Baptism is
celebrated by appointment, normally on either the first or third Sunday of the
month at 12 noon.
It is important to realise that Baptism requires Faith.
If an adult is to be baptised, then that adult would have to show some knowledge
of and commitment to the Faith and worship of the Catholic Church for some
considerable months before that person could be baptised. This would be after a
long period of attending Mass each week and attending some instruction or
discussion about the Catholic Faith.
When it is a child who is to be baptised, this commitment is not possible on the
part of the child, but it is still expected on the part of at least the Catholic
parent(s). This is why the Catholic parent(s) and the Godparents are required to
re-affirm their own commitment to the Faith and to promise God before witnesses
that they will bring this child up in the knowledge
and the practice
of their Faith. This promise made publicly in church to God must not be taken
lightly.
We do expect that the Catholic parent(s) will be attending Mass fairly regularly
before we will make arrangements for the baptism of the child.
To discuss arrangements for baptism, please introduce yourself to the priest as
you leave church after Mass on either Saturday night (the Vigil Mass) or on
Sunday Morning.