Infant Baptism
We are committed to giving parents, the first educators in the faith, the tools to help them raise their children in the faith, and godparents an understanding of how to support the parents in this glorious task.
When should we register?
Because the Church recommends that the baptism take place shortly after the birth of a baby, parents are encouraged to register for Baptism preparation during pregnancy. No baptism date is given until your preparation is complete.
How do we prepare?
After registering, parents attend sessions that are designed to connect you to the faith community, inspire you and your family wherever you are on your journey of faith and prepare you for a rich experience receiving the Sacrament of Baptism.
The Baptism Preparation Course includes 2 sessions and online content.
Who attends the sessions?
Our parish baptism sessions are designed for families baptising their child at Hemel East Catholic Parish. Both parents should attend each session.
For registered parishioners who have been asked to be a godparent of a child whose baptism will take place at another parish, email us as we are exploring alternate options to support you.
Should we retake the sessions?
If you've already taken the classes at Hemel East within the past three years, you do not need to retake them. Just let us know when and you attended a baptism course by providing a letter or certificate from the parish with that information.
““For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parents’ help is important. So too is the role of the godparents, who must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptised child or adult on the road of Christian life. ””
Choosing Godparents
Godparents have an essential role in the lives of those receiving the Sacrament of Baptism. Following are some helpful guidelines to remember as you select your godparents.
What is the role of a Godparent?
The role of the godparent is to be a Christian role model for the child. He or she should be a mature Christian who will establish a lifelong faith relationship and will be willing to walk with the child on his or her faith journey.
Who chooses the Godparents?
The parents of the child select the godparents. The parents of the child are not permitted to act as a godparent for their child’s baptism. A godparent should be someone who will be a part of the child’s life on a continuing basis and be an excellent example of living the Catholic faith. If you are struggling to identify a godparent, please let us know if we can help you brainstorm possibilities!
How old should the Godparents be?
Godparents should be at least 16 years old. The role of godparent is an adult role, so be sure that if you ask a young person to carry out this duty that he or she is mature enough to fulfil the tasks.
Must Godparents be Catholic?
Yes, only fully initiated (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) Catholics who attend Mass regularly are eligible to be godparents. If your chosen godparent lives outside our parish, they will be asked to proved a letter from their parish priest to say they attend mass regularly.
An unbaptised or non-Christian person may not be a godparent for Baptism.
If you have potential godparents who have not yet been confirmed and live in our parish, please let us know and we can work toward helping them to be fully initiated into the Church.
How many Godparents should we have?
We recommend selecting two godparents for your child, but you may decide to have only one. If you choose two godparents, one must be male and the other must be female, and both must meet all the requirements.