The Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism is the door to life and the kingdom of God. Christ offered this first sacrament of the new law to all that they might have eternal life. He entrusted this sacrament and the gospel to his Church when he told his apostles: ‘Go, make disciples of all nations, and Baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ It is the role of the father and mother, accompanied by the Godparents, to present their child to the Church for Baptism.
Baptisms are held on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sunday of each month at 11.30am in Holy Family Church, Gowrie.
Please contact the Parish Office, phone 6291 6688 or email tuggeranongsouth@cg.org.au to book the date for your child/s Baptism before making any other celebration bookings. Dates fill quickly and the date you would like may not always be available.
Baptism Preparation
Baptism Preparation sessions are held on the First Tuesday of the month (No sessions available in January) at 7pm in the Parish Centre, Gowrie.
BOOKINGS ARE REQUIRED SO PLEASE CONTACT THE PARISH OFFICE.
If this is your first child to be Baptised, or if you haven’t done so with your previous children, or it has been 3 years since your last child was Baptised, you will need to attend a Baptism Preparation Session. These sessions are held at 7pm on the 1st Tuesday of the month in the Parish Centre at Gowrie (next to the Parish Office) for approx an hour.
If your child is 7+ years an alternative preparation program is undertaken which allows active participation for child and parent, suitable to your child’s age. This can be arranged through the Parish Office.
How to Book
Once you have confirmed the date with the Parish Office, you need to book and pay for the Baptism using Mastercard Qkr! (otherwise known as the Qkr! App and it is the same one which the schools use). If you don’t already have the app, you can download it to either your home computer or your phone:
1. For your home computer – Go to Home | Qkr! by MasterCard (qkrschool.com) and sign up or on your mobile device – go to your App Downloader and search for Qkr! by Mastercard.
2. Once you are in, search for “South Tuggeranong” (our parish logo will show).
3. Create a profile (using your name and credit/debit card). You will see the menu for Baptism Booking. Your child’s booking is complete when you receive an acknowledgement email.
Welcoming Mass
The Baptism Request form also asks for families to nominate their preferred time to attend a Welcoming Mass on the weekend of the Baptism. The first part of the baptism ceremony is Welcoming. This is done during Mass on the weekend of the baptism. Options are Sat 6pm, Sun 8am or 10am. If you could let us know which mass you would like to attend we will let the priest know to expect you at that Mass. Attendance at this Mass is an essential part of the Baptism celebration as it allows the Parish community to offer their prayers and support to the family and their child. The parents and child need to be present, Godparents are also welcome.
Godparents
The Code of Canon Law (c.873-874) states that there is to be one Catholic Godfather and one Catholic Godmother, both over the age of 16. They must have been Confirmed, received the Blessed Eucharist and must live a life of faith that is fitting for a Godparent. However, if there is only one Catholic Godparent the other must be Baptised in another Christian Church and is therefore a Christian Witness.
A Godparent cannot be the mother or father of the person being baptised. Atheists, agnostics and non-baptised Christians cannot be Godparents nor Christian Witnesses.
NB: Only the two Godparents will be entered into our Parish Register and placed on the child’s certificate.
Administration Fee
The administration fee for this Sacrament assists with the costs associated with Baptism
preparation, time taken with bookings, preparation of the certificate, purchase of bibs & candles
and registration into the Sacramental Register.
This fee of $100 for 1 child, $160 for 2 children (from the same family) and $220 for 3 or more children (from the same family) is greatly appreciated. If you are enrolling more than 2 siblings, please contact the Parish Office for booking to enable you to get the discount.
The Baptismal bib or stole, candle and certificate will be given to you at your child’s Baptism.