Theology of Baptism Baptism, the door to life and to the kingdom of God, is the first sacrament of the New Law, which Christ offered to all, that they might have eternal life. He later entrusted this sacrament and the Gospel to his church, when he told his apostles, “Go, make disciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Taken from The General Introduction to Christian Initiation: Roman Ritual. The Baptism of an infant or young child is an event that affects the whole community. The call to support parents in this journey lies at the heart of pastoral ministry. It is one which we take seriously here at The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi. That support begins when parents first approach the parish with the request for Baptism for their child and continues through the years as they grow in faith. For this reason, we ask parents to participate fully in our Baptismal Preparation program, Call to Celebrate: Baptism. Baptisms at St. Joseph It is with great joy that our parish community welcomes your child into the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism. The goodness of your lives and your faith make possible this wonderful celebration of the eternal life bestowed on your child by our gracious God. Ordinarily, infants are baptized by the parent or godparent lowering the child into the water of the baptismal font while the priest pours water over the crown of the child's head.. If your child is baptized at a communal ceremony, you may choose Baptism by immersion or by pouring. In Baptism by pouring, the child wears a white baptismal garment and is held over the baptismal font and the water is poured over the top of the child’s head. Because we want to ensure a wonderful celebration for you and your child, please review the following explanations of the ritual for Baptism used here at St. Joseph: Godparents When you invite a person to serve as your child’s godparent, you are asking this individual to make a lifelong commitment to your child. The law of the Roman Catholic Church requires that each child being baptized have one godparent to serve as his or her spiritual model and friend, to be baptized and practicing their Catholic faith. When you ask someone to act as a Catholic Baptismal Sponsor, please have them contact their current parish and request a Godparent Sponsor Certificate. This helps affirm that the Godparent has their church's permission to do so, and meets the above guidelines for Catholic Godparents. This certificate (or letter) should be delivered to the office here at St. Joseph before the celebration of the baptism. Frequently Asked Questions ● Do I have to be a registered member of the parish in order to have my child baptized? You are required to be registered in a parish but not necessarily St. Joseph. If you are registered elsewhere, you will need to obtain a letter from your pastor granting us permission to baptize your child. ● What is required of the parents who wish to have their child Baptized? 1. One parent needs to be a Catholic and should be practicing their faith by attending the Eucharistic liturgies. They must have all their sacraments and if married, have their marriage blessed in the Catholic Church. 2. They need to be registered in a Catholic parish. 3. Both parents are expected to attend a Baptism Preparation class. The class schedule and registration is on our website. 4. Parents will contact 801 399 5627 to schedule their child's baptism. ● My spouse is not Catholic. Does he/she have to attend the classes? We ask that both parents attend the session for your child’s Baptism preparation regardless of church affiliation. It will be an opportunity for your spouse to learn more about the sacrament of Baptism and how we celebrate it in the Catholic tradition. ● We have had other children baptized. Do we still need to attend Baptism Preparation classes? The preparation class for Baptism is good for 3 years. If you have attended one earlier, please know that you are not required to attend again for 3 years. ● Are all baptisms celebrated on Saturday? We schedule the celebration on Saturdays as this seems to work for all involved. You have the option of having your child baptized at one of the Sunday Masses with special arrangements made in advance. A Guide to Catholic Baptism BY JON JAKOBLICH // 142 COMMENTS Baptism is the first of seven sacraments and the way in which a person becomes a member of the Catholic Church. Who can receive a Catholic baptism? Anyone who has not already been baptized can receive the sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is able to be baptized,” (paragraph 1246). Baptism leaves an indelible (permanent) mark on the soul and there is no way nor any reason that one could be re­baptized. ● There are no age restrictions for baptism; you cannot be too old or too young to be baptized. Who can perform a Catholic baptism? Anyone can perform a baptism, however this is typically done only in extreme cases in which someone’s life is in danger. The Catholic Church has ordinary ministers for sacraments and those are bishops, priests, and sometimes deacons. An ordinary minister is one who has been entrusted with the authority to perform the sacrament although the responsibility for performing a sacrament can usually be delegated. For example, a bishop is the ordinary minister for Confirmation, but can give permission to a priest to do a Confirmation; a priest does not have the authority to do a confirmation without the permission of his bishop. However, priests do have the authority to do baptisms without the permission of the bishop and sometimes delegate the responsibility to a deacon if one is available. Most baptisms are done by a priest or deacon when the person is an infant, but there are extreme cases when even an unbaptized person can baptize someone. All that is required is “the will to do what the Church does when she baptizes, and to apply the Trinitarian Baptismal formula.” If this is done it is usaully because someone is lying on his/her deathbed and they truly desire to become Christian. How is this type of Baptism valid you ask? Well, the Church believes in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation (1 Timothy 2:4, John 3:5). Can someone be baptized twice? Baptizing someone twice is not necessary so long as the person was baptized using the Trinitarian formula described above. Some churches do not use the Trinitarian formula and therefore their baptisms are not valid and one would need to baptized again. It is not a sin to be baptized twice, but one need not be baptized twice in most cases. Does the Catholic Church accept baptisms from another church? Yes, the Catholic Church recognizes any baptism that uses water and in which the baptized was baptized was the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Some churches do not use the trinitarian formula for baptism and thus their baptisms are not valid. Why are children baptized? Children receive baptism primarily to remove original sin, but can serve as a great family tradition in which to inculturate one’s child into the faith of the family. Infant baptism has been debated for centuries. First, let us appeal to the Bible. John 3:5 says, “Jesus answered, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.’” Note that Jesus says “no one” can enter heaven in that passage. In the spirit of brevity here is the short answer straight from the Catechism: “The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole “households” received baptism, infants may also have been baptized,” (Acts 16:15,33; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:16). (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1252) What does the Grace of Baptism accomplish? Catholic Baptism does five things specifically. 1. It forgives all sins that may have been committed prior to a person’s baptism including original sin, mortal sins, andvenial sins, and it relieves the punishment for those sins. 2. It makes the newly baptized person “a new creature.” 3. It turns the person into a newly adopted son of God and a member of Christ. Baptism incorporates one into the Church which is the body of Christ. 4. It brings someone into the flock of the faithful and brings them to share in the royal priesthood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:9­10). Catholic baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers and it also brings about the sacramental bond of the unity of Christians. Paragraph 1271 of the Catechism says it best: Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: “For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.