Who may be a Godparent?
The Church requires that each child to be baptised have at
least one godparent. A godparent is a model or an example of
Christian life to a young child as the child grows into
adulthood. The role of a godparent involves the sharing of the
faith and the development of a close relationship with the
child.
The following points should be borne in mind when choosing
godparents. The godparent's role is a spiritual one. Each
godparent must be a baptised Christian who is practising their
faith. Godparents must be old enough to fulfil their
responsibilities, which means being at least 16 years of age.
The minimum number is one: the maximum number is four
and at least one of the godparents should be a practising
Roman Catholic.
CELEBRATING THE
BAPTISM OF YOUR
CHILD
AT
ST MARGARET’S,
CANNING TOWN
Parish Priest: Fr Dan Mason
Parish Office: 0207 4764129
The desire for Baptism among parents
The Baptism of your child provides an opportunity for you to
review your own Christian life and spirituality. You are saying
that you want to share your living Catholic faith with your
child.
The desire for Baptism for a child must be accompanied by the
very serious commitment to raise the child within a faith
community of believers and to educate the child in the truths
of the Catholic faith. It is presumed that a central part of this
commitment and education is regular attendance at the parish
Sunday Mass.
If you are not married, you are strongly encouraged to
talk to Father Dan about requesting the sacrament of marriage
when you see him to discuss the baptism arrangements.
Baptism is only the beginning
The desire for Baptism is part of a process of initiation into the
Christian life and the Catholic community. It is only the first
step, later to be deepened by Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.
The Church chooses to baptise babies and children when it is
sure that the Catholic faith of the parents/guardians will
support, strengthen and bring to maturity the Christian life
begun at Baptism.
The rite of Baptism clearly emphasises the importance of the
parental responsibility in making a personal and firm
commitment.
Preparation for Baptism
Before a child can be baptised at St Margaret’s, parents must
first see Father Dan at his weekly surgery which takes place
every Monday from 6pm to 8pm in the Parish Centre. You
don’t need to make an appointment but you will need to bring
with you some proof that one of you has been baptised in the
Catholic Church (a copy of your baptism certificate or a letter
from the parish you were baptised in will suffice).
After he has seen a copy of your baptism certificate he will
then give you a form which you will need to fill in. Before
returning the form you will need to have it signed three times
by Father Dan at the end of Mass to indicate that you have
been going to one of the weekend Masses for at least three
weeks.
You will then need to attend two preparation classes which
take place on Saturdays at 12.30pm in the Parish Centre.
Details of when these sessions take place are available from
the Parish Office. At these preparation classes you will return
the form and choose a date for when you would like the
baptism to take place.
Baptisms will not take place unless the priest is satisfied that
the child being baptised is going to be brought up as a
practising Catholic.
The Baptism Service
Baptisms at St Margaret’s usually take place on the second and
fourth Saturdays of the month at 12pm. It is a good idea to
contact the Parish Office a week before your child’s baptism to
confirm the time of the service.
At the Baptism Service we ask that you bring a white shawl
with you to wrap around your child after they have been
baptised. It is also customary to give a donation to the priest
who is celebrating the Service. There will be a collection at the
end of the service in order for you to do this. How much you
give is left entirely to your discretion.
Please note: photography is not allowed during the service.