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The Sacrament of Baptism

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

The Sacrament of Baptism: having your child baptised

We are delighted that you are considering having your child baptised. This is a sacred moment in your child’s life and marks the beginning of their friendship with Christ through the life of His Church. This is also an opportunity for you to thank God for the gift of your child and to renew your own commitment to the practice of your faith.

On the day of a child’s baptism, they are plunged into the death and resurrection of Christ. They are drenched in His divine life of love and mercy. From that moment onwards, the seed of this relationship with Christ is to be nurtured by their parents who are called to be “the first and best teachers of the faith by what they say and do.”

As parents, your child’s baptism is an opportunity for you to reflect on your own friendship with Christ and the ways in which it might grow stronger within the parish family.

There are three simple “steps” for all parents who are enquiring about the sacrament of baptism for their child:

The practise of your Faith

At a baptism, the priest or deacon says these words to the parents:

PRIEST/DEACON: You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him (her) in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him (her) up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbour. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?

PARENTS: We do.

These words indicate that the parents have freely asked to have their child baptised and that they are accepting “the responsibility of training him or her in the practice of the faith.”

Of course, parents can only train their child in the practice of the faith if they are meeting Christ weekly at Sunday Mass themselves. It is at Sunday Mass that Christ speaks to us as friends through his living word, the Sacred Scriptures, and feeds us with his own divine life in Holy Communion.

If you are practising your faith, then this is a grace-filled moment to deepen your friendship with Christ through his Church. The blessing of your child is also a moment of renewal for your own faith as you recognise the goodness of God and his plan for your family.

If you are not practising your faith, then Christ is inviting you to restore your relationship with him and re-establish the bonds of friendship with Him. The baptism of your child is also an opportunity for you to renew your own baptismal promises by joining the parish family at Sunday Mass. Find out more

However, if you have no desire or intention to practice your faith, then you must consider with what honesty and integrity you can answer “We do” on behalf of your child on the day of their baptism.

Belonging to the parish family

All the members of our parish family are valued and known to us. At the same time, they all willingly contribute weekly to the family household, the parish. Therefore, we are asking you to:

Please register so that we know that you are a member of the parish family. Even if you have registered in the past, we ask you to do so again in order that we can ensure that our parish database is up to date.

Please Register your details on the Parish Database

If possible, please set up a standing in order to contribute to the running costs, work, and mission of the parish family. Thank you in advance for your generosity and for your support of our parish.

Set up a standing order

If you are a tax payer please use the Cathedral Gift Aid scheme to increase the value of your gift without any cost to you.

If you have any queries or need any help registering or setting up a standing order please contact the parish Gift Aid organiser, Lorna Green on 01277 205923 or giftaid-brentwoodcathedral@brcdt.org

Preparing for your child’s baptism

To help parents reflect on the meaning of baptism and the celebration of a baptism, we require parents to attend two sessions:

Session 1: What is baptism?

Session 2: What happens at a baptism?

It is important that both parents of the child attend both sessions in order that they have a clear idea of the commitments that they will make on behalf of their child. If you are a single parent we invite you to attend.

If possible, it would be helpful if parents could arrange child care while they attend these sessions. This will give you and those attending a bit of time and space to reflect on the sessions.

Session 1 and Session 2 will take place in the Cathedral Small Hall.

Once you have completed Step 2 above, please book on to these sessions by emailing the parish office or telephoning 01277 265235.

Only when parents have completed all three “steps” and have attended both sessions, can they contact the parish office to arrange a date for their child’s baptism.

Restrictions during the Covid pandemic showed that baptisms with small numbers of people proved to be intimate, prayerful and more respectful.

Parents who have enjoyed such baptisms comment on how this experience is spiritually more meaningful and less stressful in terms of organisation.

Many parents are now deciding to have godparents and immediate family at the Church for the baptism of their child, and then inviting other guests to join them for any celebration afterwards.

We encourage parents to think seriously about those they will invite to this sacred moment in their child’s life.

The dates for the Baptismal Preparation sessions

February 2024

Session 1: What is Baptism?Saturday 3rd February 9.30 -10.30 am
Session 2: What happens at a Baptism?Saturday 10th February 9.30 -10.30 am 

March 2024

Session 1: What is Baptism?Saturday 2nd March 9.30 -10.30 am
Session 2: What happens at a Baptism?Saturday 9th March 9.30 -10.30 am 

No course in April

May 2024

Session 1: What is Baptism?Saturday 4th May 9.30 -10.30 am
Session 2: What happens at a Baptism?Saturday 18th May 9.30 -10.30 am 

June 2024

Session 1: What is Baptism?Saturday 8th June 9.30 -10.30 am
Session 2: What happens at a Baptism?Saturday 29th June 9.30 -10.30 am