Baptism

Infant / Child Baptism (up to 4 years of age): Infants are welcomed into the Catholic Church initially through the Sacrament of Baptism. Parents who wish to have their child baptised, are asked to attend a Baptism Preparation Night, which usually takes place on third Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm at St Anthony’s Church. Bookings are essential. Please phone the Parish Office on 3820 0100 to book in. As it is the parents who have the privilege and responsibility of raising their child in the faith of the Church, it is expected that their lives bear witness to this faith, and that they continue the commitment to their child’s faith development. The child’s faith will also be nurtured through our parish community. One strong expression of faith by the parents is their willingness to participate in the life of the parish.

At the time of the Baptism Preparation Night, and for a short time afterwards, a parishioner will be on hand to assist each Baptism family through this significant journey to their child’s Baptism.

Baptism of Older Children Programme (for children from 5 – 12 years of age): Where children have not been Baptised as infants or small children, our parish offers a programme to assist parents and children to prepare for Baptism through participation in the Baptism of Older Children Programme. This runs for 6 weeks, usually in the 4th School term. The programme is geared towards family involvement and requires the Parent/s and child to attend the full series of lessons. At the completion of the programme, the candidates are baptised in a common ceremony.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA):

Adults are initiated into the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult (RCIA) programme. The RCIA candidates and catechumens are supported by the parish community generally, and more specifically by a sponsor and Catechist. These Candidates are welcomed into the Church through the Sacraments of Baptism (if not previously Baptised), Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.   It is expected that the individual be a member of a Faith Sharing Group and become involved in the life of our community. Our parish has various rituals celebrated at different stages of their Initiation.

We encourage anyone who is considering becoming a Catholic to ring our parish office or ask a parishioner about more information.