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Baptism

Baptism

Scripture:  “Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”     Matthew 28:19

In Baptism, we as a Catholic people become members of the worshiping community and acknowledge Christ as the center of our faith, His teaching, the axis of our living and His strength, the gift of our lives. Through Baptism we bind ourselves to every other Catholic and Christian throughout the world. It is through Baptism that we find the path and the meaning of our lives, which is found in Christ.

Baptism at Blessed Savior is celebrated during the context of the Eucharist on Saturday at the 4pm Mass or Sunday at the 9am Mass. Before a child is baptized, the parents are required to attend a meeting with the pastor or an associate to talk about the sacrament and its responsibilities for parents on behalf of the child. Since Baptism is the most important sacrament from which all other sacraments flow, the parents’ responsibility to their faith is vital because children as they grow learn the values of living a faithful life by living with their parents. The rite says that parents are the first teachers of the child in the way of faith. This needs to be taken seriously.

Baptism requires sponsors or Godparents for the child. Equally important to remember,

Godparents are not guardians of children in the event of parental loss, unless parents designate them so legally. Godparents in the sacrament are there to support the parents in their faith and also to witness faith to the child as it continues to grow to maturity and Confirmation. Godparents should be Confirmed Catholics; at least one Godparent must be Catholic, the other Godparent although perhaps not a Catholic can be a Christian witness. But either way, they should not only be friends to the parents but people of a mature and practiced faith.

Parents should start planning Baptism three months before the event to give adequate time to the instruction process concerning the faith and the rite itself. The parish selects certain weekends where Baptism may be more fitting than others, i.e., Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, the days that follow in the Easter season, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, the Feast of Epiphany, and other selected weekends during the Liturgical year. If no other important feast intervenes, other days may be chosen. Baptisms are not celebrated during the weeks of Advent and Lent, including Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Call the Parish Office (414-464-5033) for an appointment.