St. Paul the Apostle
Baptism
Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." Baptism of your child ideally takes place within the first few months after birth, but can happen later. We are delighted that you are seeking baptism for your child with our parish.
Baptisms are held Sundays at 2:00 pm on specifically scheduled dates from September to June. Baptism dates and meeting preparation dates will be communicated during the follow up call upon receipt of the Request for Baptism form. Please note there are no baptisms scheduled in July or August.
Steps for Baptism:
The parish asks that parents seeking baptism are practicing their faith within this parish community. If you live outside of St.Paul the Apostle boundaries, it is expected that you will seek baptism at the church where you reside. To determine if you reside within our parish boundaries please click here. You must also be a registered parishioner practicing in our parish to receive baptism here. If you are not yet registered with us please do so by following this link.
Please complete the Request for Baptism form and email to aouellette@hamiltondiocese.com.
Arden Ouellette will conduct a follow-up phone call to discuss the Baptism Request after it has been received at the parish office. During that call she will provide details regarding Baptism Preparation requirements (see below) and then a date of baptism will be assigned. Please note that we receive many requests for baptism; we work through requests in the order received. It may take 1-2 weeks before we follow up with your request.
If your child is age 8 or older please contact Arden Ouellette, Lay Parish Minister, at the parish office for information regarding your child’s baptism. Children of this age are required to complete the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC) program before being baptized.
Important Information About Godparents:
The Catholic Church has guidelines based on Church law (Code of Canon Law 872-874) for godparents. We strongly encourage parents to familiarize themselves with these guidelines prior to formally choosing a godparent. These guidelines are here for your reference.
The Baptism Program:
Parents seeking baptism for their children will be required to attend 2 in-person preparation meetings which are held on Wednesday evenings, approximately one month apart.
Meeting 1: a session to provide parents with the important information about the
sacrament of Baptism and the role and responsibility that the parents and godparents take on in
presenting their child for baptism (approx. 40 minutes).
Meeting 2: a rehearsal in the church to walk through the steps of the celebration
and to ensure all parents are well prepared for the sacrament date (approx. 30
minutes)
Baptism Celebration: will be held the afternoon on the Sunday following the second meeting date.
Available baptism dates will be provided during the follow up call upon receipt of the baptism request.
Our Baptism Preparation Team:
To provide a thorough and interactive preparation for parents, our baptism team consists of both members of the clergy and laity:
Clergy:
Father John Schnurr (Pastor), Father Pawel Stankiewicz (Associate Pastor) and/or Father Malcolm Katzenberger (Retired Priest in Residence) will provide important details about the sacrament, its significance, and its role in the faith of the Church.
Laity:
Mrs. Arden Ouellette (Pastoral Minister) – will complete the baptism registration request and will be there to provide information and guidance during the registration.
Baptism Preparation Team Couples – we have 4 couples who are active parishioners and who have experienced baptism with their own children. One of the couples will manage your assigned date, running the meetings and assisting at the celebration. They will provide support and insight into the preparation and share their stories of raising children in the Roman Catholic faith.
We look forward to welcoming new families and members into our parish community.
* If you are not registered with our parish please complete a Parish Registration form and submit to the parish office.