|
The Sacrament of Baptism is administered every Sunday at 1:30pm
in the Church. As baptism is a community celebration,
there may be more than one family having a child baptized.
Only registered parishioners can have their children baptized at the parish,
otherwise parents/guardians need permission from their own parish.
A letter of eligibility, also called a letter of sponsorship is required
from the godparents if they are not members of the parish.
Attendance of a baptismal preparation class is required for both parents and godparents.
If a child is older and the child or parents/guardians wish to celebrate
the Sacrament at another time; please contact the co-director of ministries
Mr. Jack Averell for further information at 954-473-6261 Ext 167.
If you are an adult and wish to be baptized,
please contact the co-director Mr. Jack Averell of ministries at 954-473-6261 Ext 167.
|
 |
Requirements for the Sacrament of Baptism
Both parents and godparents are required to have completed Baptism Preparation which entails baptism registration and baptism preparation class.
Baptism Registration
Those seeking to have their child baptized at St. Gregory Church are required to register for Baptism by contacting the Ministry Office at telephone (954) 473-6261, ext. 167. Please be prepared to provide names and addressed for parents, godparents and parish affiliation; name of child, date of birth, place of birth and copy of birth certificate.
Click here
to download the
Baptism Registration Information Sheet (PDF)
. You can print and complete it before your appointment if you wish.
Back to contents
 |
Baptism Preparation Class
Both parents and godparents must attend a Baptism Preparation Class. The Baptism Preparation Class is offered once each month, normally on the second Monday of the month, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and normally in the Parish Center. Those attending should have first made an appointment with the Ministry Office to complete the Baptism Registration form (see above). If you are unable to attend the Baptismal Preparation Class for which you are registered, please contact the rectory to reschedule. Please note that if the parents and godparents have not attended the required baptism preparation class, it will not be possible to have the child baptized.
Godparents may attend a Baptism Preparation Class at their home parish of convenience. They will be required to provide a copy of their Record of Attendance to our Rectory. In addition, they need to provide a “Letter of Eligibility” from their home parish, which identifies them as a practicing Catholic in good standing who has received their sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation) and are eligible to be godparents.
Back to contents
|
An Explanation of the Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism
Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments, and it is one that all the Christian denominations share in common, even though each religion baptizes at different ages and some in different ways. As baptism leaves an indelible mark on the soul, a person can only be baptized once in their lives.
In the eyes of the Catholic Church, any baptism that uses water and the formula “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” is a valid baptism.
Back to contents
Becoming a Member of the Catholic Family
Through baptism you become a member of God’s family. A baptized person becomes a brother or sister of Jesus, with God as their Father and Mary, as Mother of Jesus, as their spiritual mother. Equally, as you are baptized in the Catholic Church, the newly baptized person establishes ties with a spiritual family in the Catholic Church and with fellow Christians.
Also through baptism, the newly baptized become members of their local parish and diocese. These communities are sometimes referred to as families also. For example, if a person is baptized at St. Gregory parish they join the family of St. Gregory. As St. Gregory’s is a part of the Archdiocese of Miami, they join the family of the Archdiocese of Miami also!
Back to contents
Why Baptism: What happens to your child in the sacrament?
Baptism welcomes us into the Church and forms us into God’s people. It is the sacrament through which a person accepts Christ’s call to salvation and the Kingdom of God as a member of the Catholic Church. It is the beginning of your child’s life in Jesus. Through the grace of the sacrament, your child will take on the attitude of Jesus. This is what our Catholic identity is all about. Your child will become a Christian, another Christ living in the world and be welcomed as a part of our St. Gregory Parish family with whom the journey to the Father begins.
Back to contents
|
 |
What religious values do you hope to pass on to your child? Are you ready to make this commitment to your child by LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?
Your Role as a Parent: Why do want your child baptized?
Parents are the primary Christian Role Models for their children. To learn the name of God, your child must first hear it from your lips and the lips of others – just as you did. To “know” God, your child needs to be able to feel divine love in the warmth of your arms and in the mutual care lived in the circle of family and Church.
Do you “know” who your parish family is? Does your parish family “know” who you are?
Worshiping each Sunday together as a family teaches children that God comes first in their lives and that their parish family is also there to support them when in need. Worshiping and praying regularly gives your child a solid foundation on which he/she can develop a strong relationship with God. Teaching your child to pray can be the greatest gift you give your child which can be a guide throughout their lives. Let your child experience saying grace before meals as a family and pray the Our Father and Hail Mary each night. Your child will learn these prayers only if you pray with them. Being a part of St. Gregory’s Parish Family can instill a sense of service in your child through active participation in parish groups and programs.
Back to contents
The Role of Godparents and Who can be a Godparent
Every person who is baptized has a sponsor. The sponsors are more commonly known as godparents. The role of the godparents is to provide support and assistance to the parents in raising the baptized in the faith. This can be from teaching the children how to pray, to being examples of charity to helping the parents in teaching them about the faith and Christian values.
 |
In the early Church when most of the people joining the Church were adults, they were often assigned a member of the Church known as a sponsor or witness. It was the sponsor’s responsibility to teach and show the person desiring to become a member of the Church what it meant to be a Christian. Then, on the day the person would join the Church through baptism (usually on Holy Saturday night of Holy Week) the sponsor would stand up in the community and guarantee or sponsor that the person about to be baptized understands, knows, accepts the teachings of the Church. Out of this tradition arose the public profession of faith by the parents/guardians and sponsors where they publicly profess belief in God and the Church. At baptisms today, this occurs just before the actual baptism itself.
