Baptism
Baptism is the first sacrament of Christian initiation. It is the sacrament that frees a person from original sin and makes that person a member of Christ and His Church, thus being the way to a new and spiritual life. One must be baptized before sharing in any of the other sacraments. Baptism is the foundation for all ministry and life in the church, and confers a commitment to follow Christ and spread his message throughout the world. Furthermore, in baptism, one is incorporated into the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and thus participates in the gift of resurrection and eternal life with Christ.
Infants can be baptized soon after birth. At the time of baptism, parents vow to practice their faith and provide a Catholic upbringing for the child. Adults who have never been baptized take part in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), and will typically be baptized at the Easter Vigil. The Catholic Church recognizes baptisms from other Christian denominations that baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, a person can only be baptized once.
Baptism Protocol .
Group baptisms take place on the second Sunday of the month at 1pm at St. Mary's.
Group baptisms at Blessed Sacrament take place on the third Sunday of the month at 12:30pm.
There is a maximum of 4 babies at St. Mary's and 6 at Blessed Sacrament for each ceremony. We suggest masks be worn by all those over the age of 5. The church will be open 15 minutes before the ceremony.
Please feel free to contact our Baptism Coordinator at 508-668-4974 x115. You can leave a message and your call will be returned.
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Photo credit for baby being baptized: Flickr user Mike. Used under a Creative Commons license.
Photo credit for stained glass window: Fr. Lawrence Lew, OP. Used under a Creative Commons license.