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One of the Seven Sacraments of the Christian Church; frequently called the "first sacrament", the "door of the sacraments", and the "door of the Church". Baptism is the first of the Church’s Sacraments.
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| Baptism Information |
Requirements of the Church
For an infant to be baptised lawfully it is required:
For an infant to be baptised lawfully it is required:
- That the parents, or at least one of them, or the person who lawfully holds their place, give their consent.
- That there be well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion. If such a hope is lacking, the baptism is in accordance with the provisions of particular law, to be deferred and the parents advised of the reason for this. (Code of Canon Law para. 868.2).
- A minimum of two months notice must be given to the parish office.
- Your parish is the local church which has pastoral responsibility for the area in which you live, (not necessarily the church where you worship). If you wish to have your child baptised in a church where you have no residential qualification a letter giving permission must be obtained from your own parish priest.
- Evidence of completion of a baptismal course.
Baptism Preparation Course
The course looks at the importance of Sacraments in the Church; their relationship to each other and the impact of Baptism on the lives of the child and parents. Finally there is an overview of the ceremony. In Guildford the Baptism Preparation Course covers the churches of St. Joseph, St. Mary, St Edward and St. Pius X.
Where does the course take place?
St. Joseph’s Church hall, GU1 4AZ
When does it take place?
Preparation is monthly (except in August and December) at St Joseph’s Hall 8pm, lasting 70 minutes. Please check the newsletter for the next available date. You must book with your Parish office in advance.
Further Information?
Parents wishing to attend the course should in the first instance, fill in the application form below. You will then be contacted by a member of staff.
Godparents
To be admitted to undertake the office of godparent, a person must:
You may choose either for the celebration to take place during the main Sunday morning Mass or a baptismal liturgy which is held half an hour after the morning Mass. Given the size of our parishes it is most likely that more than one child will be baptised at the same time.
If the Baptism takes place during the Sunday Mass, the readings will be those for the relevant Sunday.
We are unable to provide music. If you wish to have sacramental music, please arrange either for a musician to play or bring along an appropriate CD and player.
Costs
A donation of £25 for administration costs is requested; this covers the Baptism Certificate & candle and 10 personalized booklets (additional booklets can be requested at 50p per copy).
The church does not charge for administering the Sacraments but it is traditional for a donation to be made to the priest/deacon as this forms a significant part of their personal income.
The course looks at the importance of Sacraments in the Church; their relationship to each other and the impact of Baptism on the lives of the child and parents. Finally there is an overview of the ceremony. In Guildford the Baptism Preparation Course covers the churches of St. Joseph, St. Mary, St Edward and St. Pius X.
Where does the course take place?
St. Joseph’s Church hall, GU1 4AZ
When does it take place?
Preparation is monthly (except in August and December) at St Joseph’s Hall 8pm, lasting 70 minutes. Please check the newsletter for the next available date. You must book with your Parish office in advance.
Further Information?
Parents wishing to attend the course should in the first instance, fill in the application form below. You will then be contacted by a member of staff.
Godparents
To be admitted to undertake the office of godparent, a person must:
- Be over sixteen years of age, unless the parish priest considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made.
- Be a practising Catholic who has been Confirmed and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken. A non-Catholic may act as a Christian witness to the Baptism in company with a Catholic sponsor.
- Not be either the father or mother of the child to be Baptised.
You may choose either for the celebration to take place during the main Sunday morning Mass or a baptismal liturgy which is held half an hour after the morning Mass. Given the size of our parishes it is most likely that more than one child will be baptised at the same time.
If the Baptism takes place during the Sunday Mass, the readings will be those for the relevant Sunday.
We are unable to provide music. If you wish to have sacramental music, please arrange either for a musician to play or bring along an appropriate CD and player.
Costs
A donation of £25 for administration costs is requested; this covers the Baptism Certificate & candle and 10 personalized booklets (additional booklets can be requested at 50p per copy).
The church does not charge for administering the Sacraments but it is traditional for a donation to be made to the priest/deacon as this forms a significant part of their personal income.
Baptism Application Form
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For those wishing Baptism there are two steps
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