Thank you for your interest in Baptising your child a Catholic. Your child’s Baptism is a very important time in his/her life. At Baptism, the first Sacrament of Initiation, your child will be officially welcomed into the Catholic faith and our Church community.
The Sacrament of Baptism at our Parish has two core components:
- The Baptism preparation meeting
- The Baptism ceremony
Baptisms are held on the 2nd Sunday of the month at St Patrick’s, and the 4th Sunday of the month at St Thomas’. Please be aware that there may be more than one Baptism celebrated on the day. You should allow at least one to two months notice to book your Baptism to avoid disappointment.
Our dates for 2023 are as follows:
St Patrick’s – Baptisms held at 1.30pm
Sunday 12th February
Sunday 12th March
Sunday 14th May
Sunday 9th July
Sunday 13th August
Sunday 10th September
Sunday 8th October
Sunday 12th November
Sunday 10th December
St Thomas’ – Baptisms held at 1.30pm
Sunday 26th February
Sunday 26th March
Sunday 23rd April
Sunday 28th May
Sunday 25th June
Sunday 23rd July
Sunday 27th August
Sunday 24th September
Sunday 22nd October
Sunday 26th November
No Baptisms are held at St Thomas during December due to Christmas
The Baptism Preparation meeting
Father Gerard will contact you personally to speak with you and help you prepare for your child’s Baptism. This is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions.
The Baptism Ceremony
The ceremony takes place at 1.30pm on Sunday throughout the year (excluding Days of Solemnity). Your family and friends will gather around your child and the godparents and be invited to participate in the ceremony by joining in with the responses. The ceremony itself is about a half hour’s duration.
Some practical information
There are two symbolic parts to any Baptism ceremony: the lighting of the Baptism candle and the presentation of the child dressed in something white. Please purchase a white garment of some description for your child to wear. It may be a dress for a little girl or a white shirt and light coloured shorts for a little boy. A Baptism gown is also appropriate if that is your preference.
Please purchase a Baptism candle. You can purchase customised candles at several online and local boutiques, or alternatively you can simply purchase a plain pillar candle from Target or similar. Please note that for safety reasons we do request a pillar candle be purchased, not a taper candle.
Church Stores in Sydney City have some online for your reference.
If you would like any advice on these two items, please contact our Parish Office.
How to register your child to be Baptised:
You live within our parishes: If you would like to have your child or children Baptised and you live within our parish boundaries please complete the Request for Baptism Form and return to the parish office at [email protected]
You don’t live within our parishes: If you would like to have your child or children Baptised and you don’t live within the parish boundaries of St Patricks or St Thomas, you are required to obtain permission from your local Parish Priest to baptise your child outside your parish. Please complete the Request for Baptism Form and ask your Priest to complete the Permission Form and return both forms to the parish office at [email protected]
Please feel free to contact our Parish Secretary if you have any questions or require any further information. Please note we are not able to hold dates or confirm any arrangements until a Request for Baptism form has been completed and returned. Thank you for your understanding.
