Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. (John 3:5)
The sacrament of baptism ushers us into the divine life, cleanses us from sin, and initiates us as members of the Christian community. It is the foundation for the sacramental life.
The prayer over the baptismal waters says:
Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism. By the power of the Holy Spirit give to this water the grace of your Son, so that in the sacrament of baptism all those whom you have created in your likeness may be cleansed from sin and rise to a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit. (Christian Initiation of Adults, #222A)
Congratulations on your child or children! What a wonderful gift their life is to all the world.
At the Parish of St. Benedict, we rejoice to baptize our children in the presence of the whole community at a Saturday or Sunday Mass. This allows everyone to witness your family's baptism, and in this way, the baptism itself helps build up the Church.
To arrange for a baptism, we ask that the parents participate in a 90-minute preperation session. The godparents are invited as well. To arrange a session, please contact Sue Butwin at sue@stbenedictth.org, or call 812-232-8421.
If your child is already in the 1st grade or above, it probably means that he or she is old enough to help make the decisions about faith and church membership. We prepare school age children to receive the sacraments of initiation - baptism, communion, confirmation - as part of their ongoing religious education. Please see our Religious Education page for more information.
How to Arrange for the Baptism of an Adult
Adults are received into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and communion. This is done through a set of rituals called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Please see our OCIA page here.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE BAPTISM CEREMONY
Baptisms at St. Benedict's always take place during a regular parish Mass, no matter the age of the ones to be baptized. Why? The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Baptism is the sacrament of faith. But faith needs the community of believers” (No. 1253). The whole point of baptism is to get to communion, so it only makes sense that the community of believers celebrates communion at baptism, and that baptism is celebrated within communion.
The parents, godparents and the whole family is invited to process in at the beginning of Mass together with the priest and other liturgical ministers. The family then stands in front of the altar facing the people.
The celebrant (usually one of the friars from our parish) asks the parents three solemn questions:
Next the celebrant will ask the godparents:
Then the celebrant makes the Sign of the Cross over the child. The parents and godparents do the same. As the congregation sings the Gloria, everyone is invited to come forward and bless your child with the sign of the cross.
WATER -The celebrant baptizes the child in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Note - the family decides whether this is done by pouring water over the child's head or immersing the child into the font.
CHRISM - The celebrant anoints the child on the forehead with a special oil called Sacred Chrism. This oil is meant to stay on until it evaporates, thus “sealing” the baptism. The anointing marks the child as a member of the body of Christ, who is Priest, Prophet, and King.
BAPTISMAL GARMENT - The one being baptized should be dressed in a special baptismal garment or gown. The gown should be (mostly) white. In Catholic custom, there are many different forms and designs for baptismal garments, from long, lacey dresses to little tuxedoes.
CANDLE -The child is given a baptism candle, which represents the Light of Christ in our lives. You may choose to buy a special candle for your child - there are many available. The parish can also provide a baptism candle.
Other symbols - some families bring a nice towel or cloth to dry the baby's head with after we pour the water. They then keep this towel as a souvenir. The priest usually pours the water with his hand, but some families bring a special cup or a scallop shell to use, which again is kept as a souvenir.
At the end of Mass, the baptism family is again asked to stand and receive a special blessing as they are sent forth into the world to bring the light of Christ into human society.