SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

ABOUT THE SACRAMENT

Holy 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 sons 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 and in the word.”

All the Old Covenant prefigurations find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus. He begins his public life after having himself baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan. Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus’ gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying. The Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as his “beloved Son.”

In his Passover Christ opened to all men the fountain of Baptism.

NECESSITY OF BAPTISM

The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM: INFANT AND CHILDREN

Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth.

Christian parents will recognize that this practice also accords with their role as nurturers of the life that God has entrusted to them.

The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole “households” received baptism, infants may also have been baptized.

Parents who wish to have their infants or young child Baptized are asked to complete the Baptismal Request Form below or call the Parish Office (952-492-2640).

Baptisms are celebrated on the first and third Sundays of the month following the 10:00 am Mass.

BAPTISM PROGRAM

If this is your first child you will be required to take a preparation program. (You will not be required to take this program if you have had other children, or you have previously taken a baptismal preparation program.) This program will complete the preparation requirement for baptism, you will learn more about St. John’s, get additional information, and have the opportunity to become members. Once the class is complete we can solidify the final date for the Sacrament of Baptism.

POLICY ON BAPTISM AT SAINT JOHN’S

1. Parents seeking the sacrament of Baptism for their child at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan Minnesota, must be actively participating and registered members of either 1) Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan Minnesota, or 2) another Catholic Church either a) within or b) outside the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

2. Parents who are not actively participating, registered members of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan Minnesota, seeking baptism at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan Minnesota, will be required to have written authorization (see approval affidavit)  from the pastor of the Catholic Church where they are actively participating and registered, authorizing Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan Minnesota to perform the sacramental baptism.

Actively participating - an actively participating member of the Catholic Church is one who regularly participates in the sacramental life of the Church.  This includes but is not limited too, weekly Mass, frequent reception of Holy Communion in a properly disposed state, regular use of the sacrament of Confession, etc.

Registered member - a person is registered at a parish when they are enrolled in the record keeping system of the parish.  This may, or may not, be in the parish boundaries for which they live.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BAPTISMAL REGISTRATION FORM

PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM: ADULTS AND OLDER TEENS

Since the beginning of the Church, adult Baptism is the common practice where the proclamation of the Gospel is still new. The catechumenate (preparation for Baptism) therefore occupies an important place. This initiation into Christian faith and life should dispose the catechumen to receive the gift of God in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.

The catechumenate, or formation of catechumens, aims at bringing their conversion and faith to maturity, in response to the divine initiative and in union with an ecclesial community. The catechumenate is to be “a formation in the whole Christian life … during which the disciples will be joined to Christ their teacher. The catechumens should be properly initiated into the mystery of salvation and the practice of the evangelical virtues, and they should be introduced into the life of faith, liturgy, and charity of the People of God by successive sacred rites.”

Catechumens “are already joined to the Church, they are already of the household of Christ, and are quite frequently already living a life of faith, hope, and charity.” “With love and solicitude mother Church already embraces them as her own.”

Generally, adults and older teens prepare for and celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism in connection to the parish Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This formation program assists people in learning more about life in the Catholic faith. The candidates for R.C.I.A. will celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation at Easter Vigil Mass.

Please contact Tina Goetz if you are interested in RCIA at 952-492-4560 or tgoetz@sjbjordan.org.