Baptism

Infant baptism

From the early days of the church, the practice of infant baptism has been a part of the Church. Baptism
presumes the acceptance of a new way of life. Parents of children to be baptized are asked to profess
their faith and to accept the responsibility of introducing the child to the Christian way of life. The priests
and the parish are ready to help in this process.

Sacrament of the Church

The baptism of a child is an important moment in the life of the family. It is also an important moment in
the life of the parish community into which the child is baptized. Therefore, batpsims at St. Timothy's are
generally celebrated within our regularly scheuled Sunday liturgies, when the parish assembles for Sunday
Eucharist. In this way, the sacrament will be experienced as a true sacrament of the Church as the
community welcomes your child into the parish. The children who are baptized at St. Timothy's are
normally the children of parents who are members of our parish. If parents from other parishes wish to
have their child baptized at St. Timothy's, you may need special permission from your home parish.

Celebrated in Liturgical Time

We celebrate baptism in the context of liturgical time. In the liturgical year, the season of Easter is the
great moment of baptism. Another great moment is the feast of the baptism of the Lord in January. We
celebrate baptism at these times and also once a month on the Sundays of Ordinary Time. Baptisms are
not usually celebrated during Lent. If there is an emergency situation with the health of the baby, we can
baptize the child immediately at any time of the year. Please speak directly with our priest in this case.

Preparation

Prior to each scheduled baptism, we will hold a catechesis session for parents. This is a chance for
parents to reflect on the life of faith, the church, and the sacrament of baptism. These gatherings will be
an overview of the sacrament with practical suggestions of rasing children in the life of faith. Godparents
are also invited to this catechesis session. The St. Timothy Parish baptism preparation program is
conducted by lay ministers under the guidance of the parish staff.

Godparents

Parents are to select at least one godparent for their child, usually both a godfather and a godmother.
The role of these godparents is to sponsor the child for the sacrament and to provide the parents with
support in rasing the child in the faith. It is expected that the godparents lead a Christian life. A
godparent must be a Catholic who is at least 16 years old and has been baptized, confirmed and
participates in the celebration of the eucharist. A baptized person of another Christian Church may serve
as a "Christian Witness" in lieu of a second godparent.

After the baptism

Baptism is the beginning of a life of faith. Parents are the first teachers of their children in the ways of
faith. St. Timothy's provides many programs to assist you in that task including weekly play groups for
small children and formal religious education starting in kindergarten. We welcome parents at any time to
speak with the parish staff regarding any questions of parenting children in the faith.

To register for baptism at St. Timothy's:

Please call the church office 769-2522. If you have any questions, please speak with Colleen Campion,
Director of Liturgy, or one of our priests.