Please contact the parish office (056-775 8541) or Fr Frank (086-601 0001) at least ONE MONTH before the baptism.
The Baptism Ceremony will normally take place on a Saturday evening at 5.00 p.m. in the parish Church in Inistioge.
If The Rower Church is your preference, then you are asked to choose a Saturday afternoon or 6.30 p.m. before the evening Mass.
If you choose Clodiagh Church, then Saturday afternoon (2.00 or 3.00) is the more suitable time.
Baptism Preparation:
When and where possible, the Parish Baptismal Team will visit each family before the Baptism and inform the family of what Baptism is about; what to bring to church; arrange the Reading of The Word of God and the Prayers of The Faithful.
A Brief History:
A general definition for the word baptism is “a rite of washing with water as a sign of religious purification and consecration.”
This rite was practiced frequently in the Old Testament. It signified purity or cleansing from sin and devotion to God. Since baptism was first instituted in the Old Testament many have practiced it as a tradition yet have not fully understood its significance and meaning.
In the New Testament, the significance of baptism is seen more clearly. John the Baptist was sent by God to spread the news of the coming Messiah—Jesus Christ. John was directed by God (John 1:33) to baptize those who accepted his message. John’s baptizing is called “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Mark 1:4 (NIV).
Those baptized by John acknowledged their sins and professed their faith that through the coming Messiah they would be forgiven. Baptism then is significant in that it represents the forgiveness and cleansing from sin that comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
For Roman Catholics it is a public act of initiation into the Church and the beginning of a process of participating in the activity of the Faith community we call parish. Therefore it is a public ceremony which involves the participation of the community.