NAZARETH PARISH
St Christopher’s
Community
Anglesea
Nazareth
Community
Grovedale
St Thérèse’s
Community
Torquay
GROVEDALE / TORQUAY / ANGLESEA
18 Griffith Street, Grovedale 3216
Ph: 5243 9891 Fax: 5243 9223 email: grovedale@cam.org.au
Dear parents,
Thank you for your enquiry about having your child baptized in Nazareth Parish. We would
like to take the opportunity to congratulate you on the important step you are making in
planning for the celebration of the Baptism of your child.
Baptism is a special and sacred celebration through which your child enters into the life of
God and God’s family, the Church. It is, therefore, worth celebrating, and our parish
community is looking forward to celebrating with you.
In our parish, the preparations of your child’s Baptism involve three important stages as
outlined below. For the celebration of Baptism to take place, we normally allow at least 6
weeks from the day we receive your Baptism Enquiry Form completed and returned to us.
1.
Baptism Preparations
There are TWO short and friendly Baptism Preparation Sessions, both of which you are
required to attend. These sessions are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
from February through to December in the Parish House, 18 Griffith St, Grovedale,
beginning at 7.30pm. They do not have to be completed in A – B sequence, however both
must be attended before your child’s baptism. You are most welcome to bring your child
along. (Please double check on P6 of this package for the exact date of these meetings.)
2.
Welcome Ceremony
Once you have completed both of the preparation sessions you are required to come to a
Parish weekend Mass WITH your child, during which he or she will be presented to and
welcomed by the faith community. This Welcome Ceremony should occur no longer than
one or two weeks prior to the date of baptism. Please try to be at the Church at least 10
minutes before Mass and make yourself known so that our parishioners can welcome you
and show you to your seat.
3.
Baptism Celebration
The date you request for your child’s Baptism, together with dates for the preparation
sessions and Welcoming Mass are only tentative until we receive your application form.
When we receive your form, our Baptism Co-ordinator will then ring you to confirm all dates
with you. Please ring the Parish Office to re-schedule your arrangements if you are unable to
attend.
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Other important information
Godparents
The role of godparents is important as they are to give support to the parents in their
responsibility as Christian parents. So, when choosing godparents for your child the Church
requires that at least one of the godparents is a Catholic, who has been Confirmed and
received First Holy Communion, and is 16 years of age or older.
If you are a Parishioner
Baptism during Mass is the preferred option as it is the worshipping community, the Body of
Christ, which your child is to be initiated into. If you choose to have your child’s baptism
outside of Mass, the community is represented by the presence of your families and friends.
In order to maintain a sense of intimacy for you, we have set a limit of four baptisms at any
one time.
If you live outside the Parish
We strongly encourage you to consider having your child baptized in the Parish where you
live, as this will help you and your family form a strong connection with the community and
the people among whom your child will grow and attend school. However, if you have a
strong connection with our Parish, you are welcome to have your child baptized here. As a
matter of courtesy to your parish community and Parish Priest, we ask that you discuss your
wishes with him and obtain a Letter of Permission for your child’s Baptism in our parish.
Baptism Offering
Please find attached the Baptism Offering Envelope. Your offering ensures the ongoing
support of the Baptism Program and most importantly the upkeep of the Church. The
suggested offering is $100.00 per Baptism, and includes the Baptismal Candle and Stole.
Please make a cheque payable to Nazareth Parish and present it at the Baptism Preparation
evening or at the Parish Office prior to your Baptism date.
Once again, thank you for making the great step in preparing for the Baptism for your child.
We look forward to welcoming your child into our parish community.
With every good wish and blessing
Yours sincerely,
Fr. Linh Tran
(Parish Priest)
2
The Sacrament
of
Baptism
“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole
Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit,
and the door which gives access to the other
sacraments” (CCC 1213).
A special message from Pope Benedict:
“These children of yours, whom we will now baptize, are not yet able to collaborate, to manifest their
faith. For this reason, your presence, dear fathers and mothers, and yours, dear godfathers and
godmothers, acquires a special value and significance. Always watch over your little ones, so that they
may learn to know God as they grow up, love him with all their strength and serve him faithfully. May
you be their first educators in faith, offering together with your teaching also the examples of a
coherent Christian life. Teach them to pray and to feel as living members of the concrete family of God,
of the Ecclesial Community.
(Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, 7 January 2007)
Pope Benedict, while speaking in a general way to all parents, may well have been personally speaking
to you, as you ask for Baptism for your child.
He highlights the ‘special value and significance’ of parents, and godparents too, recognising that there
is no greater influence on a child than that of the parents – grounding their love in God , known and
experienced in and through each other. This very human and bodily love of two people has created a
child. In your love you have held hands with God and been co-creators with him in bringing new life into
existence. What a special work of parents!
But it doesn’t stop there. Along with the sleepless nights, the dirty nappies and the crying for reasons
unknown comes the first smile, first tooth and first step. Over the years to come there will be many
‘firsts,’ some delightful and some not. In all of the daily living, parents will be the models, guides and
teachers in a way that no others can.
