Baptism of School-Age Children (7-11 years)
CLICK HERE to register your child for our Baptism of School-Age Children program.
Thank you for considering to baptise your child into the Catholic Community of North Harbour! We look forward to learning more about you and your child.
Here are some important things to know when beginning the process to baptise your child.
1. Spend time getting to know our parish community. A great way to learn more about us is to attend Sunday Mass with your child. You may like to attend our Sunday morning Masses (9:00am at St Cecilia's and 9:30am at St Kieran's). At these Masses, we celebrate the Children's Liturgy, where children participate in special activities to help them learn more about Jesus and life as a Catholic. Parents are welcome to attend Children's Liturgy, also.
2. Contact us. If your child would like to be baptised, please contact our Families, Catechist and Sacramental Coordinator. You can also complete and submit the above enrolment form.
3. Attend preparation sessions. After speaking with our Parish Priest and Sacramental Coordinator to determine whether baptism for your child would be appropriate, you and your child will be invited to attend our Baptism Preparation sessions for school-aged children. While you attend these sessions, we do encourage you to continue bringing your child to Mass and engaging in the Children's Liturgy.
4. Choose godparents. Your child will need to have at least one godparent who is a fully-initiated, practicing Catholic over the age of 16. The godparents are asked to stand beside the parents during the ceremony. Their role is to support you in raising your child in the Catholic faith, and are asked to take care in nurturing your child's personal and spiritual development.
What's next?
Your child is now a Catholic! You can continue encouraging their growth in the faith by attending Mass, praying at home, going to Children's Liturgy, or joining Catholic Scripture classes if they attend a state school. After they are baptised, your child can continue in the Sacramental Program to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation, and First Communion. You can find more information about these sacraments on our website and in the parish bulletin during enrolment periods.
Contact us
If you'd like to learn more about Baptism for School-Aged Children, or if you have any questions, please contact Ursula Halloway, our Families, Catechist and Sacramental Coordinator, at families@nhcatholic.org.au or on 0450 101 767.