For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God.
If you have a child you would like to have baptized at St. Francis of Assisi Parish please contact Elizabeth Hanks in the Parish office extension 25, or by email to sign up to attend a class and schedule a date for your child’s baptism. We do not have Baptisms during Lent and Advent.
Baptisms are celebrated at scheduled weekend Masses so that we can welcome our newly baptized members into the community of St. Francis.
If you enjoy meeting new people and love children and babies, please prayerfully consider being part of the Baptism Team. Baptism Team members come to the rehearsal and Anointing the weekend we have scheduled Baptisms, direct the families and assist the priest during the Mass. Please contact Elizabeth for more details.
2011 Baptisms and Pre-baptism Classes
Pre-Baptism Classes are scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM in the Parish Hall.
Pre-Baptism Classes: Baptisms: September 7, 2011 September 17-18, 2011 October 5, 2011 October 15-16, 2011 November 2, 2011 November 19-20, 2011 January 4, 2012 January 21-22, 2012 February 1, 2012 February 18-19, 2012 May 2, 2012 May 19-20, 2012 June 6, 2012 June 16-17, 2012
If you are interested in having your child baptized, please contact Elizabeth in the Parish Office, extension 25 for more information and to sign up to attend a pre-baptism class.
The community of St. Francis of Assisi Congratulates and welcomes our newly baptized members and their families. May God bless our newly baptized children and grant their families happiness and joy.
Immersion by Paul Turner Baptism in the Catholic Church may be administered either by immersion or pouring. The two options are always listed in that order, indicating a preference for baptism by immersion, even though pouring is more commonly practiced. Christian Initiation: General Introduction says, “As the rite for baptizing, either immersion, which is more suitable as a symbol of participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, or pouring may lawfully be used” (22). The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Baptism is performed in the most expressive way by triple immersion in the baptismal water” (1239). The National Statutes for the Catechumenate approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1986 say, “Baptism by immersion is the fuller and more expressive sign of the sacrament and, therefore, is preferred. . . . Provision should be made for its more frequent use in the baptism of adults” (17).
For many centuries, Catholic churches were equipped with baptismal fonts suitable for pouring water three times over the head of an infant. Since the Second Vatican Council, many parishes have erected larger fonts for the immersion of infants and adults.
