Baptism

Baptism

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UPDATE: 21st May 2021

In the light of the most recent government health advice – operative for months of May and June, the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism should only take place in exceptional circumstances.

The ordinary celebration of the Sacrament, as well as the other Sacraments of Initiation (First Holy Communion/Eucharist, Confirmation), will not be organised until further notice.

END UPDATE

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Dear Parents.

Congratulations on choosing Baptism for your child.

You have requested Baptism for your child and we are delighted to welcome your baby to the Christian family of the Church. By asking for Baptism for your child you are publicly thanking God for His gift to you and making a commitment to bring up your child in the Christian faith. We will help you to carry out your decision by giving you our wholehearted support.

You are the primary teachers of your child in life and in faith. The parish of Balally endeavours always to support Parents in fulfilling the promises they make to their child and to God on the day of Baptism. We pray God’s blessing upon you, your child and his/her godparents. We invite you to actively participate in and support your parish community by joining in the celebration of Sunday Mass. Our Family Mass is at 10am. each Sunday.

We believe that giving your child the experience of his/her local faith community will make a positive contribution to forming your child’s identity and growing sense of belonging. In addition, we are very open to your suggestions as to how with your help, we can together make this a more welcoming and living parish for younger parents.

On the day of Baptism, together with family and friends you will celebrate your child’s first Sacrament. It is a beautifully sacred and moving Christian experience. We very much look forward to celebrating with you the beginning of your child’s journey of faith. We look forward to getting to know you and your child in the years ahead.

                                                                                 

Fr. Peter F. Byrne Co PP                                On behalf of the Baptism Team

Fr Peter Byrne

=============================

UPDATE: 21st May 2021

In the light of the most recent government health advice – operative for months of May and June, the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism should only take place in exceptional circumstances.

The ordinary celebration of the Sacrament, as well as the other Sacraments of Initiation (First Holy Communion/Eucharist, Confirmation), will not be organised until further notice.

END UPDATE

=============================

 

Your child’s baptism is a time of celebration and joy.  Naturally, you want the best for your child.

We want to help you plan and prepare for the Baptism in the best possible way.

An important Question…An important Question…An important Question…

Why have you requested baptism for your child in the Church?

There may be many reasons… Seems to be the thing to do? Someone else in the family wants it?  It’s on my “to do” list? I’m afraid something might happen my child?  It’s a significant step that starts the faith journey?

How the Church sees Baptism

The Church sees Baptism as the first important step on the Christian journey. On the day your child was born, he/she was welcomed into their family. On the day of  baptism they are welcomed into the bigger family of the Lord, the Church. In baptism we enter into a unique and special relationship with the person of Jesus Christ and we try to live out that  relationship in and through the people around us. Or put another way … In Baptism we become

  • A son/daughter of God the Father
  • A brother/sister of Jesus Christ
  • A temple of the Holy Spirit
  • A member of God’s family, the Church.

The Symbols Used in the Baptism Ceremony…

1.       The Sign of the Cross:

A stamp or imprint on something is a sign of  its origin or ownership. The sign of the cross which we make at the beginning of the ceremony on the child’s forehead, claims him/her for Christ.

2.       Holy Oils with which your child is anointed:

In the Celebration of Baptism TWO different oils are used;

  1. The Oil of catechumens – The child is anointed on the chest with this oil as a sign that the Lord is giving them strength for the Christian journey they are beginning.
  2. The Oil of Chrism – A very sacred oil, which the child is anointed with on the top of the head. Oil is used to anoint kings and monarchs,  it sets people aside for a mission. We are set aside for the Christian mission on the day we are baptised.

3.       Profession of Faith:

YOU have requested baptism for your child. In doing this YOU ARE MAKING A COMMITMENT to bringing up your child in the faith. – We promise to live by Christian values and pass on those values to our child. We promise to bring our child to Mass and the Sacraments, for this is what it means to belong to the Christian family. Therefore we profess the faith that we promise, before the community gathered, to pass onto our child. We pray for the grace to live as good Christian witnesses before our child.

4.       Water:

Water is essential for life! In Baptism, water symbolises the new life we receive in Christ. Just as we nurture and care for a plant or shrub, in order for it to live a healthy life, we too must nurture and care for our faith in order for it to grow healthy and strong.

5.       Baptism Robe/Shawl:

The White Robe is a symbol of Christ. After they were baptised, the early Christians used to clothe themselves in white garments to show that they had “put on Christ”. In the same way, the child, during the baptism ceremony, is clothed in the white shawl to show that they are “clothed in Christ” or “wrapped up” in the love of Christ!

6.          The Baptism Candle:

The large Easter Candle (or Pascal Candle) is lit for the Baptism ceremony. This light symbolises Christ, the Risen Lord, who overcame the cross and rose to new life. It is a symbol of hope!

A smaller Baptism Candle is lit from the Easter Candle. This light, love and hope of Jesus is being passed on to the new Christian through YOU the parents.

AFTER THE BAPTISM CEREMONY

As your child grows it is important to pray with them,  share some bible stories (maybe purchase a Children’s Bible), visit the Church to light a candle for someone who is sick, attend Mass…etc.

We pray God’s Blessing upon you in the challenge ahead of bringing up your child in the faith….

Registration of Baptism

The parish records the baptism of your child in the Baptismal Register of the parish. This record includes the full names of the child, parents and godparents, the child’s date of birth, the date of the baptism and the name of the officiating priest or deacon. A Certificate of Baptism can be issued by the Parish Office as and when required.

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UPDATE: 21st May 2021

In the light of the most recent government health advice – operative for months of May and June, the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism should only take place in exceptional circumstances.

The ordinary celebration of the Sacrament, as well as the other Sacraments of Initiation (First Holy Communion/Eucharist, Confirmation), will not be organised until further notice.

END UPDATE

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Baptism takes place in the Church on the second Sunday of the month except for December when it may be on a later Sunday.

Select which Sunday you wish to have your baby baptised.  It would be a good idea to contact the Parish Office now to confirm that there is no problem with that Sunday and to get your baby’s name noted.

Select your Godparents and confirm their availability.

Print a copy of the Baptism Application Form or call to the Parish Office to pick up one.

Obtain a copy of your Baby’s Civil Birth Certificate.  This may be done on-line (www.hse.ie), by post or by calling in person to a HSE Civil Registration Service office.  In Dublin this is at Joyce House, 8-11 Lombard St. East. Dublin 2.

Complete the Application Form and submit it together with the Birth Certificate to the Parish Office.

A member of the Baptism team will contact you.

If you’d like to request a copy of a Baptismal/Confirmation Certificate, held in the Balally Parish Records, you can do so using the web form below.

The the parish office aims to provide the requested certificate(s) within two working days.

Please note there is a €5 administration charge, per request, payable on collection.

The certificates may be collected from the parish office between the hours of 10:30am – 1:00pm, every Tuesday to Friday.

Note, for those who require a more detailed Baptismal cert please choose the ‘Long’ version from the ‘Certificate Type’ Menu.

=============================

UPDATE: 21st May 2021

In the light of the most recent government health advice – operative for months of May and June, the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism should only take place in exceptional circumstances.

The ordinary celebration of the Sacrament, as well as the other Sacraments of Initiation (First Holy Communion/Eucharist, Confirmation), will not be organised until further notice.

END UPDATE

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To apply for a Baptism for your child please download, complete and return the following application form to the parish office;

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