The Parish welcomes and congratulates you on desiring Baptism for your child, and joins with you in thanking God for the gift of life that is your child. Baptism in so many ways is simply placing the one baptised in a context whereby they will receive the fullness of life which God intends for all of us.

Baptism is about beginnings.

The one baptised is welcomed into the whole Christian Church, and is specifically welcomed to belong and to participate in the daily life of faith of a particular Christian community. In the baptism of a child, it is the parents and Godparents who assume responsibility to bring their child up in that faith.

There is so much about baptism that can only be expressed in symbols, and not in words, but at its core it is about initiation into Christ.

So it is initiation into the Church (the body of Christ) and into the very mystery of Christ. The one baptised dies to their old self and is reborn to be the person God intends them to be. Obviously, children are powerless and are only able to receive, which symbolic of how often we are like this before God. However, it is the parents and the wider family, friends and Church community, who provide the environment for the child to either freely grow into the choice made for them or to reject that choice.

The Liturgy of Baptism itself has a number of components which deserve some attempted simple explanation.

CHECKLIST

• Contact the Parish Baptism Representative (PBR)
• Receive an invite to the information session held at St Mary MacKillop Church Bannockburn
• Attend information session (1st Tuesday of the month)
• Collect Baptism package at the information session
• Select Godparents
• Obtain Baptism certificates for Parents and Godparents who If you live outside the Parish, obtain a permission letter from your Parish
• Contact Liz Jennings 0427 672 383 before you come to Mass
• Attend Mass to return completed and signed Baptism request form, fee, census card and relevant certificates
• Obtain Baptism date from PBR
• Send out invites to your family and friends
• Organise an outfit for your child

THE BAPTISM ITSELF

The Baptism itself involves key symbolic actions and elements.

WATER: Water symbolises new life given to the Christian. Water cleanses, refreshes, renews. It is a symbol both of life and of being immersed into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

ANOINTING WITH CHRISM: The word Christ means "the anointed one. The one anointed receives the sweet smelling oil representing the power and goodness of Christ. Oil itself is used to heal and to make supple. The oil used is usually that blessed by the Bishop in Holy Week. Anointing with oil symbolises the sealing with all the healing gifts and power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ.

THE WHITE ROBE: The robe symbolises the new life and innocence of the one reborn through water and the Holy Spirit. It also expresses the great dignity of a child of God.

CANDLES: The Baptismal candle which is lit from the Easter candle is a real is the light of the world. The small flickering light can become a blazing fire which will not be engulfed by fear of darkness. The candle represents the light of Christ entering the child's life; a light to be tended and guarded by the parents, Godparents and the whole Church community.

GODPARENTS: Last but not least on our list. In many cultures to be a Godparent involved a real and lasting bond, both with the child baptised and the whole family. There is much wisdom in this. The Godparent offers to support and encourage the parents in bringing up their child in the faith. They are co-educators in faith by what they say and more importantly by who they are. Hence it does not make much sense if the Godparent is not a baptise believing Christian, who is committed to their faith. Ideally, at least one Godparent should belong to the Catholic faith and both Godparents symbolise the care and support of a much wider community into which the child is being called.

THE RITE OF WELCOME: Firstly, the child is welcomed, named and presented to the believing community. To be named is to receive our own personal identity. We are not objects but people. To be welcomed and to know we belong somewhere are key needs of any human being. Specifically, the child is marked with the sign of the cross showing that they belong to Christ and can call on the power of the cross to transform and overcome the sufferings of life.

LITURGY OF THE WORD: Here we simply hear proclaimed one or two readings with a response. These readings from the Bible try to express to us something of the character and conduct of a believing community, and something of God's gracious love which invites and challenges us to live that love in the now of our daily lives. The readings are then followed by prayers for the baptised person, for all Christians and all people to discover and live in the unity of Christian faith and love.



Some practicalities...

The Preferred Time

Baptisms occur on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month during 11am Massat St Mary McKillop Bannockburn. There is also an additional service on the 4th Sunday of the month 12.30 pm at St

Mary MacKillop Bannockburn.

Baptism can be organised at other Mass centres if desired.

The Parish Priest or a member of our Baptism Team will talk with you about the ceremony.

Baptismal Candle & Stole

The parish can provide a simple candle and stole for the ceremony - and for you to keep. You may prefer and most welcome to prepare (or buy) your own candle and stole

The Godparents

The role of Godparents is to act as models of Catholic living for the child and assist you in your effort as a parent.

All Godparents should be persons who have a genuine Christian faith and can therefore set an example for the children to see.

Baptism Fee

This is set at $100 per child. This money goes towards maintenance in the Parish

The Offering

It is customary for an offering to be made to the Parish Priest at the time of the Baptism. The amount should be according to the means of the family. ($50-$100 recommended. This should be returned on the day of baptism in the green printed envelope.