Baptism in the Catholic Church

Baptism in the Catholic Church

Ashleigh Vella

What is Baptism?• Baptism is an initiation into the Catholic Church.

Through Baptism, we form and confirm our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church.

Order of the Ceremony• The Sign of the Cross

• The Proclamation of the Word• Baptismal Promises• Baptism with Water

• Anointing with the Chrism• Farewell

The Sign of the Cross• ‘The sign of the cross … marks with theimprint of Christ the one who is going to

belong to him and signifies the grace of theredemption Christ won for us by his cross.’

(CCC 1235)• The sign of the cross is used a number of

times throughout the Baptismal Ceremony to remind us of Christ.

The Proclamation of the Word

• The proclamation of the Word of God reminds the candidate of the faith we need to share in

God.It reminds us that Baptism is the sacramental entry into the Catholic Church and the life of

faith.

Baptismal Promises• During the Baptismal ceremony, Baptismal Promises are made on behalf of the child that

is getting Baptised. They are based on the Apostles Creed and usually take place around the Baptismal Font, before the baptism with

water.

Baptism with Water• During the Baptism with water, the priest pours water of

the head of the person receiving the sacrament of Baptism. He will use the words

“I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

• Water is used as a sign of cleansing – symbolically meaning the person baptised is free from all sin.

The Anointing• During the anointing, two different oils are

used – the Oil of Baptism and the Oil of Chrism. The anointing with the Chrism

signifies the newly Baptised has received the Holy Spirit.

Other Important Information

The God Parents• A Godparent is a member of the church who

symbolically welcomes your child into the church, and acts as a witness of faith to the

recipient of the sacrament of Baptism.• A Godparent is a role model who aims to install the Catholic Beliefs in the recipient of

Baptism throughout their lives.

Baptism Candle• The Baptismal Candle is lit from the Paschal Candle.• The candle is presented to the newly Baptised member of the church, this is a sign of the light of Christ.

White Garment• A white garment may be worn during the

sacrament of baptism. This is a sign of purity and a new found relationship with

Christ.

Teacher Resources• http://www.request.org.uk/infants/milestones/baby/infbapt_infant.pdf• http://www.dltk-bible.com/baptism_rhyme.htm• http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/jesus/index.htm• http://www.dltk-bible.com/jesus/baptism_puzzle.htm• http://www.dltk-bible.com/cv/jesus_is_baptized-cv.htm• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzpu5Ql1THk• http://www.sosj.org.au/index.cfm• http://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/• http://www.cam.org.au/Catholic-Faith/Sacraments/Baptism.aspx• http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0285.html