Here are some questions that are often asked:

Q: Who can be a godparent?
A: A godparent makes promises to God to support parents in bringing up their child in the Catholic faith.  Godparents must be baptised and Confirmed Catholics In theory, there is no limit to the number of godparents for a child, but practically speaking, these numbers must be kept reasonable! They must be over 16 years of age, baptised and confirmed.

Q: We have chosen godparents, but they can’t be present at the baptism as they live too far away. Can they still be godparents?
A: Yes. You can choose people to stand in for them, and make the promises on their behalf — but the godparents must be aware of the promises they are making to help you bring up your child in the faith, even though they can’t actually be physically present. They are ‘godparent’s by proxy’, but their names will be recorded in the baptismal register.

Q: What do I need before the Baptism?

A: You will need to provide the Meldezettel and Birth Certificate of the Child, For the Parents, Baptism Certificate, Civil and Religious Marriage Certificate (if married).  Also Baptism Certificates from the Godparents.  These will need to be provided to the Parish Office before the baptism, I will give you the details of this.

Q: What do I need for the Baptism on the day?
A: In addition to yourselves and the godparents, simply a baptismal candle (I can provide these at the church or you may bring your own) and a white cloth/shawl/garment which is wrapped around the newly baptised child, symbolising their new life in Christ. That’s all!

Q: Is there a charge?
A: There is no charge whatsoever. If you wish to make a freewill donation to the church, you may do so.

Q: I/we don’t go to Mass very often. Can we still have our child baptised?
A: In principle, yes. But it’s important to think about what you are doing. A child brought up by non-practising parents is highly unlikely to grow up in the Catholic faith, so the Baptism loses much of its meaning. Equally parents, along with godparents, make public promises to bring up the child in the faith; this is not going to happen if the family does not practise the faith.

Q: What happens if we don’t baptise our baby?
A: Short answer, nothing! Your baby is already infinitely loved by God — God doesn’t love your baby more after baptism, and God won’t ‘blame’ or ‘punish’ your baby for not being baptised. But… if you don’t have your baby baptised, you are not formally introducing her/him into a life of faith, and they are less likely to learn about their loving God and develop a real relationship with God. There are other issues too, but I will talk with you about these if you wish.

Q: What do I need to do now?

A: Please get in touch and we'll meet together.

Any more questions, just ask.

Fr Dominic