Your Child's Baptism
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.
It is also a journey for you as parents, as you encourage and guide your child in their Christian faith, and an invitation to deepen your connection to the Catholic Community.
“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)
“Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Peter 3:21
Symbols of Baptism
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. Each component needs to be completed for your child to be baptised.
The Baptism Preparation Session
The session will run on the first Thursday of the month and runs for approximately 60 mins. During this session, you will meet up with the other families who will be celebrating their child’s Baptism at the same time as your child.
You will also have an opportunity to explore the beautiful rituals and rich symbolism that make up the Sacrament of Baptism.
Your facilitator will walk you through the actual Baptism ceremony. You will be given the chance to ask any questions that you may have, during this session.
The Presentation Mass
As Baptism is the welcoming of your child into the Catholic faith, we at Waverley Parish believe that there is no better way to welcome your child into our Parish family than to invite you to join us for mass at either the Saturday Vigil 5pm and on a Sunday morning at 9:15am, a weekend before your child’s Baptism.
During the mass, the Parish Priest will invite you to come to the front of the church and will present your child to the congregation.
Baptism Ceremony
The ceremony takes place at 10:30am on the third and fourth Sunday of each month in the church.
Your family and friends will gather around your child and the godparents and be invited to participate in the ceremony by joining in with the responses in the Baptism booklet (provided on the day).
The ceremony itself is about 30 mins, depending on the number of children being Baptised at the time.
Next available dates
- Sunday, 25 June 2023 @ 10:30am
- Sunday, 23 July 2023 @ 10:30am
- Sunday, 20 August 2023 @ 10:30am
- Sunday, 27 August 2023 @ 10:30am
To book in your child for Baptism, please complete the form above.
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)
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:
Click here for 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.
If you wish to donate to Fr Bernie for Baptism of your child, you can do so online via our CBA Donation Page HERE, but please select the correct biller code 1949106. Otherwise, on the day of the Ceremony please collect a Baptism Envelope at the back of the church and pass your donation to Fr Bernie in this envelope.
If you wish to email Fr Bernie directly with any other questions regarding baptism, please do so at [email protected].
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.