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The same is also true for you as the “first educators in faith” of your children. Just as children learn to
smile because you smile at them; learn to brush their teeth because they see you brush yours; and in
later years learn to drive a car by watching your driving patterns first, they will learn to love God
because they see you loving God. They will see in the way you live your faith, what they need to learn
for themselves – that they are living in the midst of the presence of God, and that they have a very
special relationship with Him with their own particular mission to carry out.
This is why your most important preparation for your Child’s baptism is to look at your own faith first. If
modelling is the way children learn then spending some time ensuring that your model of faith will lead
them to grow in faith is surely a good thing. That’s why we invite you to participate in two sessions of
preparation before arranging the baptism of your child.
The first, Session A, gives time and opportunity to reflect on what it means to call oneself a Christian.
Just as birth has introduced your child into the world where it will live its life, Baptism introduces the
person into the very action of the life of Christ. St Paul says:
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptised into his
death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans
6:3-4).
Paul’s phrase is bold; he wants to bring out that the Christian is not merely identified with Christ - but is
introduced into the very act of the life of Christ…the paschal mystery…of his living and suffering and
death and resurrection. In Baptism you yourself have been brought into this relationship with Christ and
have been given the power to live God’s self-emptying love for the world. Once established in Baptism,
this relationship with God is irrevocable.
In very practical terms then, Session A will explore how you as a baptized person live out that baptism in
your world.
The second, Session B, will focus on the Sacrament of Baptism as it will be celebrated for your child. It
will consider the various symbols, words and actions of the liturgy and will help you and your family to
plan to celebrate as fully and as prayerfully as you would wish.
The Rite of Baptism speaks very clearly of the responsibilities of both parents and godparents, and it
implies the responsibility of the community to support and help you. In offering these two sessions,
which we hope both parents will attend, we believe we are accepting our responsibility to encourage
and support you as the first teachers of faith for your family.
I look forward to meeting you and warmly welcoming you and your family into our worshipping
community.
Veronica Biddle
(Pastoral Associate)
4
St Christopher’s Church
Camp Road
Anglesea Vic 3230
Nazareth Church
Griffith Street
Grovedale Vic 3216
St Therese Church
Surfcoast Highway
Torquay Vic 3228
Mass Times
Saturday 5:30 pm EST 6:30 pm EDT
First Friday 10:30 am
Mass Times
Sunday 10:30 am
Thursday 10:00 am
Mass Times
Sunday 8:45 am
Wednesday 9:30 am
Reconciliation
After Mass Saturday by request
Reconciliation
Saturday 12 noon
Reconciliation
After Mass Wednesday
Baptism Celebration
12.30 – 2nd Sunday of the month
Or during Mass
(Baptism Preparation Required)
Baptism Celebration
12 noon – 3rd Sunday of the month
Or during Mass
(Baptism Preparation Required)
Baptism Celebration
12.30 – 4th Sunday of the month
Or during Mass
(Baptism Preparation Required)
PARISH PRIEST
Fr Linh Tran
PASTORAL ASSOCIATE
Veronica Biddle – Ph: 0407 870 526
veronica.biddle@cam.org.au
PARISH OFFICE HOURS (Lynette / Liz)
9 am – 1 pm weekdays
WEDDINGS
Contact Parish House during office
hours at least 6 months prior to
wedding date.
BAPTISM PREPARATION NIGHT
2nd & 4th Wednesday Monthly, 7:30pm
Parish House
18 Griffith Street
Grovedale Vic 3216
PARISH SCHOOLS
NAZARETH CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
14-16 Griffith Street, Grovedale 3216
Principal: Paul Cahir
Phone: 5243 0502 – Fax: 5243 7704
ST THERESE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Grossmans Rd, Torquay 3228
Principal: Pauline Audley
Phone: 5261 4246 – Fax: 5261 6221
5
2012 Dates for Preparation - 7:30pm - 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month.
No Preparation in
January 2012
8th & 22nd February
14th & 28th March
11th & 25th April
9th & 23rd May
13th & 27th June
11th & 25th July
8th & 22nd August
12th
10th
14th
Please note change here
due to Christmas
&
26th
September
&
24th
October
&
28th
November
5th & 19th December
Baptism Dates for 2012
(Please allow 2 months from your initial enquiry)
Please Note.
1. There will be no baptisms during August – Fr Linh will be away on Annual Leave
2. Because Easter is the time when we celebrate the Resurrection and the new life of
the Risen Christ, it is very appropriate to also celebrate Baptisms during the Easter
period of April 8 till May 27. You might like to be aware of this as you plan your
ceremony.
St Christopher’s Church, Camp Road. Anglesea 3230
Welcoming Masses may be any Saturday except the 2nd Saturday.
Baptisms will be celebrated on the 2nd weekend of the month: either
during mass at the Saturday evening Mass and after Mass on Sunday at 12.30pm.
11/12 February
7/8 July
10/11 March
8/9 September
7/8 April (Easter)
13/14 October
12/13 May
10/11 November
9/10 June
8/9 December
Nazareth Church, Griffith Street, Grovedale 3216
Welcoming Masses may be any Sunday except the 3rd Sunday.
Baptisms will only be celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of the month:
either during 10:30am Mass on Sunday morning, or after Mass at 12 noon.
19 February
15 July
18 March
16 September
15 April
21 October
20 May
18 November
17 June
16 December
St Therese Church, Surfcoast Highway, Torquay 3228
Welcoming Masses may be any Sunday except the 4th Sunday.
Baptisms will only be celebrated on the 4th Sunday of the month:
either during 8:45am Mass on Sunday morning, or after Mass at 12 noon.
26 February
22July
25 March
23 September
22 April
28 October
27 May
25 November
24 June
23 December
Please be
aware that
Baptisms
during Mass
in June will
be difficult
due to the
reception of
1st Eucharist
on several
Sundays.
REMINDER FOR YOUR NOTICE BOARD
DATE OF PREPARATION NIGHT MEETINGS
A………………………………
DATE OF WELCOMING MASS
………………………………………………………………………….
DATE OF BAPTISM
………………………………………………………………………….
CHURCH
…………………………………..……….
TIME
B……………………………………
…………………………………..
6

