the sacrament of
Baptism
Arranged by appointment
“No one can begin a new life, unless he repent of the old.”
~ St. Augustine.
Cleansing ceremonies using water date back well before Christ. People have used water immersion to ‘purify’ themselves before coming before God in prayer for generations. For the Catholic Church, our tradition stems from St. John the Baptist. St. John was a preacher who called people to turn their backs on sin and come back to God. We use it today in the same way, to mark a choice of living for God.
There are several accounts of St. John baptising Jesus in the books used in the Catholic Bible, including the written accounts by disciples of Jesus, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.
In the Catholic Church, both adults and children are baptised. Children are brought forward for Baptism by their guardians who wish to raise their children in the Catholic faith. This is similar to how Jesus was presented to the temple to officiate his induction to his community’s faith, Judaism. It’s only later when children are older that they reaffirm their choice for the faith themselves in the sacrament of Communion.
YOUR child’s
baptism
A Guide For Parents
“I have baptised you with water, but He [Jesus] will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”
~ St. John the Baptist in Mark 1:8
In the church we believe living a sinful life can have an impact on generation after generation. We call this Original Sin, stemming from the story of Adam in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.
“…just as sin entered the world through one man… so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” ~ Romans 5:12-19, paraphrased.
When parent’s bring children forward for Baptism, it’s because we want to remove original sin, and teach our children a life of integrity through the faith of the church. We work to live a righteous life through the strength of God and the Church’s teachings.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
~ Ephesians 2:8-9