Page 18 - Water of Life Infant Baptism

In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body 1 Corinthians 12:13
They say
it takes a village to raise a child
That is certainly true of raising a child in the Catholic faith.
Presenting your child to the parish community underscores the fact that baptism is never a “private” sacrament. Faith is always a communal reality.
In the Presentation of your child, parishioners find encouragement in seeing new life flowing into their community. They are reminded
of the importance of their own baptism, of their responsibility to welcome new members and to set an example for children growing up in their parish.
In presenting your child we trust that you as parents will also find encouragement, not least in
the knowledge that there are parishioners praying for you and your child as the baptism day draws near.
4. Before the day of baptism
In many parishes there is the practice of parents “presenting” their child to the community as a candidate for baptism.
This is called the Presentation.
It takes place at a designated Mass on a Sunday prior to the day of baptism.
While parish practices vary, the basic steps are as follows:
After the homily the priest invites the parents to come forward with their child and stand before the congregation.
There is a warm word of introduction, welcoming the children to be baptised and their families.
The priest may also put to the parents and to the congregation a question about their readiness to support the faith of the child to be baptised. To this they indicate their assent (e.g., ‘Yes’; ‘I do’; ‘We will’)
The priest then prays for the child, and may include a simple preparatory ritual (such as anointing) which anticipates the day of baptism.
If there is to be a Presentation in your parish, these details will be explained to you in the baptism preparation meeting.
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