As time went on and more and more people became members of the Church, parents who were being baptized often desired that their children too should be baptized. It was not uncommon for families to be baptized together. It is from this that the tradition of baptizing children arose.
Godparents are, along with the parents, the child’s guide on the Christian life journey. They will help shape the child’s faith by sharing their own in word and deed. In reflecting and praying about a godparent, it is important to think about what kind of person does the parent most hope their child will be? How can these Godparents be a role model to the faith for their child?
|
As such, the Church makes the following requirements of godparents
- There can only be one godparent of each gender – one godmother, one godfather
- A parent of the child cannot be a godparent
- The godparent must be 16 years or older
- Godparents must be practicing Catholics
- Godparents need to be already confirmed
Godparents should be committed Catholics who will provide a good example to your child as he/she matures in the faith. Godparents must be fully initiated (have received Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion) and be practicing Catholics.
If the Godparent is not a registered member of St. Gregory Church, he/she must present a certificate of eligibility from the parish in which he/she is registered. If the Godparents live out-of-town, they must attend a Baptismal Preparation Class at their home parish prior to the Baptism.
In addition to a Godparent, parents may choose a Christian Witness on behalf of their child. A Christian Witness is a baptized adult who will witness the Baptism and provide a good example to the child.
Back to contents
The Baptism Service and an explanation of the Rituals and Rites of Baptism
The Rite of Baptism is rich in rituals, symbols and meaning to reflect the rich theology and reality of what occurs with baptism. In the sacraments we encounter Christ. When words are inadequate we speak in gestures and signs. The language of ritual enables people to share events words cannot express. There are readings from Scripture often with reference to baptism from the Gospels and New Testament to anointing the child to the public declaration of faith by the parents and godparents of the person about to be baptized. The child is anointed twice. First with the Oil of Catechumen, and after the child is baptized, with the Oil of Chrism. These oils are blessed by the Bishop of the Diocese during Holy Week and sent to the various parishes.
The child is often dressed in a white baptismal gown as reminder and a symbol that through baptism, the child now belongs to God. Also, it is a reminder that when Jesus was placed in the tomb, he was dressed in a white cloth. Later, when the women went to the tomb, all they found was the cloth Jesus had been wrapped in! At Baptism the promise of Resurrection is offered to those who are baptized. As the baptized are called to share in the Resurrection, so at baptisms, they are presented with a baptismal candle lit from the Paschal Candle.
Baptism speaks with water, light, oil, and a white garment among other things and here is a brief description of some of the symbols used in the Sacrament of Baptism.
Water - symbolizes new life on earth in Christ.
Sign of the Cross - the mark of Christians for Jesus Christ died on the cross. Making the sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead signifies that the baby belongs to Christ and receives special graces from Christ to overcome the sufferings of life.
Oil (Chrism) - scented oil blessed by the Bishop on Holy Thursday. In Baptism we are anointed as a sign of the sharing in the ministry of Jesus.
White Garment - sign of innocence and the new life of resurrection.
Baptismal Candle - This symbolizes Christ – the Light of the World and the Resurrection.
Back to contents
|
 |
Baptism Washes Away Original Sin
The sacramental purpose of baptism or what occurs on the faith dimension of baptism is that it washes away Original Sin. In the Book of Genesis, God created man and woman in his own likeness, and named them Adam and Eve. Through disobedience to God (the original sin) not to eat from the tree, they were no longer able to live in the Garden of Eden.
Just as science shows that children inherit many traits from their parents such as eye color, on a spiritual level we inherit original sin. Original sin does not mean that the child has actually sinned, but means the child is affected by the first sin of Adam and Eve. Baptism washes away the effect of that Original Sin.
In addition to baptism washing away original sin, Baptism also imparts sanctifying grace or strength on the baptized. The baptized becomes a member of God’s family, a brother or sister to Jesus. This means that in baptism, the baptized is given the gift and merits of what Jesus accomplished from his life on earth with his suffering, death and resurrection. As members of God’s family, we are called to share in all these.
Back to contents
 |
Baptism with Water
The Gospels refer to the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist using water. The Gospel of John speaks of the necessity that one must be born again of water and the Holy Spirit. This is why only water is only allowed and permissible in the Sacrament of Baptism.
There are three types of baptism:
Immersion – fully immersing the person
Aspersion – sprinkling water on the forehead of the person
Infusion – pouring water over the head of the person
In the Catholic faith, it is traditional for a child to be baptized as an infant.
Back to contents
|
Summary of Requirements for Baptism
- Parents of the child to be baptized must already be registered members of St. Gregory’s Parish. They need then to contact the ministry office to register the baptism and if this is their first child or they did not have a baptism within a reasonable time, will be required to attend the Baptism Preparation Class.
- Godparents are required to be practicing Catholics who have already received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. They will be required to provide evidence of these facts by way of a Letter of Eligibility which they can get from their parish.
- Once the parents and godparents have completed the Baptismal Preparation Class, the parents may choose any Sunday they wish for their child’s Baptism.
- It is recommended that your child be dressed in white for the Baptism. Keep in mind that the priest must anoint the child’s chest during the celebration of the sacrament. Therefore, choose a garment that can be loosened around the neck.
- It is a custom here at St. Gregory’s Church to present your child with his/her individual Baptismal Candle and White Bib (White Garment) that will be used during the Service.
- There are no fees to have your child baptized at St. Gregory. If you wish to make a donation to the church at the time of your child’s Baptism, it would be appreciated.
- Baptisms are held each Sunday at 1:30pm in the Church. Please gather in the Church by 1:15pm so that the service may begin on time. The ceremony generally lasts about an hour.
Back to contents
|