Please fill in all details below, tear off and return to the Parish Office in the self addressed provided.
CHILD’S DETAILS (PLEASE PRINT)
Requested date of Baptism
………………………………………………………………
Church
Time
………………………….
………………..
Priest ……………………..………………………
Child’s Surname
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Child’s Given Names
………………………………………………………………………
Child’s Date of Birth
………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………….
Child: Male

Female

Date of Preparation Meeting A……………………………………………….…………….
Attended YES NO 
Date of Preparation Meeting B……………………………………….…………………….
Attended YES NO 
Date of Welcoming Mass……………………………………………………..…………..…..
Attended YES NO 
PARENT’S DETAILS (PLEASE PRINT)
Father
…………………………………………………………..……………………………………
Religion
………………………….
Mother (Maiden Name)
…………………………………………………..……………………………………………
Religion
………………………….
Street Address
………………………………………………………..………………………………………
Suburb
………………………………………………………………..………………………………
Post Code
…………………………………
How long have you lived at this address?
…………………..
Years
Home Phone
………………………………………………………………..………………………………
Mobile
………………………………..
Email
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
GODPARENT’S DETAILS (PLEASE PRINT)
1. Usually 2 Godparents are required.
2. At least one Godparent must be a catholic who has received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and
Confirmation and is over the age of 16.
1. Godparent …………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
2. Godparent…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
3. Godparent………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
4. Godparent………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
SIBLINGS (PLEASE PRINT)
Name ………………..………………… DOB ………………..
Name ………………..………………… DOB ………………..
Name ………………..…………………. DOB ………………..
Name ………………..………………… DOB ………………..

For second child
CHILD’S DETAILS (PLEASE PRINT)
Requested date of Baptism
………………………………………………………………
Church
Time
………………………….
………………..
Priest ……………………..………………………
Child’s Surname
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Child’s Given Names
………………………………………………………………………
Child’s Date of Birth
………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………….
Child: Male

Female

Date of Preparation Meeting A……………………………………………….…………….
Attended YES NO 
Date of Preparation Meeting B……………………………………….…………………….
Attended YES NO 
Date of Welcoming Mass……………………………………………………..…………..…..
Attended YES NO 
PARENT’S DETAILS (PLEASE PRINT)
Father
…………………………………………………………..……………………………………
Religion
………………………….
Mother (Maiden Name)
…………………………………………………..……………………………………………
Religion
………………………….
Street Address
………………………………………………………..………………………………………
Suburb
………………………………………………………………..………………………………
Post Code
…………………………………
How long have you lived at this address?
…………………..
Years
Home Phone
………………………………………………………………..………………………………
Mobile
………………………………..
Email
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
GODPARENT’S DETAILS (PLEASE PRINT)
3. Usually 2 Godparents are required.
4. At least one Godparent must be a catholic who has received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and
Confirmation and is over the age of 16.
2. Godparent …………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
2. Godparent…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
3. Godparent………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
4. Godparent………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Religion
Catholic 
Other 
If Catholic, please tick Sacraments received.
Baptism 
Eucharist 
Confirmation 
SIBLINGS (PLEASE PRINT)
Name ………………..………………… DOB ………………..
Name ………………..………………… DOB ………………..
Name ………………..…………………. DOB ………………..
Name ………………..………………… DOB ………………..