Your Child’s Baptism
“Through the sacrament of baptism the faithful are incorporated into Christ and into his Church. They are formed into God’s people and they obtain forgiveness of all their sins. They become a new creation and are called, rightly, the children of God.”
(Rite of Christian Initiation, General Introduction, n. 1)
Your child’s Baptism is a very important time in his/her life.
At Baptism, the first Sacrament of Initiation, your child will be officially welcomed into the Catholic faith and our Church community.
Baptism of Infants
Infants are baptised at the request of their parents or the person who lawfully takes their place who wish to share their Catholic faith with their children. The parents of a child being baptised are called to prepare for the baptism by:
- Renewing their commitment to Christ,
- Resolving to share their faith with their child,
- And showing this by living the faith.
- NB: Current church teaching requires that ONE parent (at least) be a confirmed Catholic. Proof of this is required.
The Role of Godparents
There must be at least one Catholic Godparent to assist the parents with the Catholic upbringing of the baptised child:
- Be mature enough to accept this responsibility (must be 18 years or over);
- Be a member of the Catholic Church (though a believing Christian from another church may be a Godparent along with a Catholic).
- Have received Baptism, the Eucharist and Confirmation (because the Godparents have a duty to be true examples of Catholic life for the growing child therefore they should be actively practicing the Catholic faith).
Our Baptism Programme
The Sacrament of Baptism at Mary Immaculate has three core components:
- The Baptism Preparation Session,
- The Presentation Mass; and
- The Baptism Ceremony.
Bookings
To book in your child for Baptism, please complete the booking form below.
It is required that you provide ONE parent’s Baptismal Certificate and ONE Godparent’s Confirmation Certificate (or recent Baptism certificate – issued in last 6 months)
If you do not attend our Parish, our live outside our Parish boundaries, then Permission from your local Parish may be required.
A date is not confirmed unless checked with our Parish Secretary. Some available dates are below. If you wish to email Fr Bernie directly with any other questions regarding baptism, please do so at parishpriest@waverleycatholic.org.au.
Next available dates
- Sunday, 19 February 2023 @ 10:30am
- Sunday, 26 February 2023 @ 10:30am
- Sunday, 19 March 2023 @ 10:30am
- Sunday, 26 March 2023 @ 10:30am
Permission from local Parish
People normally receive Baptism in the Parish where they live. However, requests may be made for baptism at Mary Immaculate Church, Waverley. Baptism of those who do not live within the Waverley Parish requires permission of the Parish Priest of their place of residence. To see if you live within our Parish Boundaries, please open this file: WAVERLEY BOUNDARY
Donation
There is no set fee for the celebration of baptism, however it is customary to make a donation to the priest who baptises the child.
On the day of Baptism
Below are just a few points about the day that should help answer some of your questions:
- Families should aim to be there by 10:15am, ready to start at 10:30am.
- A donation to support the ministry of the Parish Priest is customary. Please hand this to the priest on the day.
- Your child cannot be baptised unless all components of the Programme are completed and permission is provided by your local Parish.
- It is customary for your child to wear something white on the day (a white shirt is ok for boys).
- Parents need to purchase one candle per child to light during the ceremony. Special baptism candles are available for purchase at the Devotional Shop located inside the church after morning mass or from the Parish Centre during business hours. Otherwise any pillar candle you can hold during the ceremony is appropriate.
