Baptism
at St Hugh of Lincoln, Buckden Towers
INTRODUCTION
We have produced these notes to help you with your preparations for your child’s baptism. Please take the time to read through our process.
ENQUIRY STAGE
To have your child baptised at Buckden Towers, this should be your parish church, or the church that you regularly attend, or there should be a family connection to the Claretian Missionaries. If Buckden Towers is not your regular church of attendance, we will need a letter of permission from your local Parish Priest or the Priest of your church of regular attendance, so that your baptism may take place here.
Initial enquiries regarding the use of Buckden Towers for a baptism are handled by you completing our baptism form. After completing the form we suggest that you come along to Mass some Sunday and speak to one of the priests.
Someone will be in touch very soon after receiving your enquiry. Dates and times should be discussed with the parish secretary, who will liaise with a priest to confirm these. Normally you should start making enquiries no less than six weeks before the proposed baptism date. The Catholic Church recommends that Parents should try to arrange so that their child is baptised within the first few weeks of birth. ‘As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, parents should approach the church to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it.’ (Can. 867)
Please note that the pastoral guidelines of the diocese advise that the baptism of an infant should be delayed if a “well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion” is in doubt Infant baptisms normally take place on Sunday afternoons. However, we can be flexible with days.
Meeting a Priest
The priest here will meet with you some time before the baptism to discuss the meaning of the Sacrament and the nature of the ceremony.
Baptism Preparation Class
If this is your first child you are having baptised, you will be expected to attend a baptism preparation class. This is organized by the parish priest. Parents and godparents are expected to attend.
Baptismal Name
Choosing a name for your child is very personal and this choice is usually made by the time the baptism is being arranged, but please bear in mind that a child should have a Saint’s name as part of his or her Christian identity.
Godparents.
One godparent is sufficient, although you may have two: one male and one female. The Church sets the following requirements for godparents:
1. be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function;
2. have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;
3. be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
4. not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
5. not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community can be recorded as a Christian witness, alongside a Catholic godparent. (Can. 874)
Photography
Photographs and video recording are permitted but please note that no artificial lighting, whether floodlight or flash, is ever allowed.
Parish Room for a reception
A room in the Claret Centre and catering may be available for hire for a reception after the ceremony – please check with the office for details.
Donations
We are gratefully for any contribution you can make to our church. There is no charge stipulate for the celebration of sacraments, though traditionally a donation is given. We are happy to accept what ever you feel it is appropriate given your circumstances we would invite you to consider gift aiding your donation (Gift-aid envelopes are available for UK tax-payers). You can send your donation by bank electronic transfer, Paypal, or by cheque. Cheques should be made out to “Claretian Missionaries trust” and if sent by post addressed to the Parish Secretary.