Infant Baptism Preparation
The Baptism Preparation process...
... is designed to assist parents and godparents in their growing understanding of:
- why the Catholic Faith community celebrates Baptism;
- what the Sacrament of Baptism celebrates;
- the responsibilities parents and godparents commit themselves to fulfill in celebrating Baptism with infants and young children;
- and the role of the Faith Community in which Baptism is celebrated.
Baptism preparation is a process for reflecting on what we are celebrating, why we celebrate this ritual, and what it means for parents, for godparents, for an infant, and for the larger Faith community. We focus on several questions which often come to mind as one thinks about celebrating Baptism for their child:
- What is Faith and why do we want our children to have Faith?
- Why do we need a ritual anyway?
- Do we still believe in original sin? Limbo? Hell?
- Why are we celebrating Baptisms during Sunday Masses?
- What role do godparents play?
- Why do we use oil in Baptism?
- During this celebration, what are parents promising God and the Faith community that they will do?
- What is the Faith community promising God they will do?
The celebration of Baptism is a Faith community event. It is an awesomely wonderful venture of relationship!
General Norms for the Celebration of Baptism
o Children infant through six-years old
o Parent(s) of child to celebrate Baptism is a (are) parishioner(s) of Pax Christi Parish
o Attendance by parent(s) weekly at Sunday Mass
o One Godparent must be a fully initiated Catholic (having celebrated the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist), in good standing with the Church, who participates in weekly Sunday Mass with a Roman Catholic Faith community.
o Parents and, if possible, godparents are to attend the two-evening preparation sessions. One class must be attended prior to the Baptism, one after the Baptism. Each class is scheduled for 1 1/2 hours from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
