“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit." John 3:5
The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. . . . Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.
In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ’s call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love. see United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
It is with great joy that we celebrate the initiation of new members into the Catholic Church. Infant baptisms are scheduled monthly during all three of our weekend liturgies – usually on the weekend that corresponds with the second Sunday of the month, except during the liturgical seasons of Advent, Lent, or if there is some other scheduling conflict. We celebrate Baptism by immersion in accord with the Church’s ancient tradition.
Since Baptism is a sacrament of initiation and welcome into a believing community, active and practicing membership is expected of the parents. In addition, participation in a preparation session for all parents is required by Church law. This session focuses on the background of the sacrament, the meaning behind the symbolism and ritual, and is an introduction to the role of parents in their child’s faith formation as members of the Christian community.
Godparents: Each child may have a godfather and a godmother, although only one is required. Please click on the link below to see more guidelines to help you choose godparents.
The parish expects that parents presenting a child for Baptism must have already familiarized themselves with our baptismal practice and customs by attendance at a weekend liturgy which included infant baptism.
Please call the Christian formation office for further information about scheduling the preparation session and the date of the baptism.
Contact: (262) 375-6500, Ext. 120 / cfoffice@stjosephgrafton.org