Baptism at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
Baptism is the "main door to the Church" and the "gateway to the other sacraments". And the living heart of baptism is Jesus Christ himself:
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"The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. . . . Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.
"In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love." - from "United States Catholic Catechism for Adults" chapter 15 (en español aquí) |
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On the baptism of an infant or a young child
Congratulations on your child! If your child is an infant or a young child not yet of school age, and you would like to have him or her baptized, please contact our DRE Cathy Bryan at cathy@stanthonyangola.com
Congratulations on your child! If your child is an infant or a young child not yet of school age, and you would like to have him or her baptized, please contact our DRE Cathy Bryan at cathy@stanthonyangola.com
If this is the first time you are asking to have a child baptized at St. Anthony's - You will be asked to come to a preparation program that lasts about 90 minutes. We call this session "Baptism Preparation Class I". It is required for the parents the first time you are baptizing. Godparents and other family members are encouraged to attend as well, but this is not required. When you come to the preparation session, please bring a birth certificate for the child and (if possible) for both parents.
If you have had a child baptized at St. Anthony's before - We invite you to attend a special one hour evening entitled "Baptism Refresher Class II" before subsequent baptisms. This evening allows us to go deeper into our life of faith and build upon your experiences as a Catholic parent. All parents are encouraged to attend. Godparents and other family members are also welcome!
The baptism itself takes place during the Parish Mass on a Saturday evening or a Sunday morning. The whole community looks forward to celebrating with you!
Los bautizos se pueden celebrar en inglés o en español. También puede organizar que su hijo sea bautizado durante la misa en español a las 7:30 p.m. el tercer domingo de cada mes.
If you have had a child baptized at St. Anthony's before - We invite you to attend a special one hour evening entitled "Baptism Refresher Class II" before subsequent baptisms. This evening allows us to go deeper into our life of faith and build upon your experiences as a Catholic parent. All parents are encouraged to attend. Godparents and other family members are also welcome!
The baptism itself takes place during the Parish Mass on a Saturday evening or a Sunday morning. The whole community looks forward to celebrating with you!
Los bautizos se pueden celebrar en inglés o en español. También puede organizar que su hijo sea bautizado durante la misa en español a las 7:30 p.m. el tercer domingo de cada mes.
SPECIAL BAPTISM PROTOCOLS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Although our parish wishes to emphasize that baptism is at the heart of all the sacraments, and is therefore best celebrated with the entire community during a regularly scheduled Mass, the current pandemic requires that we safeguard our children - and all our families - by enacting the following protocol.
Thank you for your understanding. We hope and pray for the day when we can lift the restrictions and safely celebrate the sacraments together in their completeness. God bless you!
Fr. Bob Showers OFM Conv.
- The ordinary Baptism Preparation Sessions for the families are suspended until further notice.
- Baptisms will be celebrated outside of Mass.
- There should only be one family at a time.
- We ask you to limit attendance to 25 people or so.
- We ask all present to kindly wear a mask.
- Under most circumstances, only the parents should hold the baby.
- The large baptismal font is emptied for the sake of sanitation. Baptisms will be done using a smaller font.
- As at Mass, you can arrange for instrumental music or electronic music, but we must refrain from group singing.
- We cannot serve refreshments in the church or hall.
- To arrange a baptism, contact DRE Cathy Bryan at cathy@stanthonyangola.com
- You can choose any day and time that works for your family and for one of the priests.
- Baptisms may also be celebrated during Advent and Lent.
Thank you for your understanding. We hope and pray for the day when we can lift the restrictions and safely celebrate the sacraments together in their completeness. God bless you!
Fr. Bob Showers OFM Conv.
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On the baptism of a child of school age
If your child already goes to school and wishes to be baptized, we will do the preparation as part of their ordinary religious education. The baptism itself will be celebrated at Easter. See here for information on our catechism program. On the baptism of an adult If your are an adult and are contemplating baptism in the Catholic Church, we ask you to participate in a preparation program called The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. These baptisms, too, are celebrated at Easter. Click here for more information on the RCIA. |