The Sacrament Of Baptism

Dear Parents,

We welcome your request for the Baptism of your child in the Salisbury Catholic Parish. You have already experienced great joy at the birth of your child and many of your friends and family have rejoiced with you. Now the Catholic community welcomes your child with great joy and wants to experience your joy in their midst.

Firstly:You are invited to be present your child for welcoming at a Sunday Mass (on the 2nd, or 4th Sunday of the month) before the Baptism day where you and your child will be welcomed into the parish community. You may choose one of the following masses: (Choose Mass Time And Location)
Secondly:You will need to choose a date for baptism. The Baptism ceremony will be celebrated either on Sunday at 3.00pm in St. Augustine’s on the 2nd Sunday of the month or at the Mass time you have chosen, (times as above), on a Saturday Evening or Sunday following the Welcome (1st or 3rd Sunday of the month).

(Please refer to the “schedule for baptisms” that would normally be provided along with this letter, for dates available).

You are advised to have alternative dates chosen as only two children will be booked in for any one Mass time. Once you have chosen both dates, please contact the Parish Office to make a booking.

If you have chosen to celebrate the Baptism in St. Augustine’s Church at 3.00pm on a Sunday, then this will be equally the opportunity to be with other families in the joy of a community celebration.

The Preparation DVD’s are now sent with this package. Watching the Baptism preparation DVD’s can be an opportunity to refresh your faith journey and to get a good understanding of the Sacrament of Baptism in this new moment.

Once you have watched the DVD, please advise the parish that you are ready for someone from our Parish Baptismal Preparation Team to visit you to collect your Baptism Request Form and answer any questions you may have. They will also collect the Baptism fee. The Baptism Preparation Team member will be in contact with you to arrange a time for them to visit you. The baptism application form will be counter-signed by the visitor and returned to the Parish Office prior to the Baptism.

If you live outside the Salisbury Parish you will need to contact your own Parish Priest to have the form signed and receive pre-Baptismal Instruction, and then return the form to the Salisbury Parish Centre.

About Godparents. They are selected by the parents because of their special relationship or friendship. Godparents should be known as persons of good Christian life. At least one Godparent needs to be a Baptised and Confirmed Catholic. Non-Christians such as Moslems, Buddhists or Hindus, agnostics and atheist are not qualified to be Godparents.

Baptism Fee: The Archdiocese of Adelaide asks that a financial contribution to the Diocesan Presbytery Fund (DPF) be made. This fund is the source of financial support for all the priests of the diocese and therefore any contributions thereto would be much appreciated. The suggested amount for Baptisms ($100.00) is to be given to the Baptism Preparation Visitor or at the Parish Office. Please place it in an envelope marked with the child’s name and the date of the Baptism.

Enrolment In Catholic Schools: Please note that Baptism does not in itself ensure a place for a child in the Catholic Education System.

You and your family are precious to our community. We welcome you again and again.

Fr Shibu Jacob Msfs

Parish Priest

Fr.Santosh Pereira, Dn. Arturo Jimenea and Mrs. Anne Blake (Baptism Coordinator) 

Parent Guide

The following provides the steps that you should take when considering your choice of Welcoming Ceremony and Baptism Dates:

After you receive the letter from the Parish Office:

Step-1Choose A Date For The Welcoming Ceremony. Look at the diary dates overleaf. One side of the sheet is headed “Welcoming Within Masses” and you will see the Columns with the dates available for the Welcoming Ceremony on the 1st, 3rd or 5th Sundays of each month.
Step-2Choose A Date For The Baptism Celebration. On the other side of the sheet headed “Baptisms Within Mass - Baptisms Outside Mass” you will find the dates to choose for the Baptism of your child. You may choose the same date as the date of Welcoming. This means that you would attend the mass of your choice on Saturday Evening or Sunday morning and then celebrate the Baptism in the afternoon. However, you may choose another Sunday afternoon if you so wish.

OR

you may choose to have the Baptism celebration during a Saturday Evening or Sunday Mass on the 2nd or 4th Sunday of the month following the Welcoming ceremony.

Please Note: Only under Very Exceptional Circumstances can we agree to have the Welcoming and Baptism at the same Celebration.

Step-3Once you have decided on your dates phone the Parish Office and advise the dates. Do Not return the form at this stage. Record the dates you have chosen where indicated on the form.
Step-4The preparation DVD’s will have been sent with this package for you to watch at home and the baptism journal is to be filled in.
Step-5Make payment of $100 Baptism Fee to the Baptism Preparation Visitor or at the Parish Office Before the Baptism.
Step-6Once you have watched the DVD’s and filled in the Baptism Journal at home, arrangements will be made for one of the Baptism Preparation Team to visit with you. The Visitor will contact you and arrange a time that is convenient to both you and the visitor. Hand your Request for Baptism form to the visitor, who will return the form to the Parish Office.
Step-7All that you need to do then is turn up for the ceremonies on the dates chosen, and make yourself known to the Priest. We ask that for your own convenience and that of the community, you arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the mass time so that the celebration starts on time. As the masses are a regular community event, we cannot wait for latecomers.
Step-8If all else fails and you are unable to understand any of this procedure, please do not hesitate to call the Parish Office.