Baptism, from the Greek word baptisma which means a “dipping” is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation. It is the sacrament in which by water and the power of the Holy Spirit a person is cleansed of all sin, including original sin, and experiences birth into the new life of Christ.
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit” – Matthew 28:19
Baptism of Children ages 0 – 6
Do you have a new addition to the family? Congratulations.
To begin the process of having a child baptized (age infant – 6 years of age) at St. Bernard parents should be registered members of St. Bernard and are required to attend a Parent Baptism Preparation Session prior to baptism being scheduled. The sessions are for Parents only and are scheduled on Saturday mornings or Monday evenings. For a full list of parent sessions and to RSVP, click here. It is also helpful to us if you can complete the Child Baptism General Inquiry form found at the bottom of this page. The full Baptism registration form will be provided to you at the Parent Preparation session.
Once parents have attended one of the preparation sessions and have all needed paperwork completed and returned, a date for the celebration of Baptism can be chosen. The encouraged time for baptism’s are at a regular weekend Mass time of Saturday at 4pm or Sunday at 8:30 or 11 am. There is also a non-Mass option on the first Sunday of each month at 10 am. All baptism’s are subject to facility and priest/deacon availability. No Baptism’s occur in Lent (Ash Wednesday through Easter each year) To find out more details about the celebration of this Sacrament please read “Preparing your family and child for the Sacrament of Baptism.”
Prior to baptism parents will also need to chose at least one Catholic Godparent. Two are the norm, but only one is required. If there are two it must be one male and one female. In lieu of the second Catholic godparent a baptized and believing Christian may serve as a “Christian Witness” for the baptism. Your Catholic Godparent must have a certification form completed by the Catholic Parish where they are registered and living out their Catholic faith. This Godparent Eligibility form must be received prior to scheduling the Baptism.
Feel free to contact the parish office, 239-5178 2203 with any questions. We look forward to welcoming your family member to our Church family
Baptism of Children ages 7 and older
Once a child reaches the age of 7 they are considered by the Catholic Church to be of the age of reason. Canon 97.2 defines an “infant” as one who has not yet completed his seventh year of age. That’s because once a child reaches the age of seven, he is presumed to have the use of reason, and is then capable of personal responsibility for his actions
This means if you have a child aged 7 or older, they will be participating in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), adapted for children. It goes without saying that at the practical level, children are under the care and authority of their parents for many more years. But canonically, a child over the age of seven falls into the same category as an adult.
For more information on getting started in the OCIA for children please contact Cyndi in the parish office.
Adult Baptism (16 and above)
Adults who desire to become fully initiated Catholics that are not baptized or who were baptized in another faith tradition and desire to be Catholic take part in the process known as OCIA. You can read much more about this process by clicking visiting our page for OCIA.
Child Baptism Inquiry
A full registration form will be given to parents to complete upon attending the preparation session.
