Baptism
“The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.””
For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, baptism is the church’s way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of god.
The Sacrament of Baptism ushers us into the divine life, cleanses us from sin, and initiates us as members of the Christian community. It is the foundation for the sacramental life. Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation into the life of Christ within His Church. The historical order of these three sacraments is: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion.
The Age of Baptism
In the Catholic tradition, we normally baptize infants within the first few weeks after birth. However, baptism can be administered at any age! After the age of reason (age 7), the candidate for baptism must receive formation for the sacrament so that he or she can understand what they are receiving. Prior to the age of reason (newborns to age 7), the emphasis of the church is upon forming the parents and godparents who will be taking on the privilege and responsibility of raising the infant in the catholic faith.
For More Information:
Nanci Lukasik-Smith Director of Evangelization (623) 975-5618
For infant baptisms (nB-7y), click here:
For child & adult baptisms, click here: