The Sacrament of Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism is often called "The door of the Church," because it is the first of the seven sacraments not only in time (since most Catholics receive it as infants) but in priority since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Once baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church. Traditionally, the rite (or ceremony) of baptism was held outside the doors of the main part of the church, to signify this fact.
Procedures for Scheduling Baptisms
1. Parents should either be registered members of Corpus Christi Parish or have permission from their home parish priest to have their child baptized at Corpus Christi.
2. Since welcoming new Christians into the Church through baptism is a community event,
we do not schedule private baptisms. Baptisms are held every fourth Sunday of the month during any of the weekend Mass Times
· Saturday 4:30pm
· Sunday 6:30am, 9:30am or 1:00pm
3. Documents needed:
· Completed Baptismal Registration Form (form attached)
· Birth Certificate for the child to be baptized
· Church Marriage Certificate of parents. No certificate is needed if parents were married at Corpus Christi. If parents are not married through the church, they are required to set up a meeting with Fr. Jim Hedderman.
· Completed Baptismal Godparent Eligibility Form for each Godparent.
4. Parents and Godparents must attend a MANDATORY Baptismal Preparation class. The preparation classes are conducted on the second SATURDAY of each month at 2:00 pm.
To limit interruptions during the class, please make arrangements for childcare.
NO CHILDREN PLEASE. Sign up for the class can ONLY be done by coming into the parish office. Same day sign-ups are not accepted.
5. There is never any cost for the sacrament of Baptism at Corpus Christi Catholic Church.
6. Please return all completed and required documents to the Parish Office at least TWO WEEKS prior to the chosen Baptismal date. BAPTISMS WILL ONLY BE SCHEDULED ONCE ALL PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.