Question. When are Baptisms?
Answer. Baptisms are usually on the first and third Saturday at 3.30.
Question. I’m looking forward to reading up on Baptism/Christening in advance of our big day but in the meantime can you just tell me what exactly we have to do?
Answer. We’re lucky to have a great Baptismal Team in the Parish and they’ve prepared a one page executive summary of what’s required. Read it here.
Question. What’s the first thing we should do?
Answer. Get in touch with the Parish Office to book a date. ( 495 8695 or parishoffice@rathfarnhamparish.com ) We need at least 3 weeks notice – but places are limited so if you want a particular date get in touch well before that.
Question. Are there any documents or forms we’ll need?
Answer. Yes. A Birth Certificate and a completed version of this form
(and maybe a letter**)
The form is basic. We just need the usual names and addresses, names of godparents and some GDPR boxes ticked.
** (If you are living in another Parish you’ll also need a letter from them giving us permission to baptise their new parishioner. Check here to see if you are within the Parish boundary and here to see all Dublin Parishes)
As the Baptismal Team say above, you will need to attend a meeting with them on the Wednesday before the Baptism.
Bring the completed form and the Birth Certificate (and the letter if required) with you to this meeting.
Unfortunately the Baptismal Team won’t be able to handle donations so if you want to make one please do so after the Ceremony or hand it in to the Parish Office.
If you can’t print out the form above, the Parish Office has copies and also the answers to any other questions you might have. ( 495 8695 or parishoffice@rathfarnhamparish.com )
Congratulations on the birth of your child! The Parish Community shares in your joy. We are delighted to welcome your baby into the Christian family of the Church through Baptism. By asking for your baby’s Baptism (in casual parlance, Christening), you are publicly thanking God for His gift to you and making a commitment to bring up your child in the Christian faith. We will help you carry out your decision by giving you our wholehearted support as your child takes their first step of their journey to God.
Baptism Preparation Meetings
In our parish, we are blessed to have a dedicated Baptismal Team. The team holds a preparatory meeting which parents and godparents are invited to. These Pre Baptism meetings are held on the Wednesday before the first and third Saturday of the month at 8.30pm in the Church.
This meeting is informal and aims to provide parents and godparents with a greater understanding of the sacrament of baptism. It is also a good way to meet other parents in the parish. The meeting lasts approximately one hour. Attendance is required.
Baptism Dates and Arrangements
To request baptism for your child, please contact the Parish Office, situated in the Parish Pastoral Centre on Willbrook Rd (Tel. 01 495 8695).
There is a minium of requirement of 3 weeks’ notice and places are limited to six families per Baptism date so dates can and do fill up.
You will be given the Pre-Baptismal Literature in the Office. A copy of your baby’s Birth Certificate
is required.
A letter from the Parish in which you live is also required. This is to make sure that your Parish is aware of their new parishioner and to give us permission to baptise him or her.
Dates:
Baptisms are held on the First and Third Saturday of the month at 3.30pm.
PLEASE NOTE:
Baptisms during Easter Vigil and during Mass on Easter Sunday. To book your baptism ceremony please contact the Parish Office.
Your Baby’s Baptism
Your child’s baptism is a time of celebration and joy. Naturally, you want the best for your child. We want to help you plan and prepare for the Baptism in the best possible way… Why have you requested baptism for your child in the Church? There may be many reasons… Seems to be the thing to do? Someone else in the family wants it? It’s on my “to do” list? I’m afraid something might happen to my child? It’s a significant step that starts the faith journey?
How the Church sees Baptism
The Church sees Baptism as the first important step on the Christian journey. On the day your child was born, he/she was welcomed into their family. On the day of baptism they are welcomed into the bigger family of the Lord, the Church. In baptism we enter into a unique and special relationship with the person of Jesus Christ and we try to live out that relationship in and through the people around us. Or put another way … In Baptism we become
- A son/daughter of God the Father
- A brother/sister of Jesus Christ
- A temple of the Holy Spirit
- A member of God’s family, the Church.
Parents’ Role:
Parents in presenting their child for Baptism are implicitly stating:
“We have faith in Christ and seek to follow Him within the Catholic Church to which we belong. We now commit ourselves to share this faith with our child”.
Rite of Baptism
The birth of a child is a very special and joyous occasion for parents. As parents, it is your faith that carries your child to the baptismal font. It is important that when a child is baptised, it is the beginning of his/her journey of faith. For the parents, this also means preparing themselves for the life journey of faith into which they are baptising their child.
When you bring your child for baptism, you are taking on the responsibility of handing on your own faith to your child. You are promising to bring up your child as a Catholic, knowing God as a loving Father.
Godparents’ Role:
Choose your child’s godparents with care. They must be practicing Catholics, confirmed, and be at least sixteen years of age. They will be undertaking to share with you the responsibility of handing on the faith to the child, as he/she will grow up.
Parish Role:
Baptism of a child is a very special event in the life of a family. It is also a very special occasion in the life of our Church. As the child is welcomed into our families, so too the church welcomes the child into the family of God.
After the Baptism Ceremony
As your child grows it is important to pray with them, share some bible stories (maybe purchase a Children’s Bible), visit the Church to light a candle for someone who is sick, attend Mass…etc. We pray God’s Blessing upon you in the challenge ahead of bringing up your child in the faith….
Registration of Baptism
The parish records the baptism of your child in the Baptismal Register of the parish. This record includes the full names of the child, parents and godparents, the child’s date of birth, the date of the baptism and the name of the officiating priest or deacon. A Certificate of Baptism can be issued by the Parish Office as and when required.
For more information on Baptism or any of the sacraments go to www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Links:
Parish Baptism booklet and form
Surviving the First Year of Parenthood
Family Life and Preaching
Baptism and our search for meaning
Salesians: Reflections on Jesus’ Baptism
What we Believe