Baptism for children under 8 years of age
Baptism celebrates the beginning of life as a Christian and is the Sacrament which welcomes a new member into the life of the Christian community. Baptism of children in our two communities is celebrated on Sundays, sometimes within the celebration of Mass and sometimes after Mass, at 12:00 noon. To make arrangements for baptism in either of our two communities, in the first instance, please contact the
Parish Office.
All families need to take part in our Baptism Preparation Programme prior to the baptism of their first child in either of our two communities. The Baptism Preparation Programme takes place on the third Sunday of each month at 11:15am in the Parish Meeting Room at Carlingford, behind the Church. The meeting lasts for about 90 minutes. We do however ask that both parents attend and that the children be left with babysitters. This is to allow for a smooth flow of the meeting. The programme is a joint initiative of our two communities, and the team is made up of members from both communities. The aim of the session is to provide some background on the celebration of baptism and to offer a reflection on the meaning of baptism in Christian life. Please contact the
Parish Office to book the Baptism Preparation Programme Meeting.
Baptisms usually take place on the first and third Sundays at Our Lady Help of Christians' Church, Epping, and on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at St Gerard Majella's Church, Carlingford. If you would prefer a Baptism during Mass, please contact Fr Jim McKeon via the
Parish Office.
Please note that where Baptism is celebrated outside Mass, the first part of the Baptism ceremony, “the Rite of Welcome”, will take place prior to the actual Baptism, during Mass. This is a simple rite where the child is presented to the wider Parish community at the beginning of Mass. You will be able to choose the date and Mass for the “Rite of Welcome” at the Baptism Preparation Programme Meeting, along with the date for the actual Baptism.
All the necessary paperwork will be forwarded to you for completion. Please bring the completed Baptism Booking Form and the
New Parishioner Form (PDF 1.6MB) to the Baptism Preparation Meeting.
While no formal fee is charged for the celebration of Baptism, it has long been the custom for families to make a donation to the Parish on this occasion. You will, therefore, find enclosed with the paperwork an envelope for the purpose of that donation.
Once again we look forward to being a part of this celebration with you, and we pray that it will be the beginning of a life-long journey of faith, hope and love for your child within our Catholic faith community.