Baptism is a sacrament given to people of all ages, in order to initiate them into the Catholic Church and begin their process towards a fuller understanding of the Lord. Older children or adults receive this sacrament as part of the RCIA.

Scheduling

Congratulations on the birth of your child. This is an exciting time for you as well as a blessing for your family. The Church welcomes your addition with great joy and is excited that you have chosen to celebrate your infant’s Baptism here at Saint Columban Parish.

 

Baptism, like any of the Sacraments, is a communal celebration.  The primary time for the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism is at the Easter Vigil. In the early Church, all Baptisms were celebrated during the Vigil Celebration unless it was a situation of the person being near death.  As the Church grew and expanded, she began to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism on other Sundays, particularly at the Sunday liturgy.

 

At Saint Columban Parish, there are two normal preferences for the celebration of the Sacrament. First is at the Sunday (or Saturday evening) Mass.  This is possible on most weekends when no other special liturgical celebration is scheduled at the requested Mass.

The second option is at a community Baptism celebration on a Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM.  The baptism may be scheduled if no other functions are already scheduled in the church at that time.

 

One restriction is that we do not normally celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism during the season of Lent or on a Holy Day feast of the Church.

 

Requirements

Baptism instructions are required for all first time parents.  They are normally conducted at 1:00 PM in the school faculty room on the first Sunday of every other month (February, April, June, August, October, and December).  The one time session lasts approximately one and a quarter hours and reservations are not needed. Both parents are requested to attend.

 

Before scheduling a Baptism, please request a form from the Parish Office. For any questions, please contact Deacon Jim Miller at the Parish Office: 683-0105