Infant Baptism at St. Elizabeth Seton

If you are reading this entry, chances are you have a new infant in arm. Congratulations.

The decision of have an infant baptized is a big and important decision. In terms of the mind of the Church any child under the age of 6 years of age are considered infants for the purposes of Baptism. Once they reach their seventh year, (their sixth birthday) they follow a much different route to baptism. They follow an adult preparation adapted for their age.

In your discernment around whether or not to have your child begin the journey of initiation, here are some considerations. The first question is why you want your child baptized. One of the realities of our times is that baptism has become a cultural event rather than a spiritual one. Grandparents are great advocates pushing to have their grandchildren received into the Church.

The Church does not picture Baptism as merely an event. It is an initiation into a way of life. Throughout the history, infant baptism has always been a bit of an anomaly. One of the most important components of the ritual is when the parents promise to hand on and be the guardians of the Catholic Faith on behalf of the Church. As the prayer says, the parents are the first and most important teachers of the children in the ways of the faith. We baptize infants into the faith of the parents and the Church has specific expectations as to what that entails.

First, the Church expects that the Sunday celebration of the Mass will be normative, a regular and consistent part of family life.

The Church expects that you will teach your child to pray our standard prayers but also teach your child to pray in thanksgiving.
The Church expects that you will teach your child to share with others and learn how to have compassion for others.
The Church expects that you will teach your child right from wrong and establish a strong moral foundation, being loving in all things.
The Church expects that you will introduce your child to our loving God by witnessing to your own relationship with God. The God that our child comes to know is the God you hand on to them.

If this is how you intend to live your life, then baptism is the right decision. If the next time you will be attending Mass is for your child’s first communion, perhaps you should reconsider.

Baptism must be celebrated in the Parish where you reside and worship each week. Permission can be attained for celebration in a Parish which is not your own, but needs to be discussed with the Priest in your home Parish and the Priest in the Parish where you are seeking to celebrate your child.

So to begin the preparations, you will need to pick up a baptism package with a registration form at Sunday mass (this includes the Saturday afternoon Vigil Mass at 4:30 pm). You fill out the form and hand it in and our coordinator will call you to arrange for a Baptism Preparation session. These sessions are not classes, but rather faith formation and as such, you will be expected to participate in one for each child. There is a whole lot of information and experience you can share with the group.
After you have completed the Baptism preparation, you may contact the Baptism Coordinator to arrange a date for the Baptism.

Our baptisms are usually celebrated during a regular Sunday Mass (including Saturday afternoon). We limit it to at most four families at each. Other than the pandemic which has made us adapt this practice, all baptisms are incorporated into the Worshiping Community.