The Sacrament of Baptism
In Baptism, Christ unites us with himself. It is the Sacrament of regeneration in which Christ gives us Gods grace. Through Baptism, as through a door, we enter the Church, the Christian community. It is a celebration of initiation into Christianity. Just as Jesus died, was buried and rose again to a new life, so through the water of baptism one becomes dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus.This is a privilege and a responsibility to bear.
Classes
The decision to have a child Baptized is not to be taken lightly by the Church or parents. That is why some preparations are required. Before a child is presented for Baptism the parents should understand what Baptism is all about and above all, be honest in their decision. Parents are to be in good standing and practicing members of the Christian community into which their child is to enter. If not, it is better to wait till they themselves are living that life. They are, as the Rite of Baptism says, “to be witnesses of the Faith, by what they say and do.”
Parents who would like to have their infants Baptized should allow at least three months for the required preparation. Baptism classes are conducted by Parish staff in a group setting with other young families preparing for the Sacrament. The Baptisms are celebrated communally with other families who have participated in the preparation program.
As part of your baptismal preparation at St. Dominic’s, parents and godparents are asked to complete an on-line course at home prior to your baptismal preparation classes at the parish. This online course must be completed before you continue in the rest of the process. The web-based series is called REBORN and is available in both English and Spanish.
As a sign of the parish’s commitment in supporting the spiritual life of your family, St. Dominic’s is pleased to give you a free subscription to FORMED.ORG. Formed.org is a digital platform providing you and your family an impressive collection of entertaining movies, educational programs, inspiring talks, and a great selection of popular ebooks—all just a click away!
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Adapted for Children
Families who present to St. Dominic’s Church an unbaptized child (7 years of age and older) for the sacrament of baptism are, by virtue of their child’s age, their child’s desire, and without any law prohibiting, entitled to be fully initiated into the Church by conferral of the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation, at the proper time.
The proper time consist of a two-year process of formation in St. Dominic’s Faith Formation program coincident with the proper observance of the rites celebrated in the RCIA Adapted For Children in the child second year of formation culminating in the conferral of all the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. Unbaptized children in the parish religious education program will receive supplemental “initiatory” formation alongside the mainstream religious education curriculum.
Fully initiated children continue their religious education along with their peers as part of their overall need for continuous learning that is required to cooperate with and perfect the sacraments received.
Godparents
The role of the Godparent at Baptism is more than ceremonial. Each candidate as a Baptismal Godparent must ask themselves if their own integrity allows them to stand at the Altar and make a public profession that the faith we will speak in words is also the faith we practice. The role of Godparent does not; however, demand that you be a canonized saint. All of us must place ourselves at the mercy of God. We all have miles to go in Christian progress, yet we also know members of families, who have stopped attending Mass or rarely receive the Sacraments, and suddenly find themselves seeking Baptism for their child or asked to be a Godparent. If you, or your chosen Godparent, find yourself in a similar situation, we invite you to let this moment be a real opportunity to grow in the Spirit and in your own faith. That being said, the following is a list of requirements for at least one of the child’s participating Godparents:
- must be at least 16 years of age
- fully initiated into the Catholic Church through the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation
- if married, marriage has a blessing of a Catholic Church
- regularly participate in Sunday Mass and striving to live a life in harmony with the Church
- not the father or mother of the one to be Baptized
- will support the godchild by prayer and by Christian example in your daily life and serve as an example in encouraging the child to participate in the sacramental life of the Church
To request information about Baptism classes or dates call Debi Thurin at 707-335-4688 or email dthurin@stdombenicia.org
