Sacrament of Baptism
Baptising your child is an important step – in fact, the first step in your child’s faith journey. It is therefore important that you, as parents, be fully informed and prepared. Baptism is one of the most precious gifts you can give to your child – the promise of eternal life, the gift of becoming a child of God and a beloved member of God’s family.
Parents sometimes defer the baptism of their child, saying,“We’re letting it be their choice.” The reality is that, unless a child is baptised as a child, they will probably not opt for baptism later on – and it’s a much longer process when they do.
- Make an appointment with the parish priest to discuss your child’s baptism.
- Attend a baptism preparation course (if this is your first child to be baptised)
- Schedule the date and time for your child’s baptism.
Your child needs two godparents – at least one must be a confirmed and practising Catholic.
Baptisms at Holy Family, Kerikeri take place during a Sunday mass unless are exceptional reasons otherwise. This is because your child is not just being baptised int your faith and/or that of their godparents but also the faith of the parish community which they are becoming part of through baptism.
If you live out of Kerikeri, you may have your child baptised here (e.g. if you are visiting parents or family here) but you need to:
ü have the permission of your own parish priest
ü attend a baptism preparation course in your home parish.
There is no fee to have your child baptised, but you are of course most welcome to give a koha to the church on the occasion of your child’s baptism.