a child be baptized, it is necessary that the parents consent, or at least one of them, or someone legally standing in their place, and that there is well founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith.
If your residence is outside of our parish boundaries, you maybe required to approach the Pastor of your parish and request a Letter Of Permission for Baptism in another parish. This requirement respects the reality that pastors normally have sacramental jurisdiction only over their own parishioners. Therefore, when one seeks a sacrament outside of one’s parish, the proper pastor’s permission is necessary. Furthermore, the invitation to connect with one’s own proper parish first is founded on the hope that the faith-life of the family and of the one(s) to be baptized will be lived in community and not in isolation.
Baptism Information and Registration Package
You are asked to pickup a Baptism Information and Registration Package from either our Baptism display in the Narthex (front vestibule) of the church (before or after weekend Mass) or from our parish office (on weekdays during office hours.) The information found in this package will assist you in completing the steps necessary to have your child baptized. Once you have decided on a date for baptism please contact our parish office at 519-623-3111 to discuss next steps.
Baptism Dates
We normally hold the Rite of Baptism of Children monthly on the 2nd Sunday. The rite begins at 3:00pm. Please call the parish office for dates and to register.
Baptism Preparation
It is a requirement of the Church that parents who intend presenting a child(ren) for Baptism be prepared by attending a Baptism Preparation Meeting. These meetings are normally held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month in our parish hall. One would attend the Baptism Preparation Meeting in the month prior to the requested date of baptism. Please call the parish office for dates and to register.
The baptismal preparation meeting will consist of a presentation on the Sacrament of Baptism, a brief video on the actual Rite of Baptism and an opportunity for you to ask any questions. It will last no longer than an hour. Please note that the mother and father must both attend. Godparents and grandparents are not required to attend but are more then welcome to do so. Your commitment and openness to baptismal preparation will help develop the faith-life of your child as they mature.
Godparents
Godparents play an important role in the baptism of your child(ren) as they promise to support you in your role as Christian parents. A child may only have one or two godparents (also called sponsors); if two are chosen, they must be male and female. In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent they must be chosen by the parents, have the ability and the intention to fulfill the role, be at least 16 years of age, and be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist, is leading a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith and will be a good role model for the one being baptized, and be neither the father nor the mother of the child. A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a “Christian witness” (not a godparent) provided that there is at least one Roman Catholic godparent who fulfills the above criteria. A non-baptized person cannot be a witness.
Click to print Baptism Registration Form