Changes to the process for Baptism for School Aged Children

Changes to the Baptism for School Aged Children process

Effective immediately:
Children from Grade 4+, in addition to the process for Infant Baptism (Mandatory preparation with parent and godparent on the first Tuesday of the month, and attendance at Mass on the day of Baptism), the Child(ren) need to enrol and participate into at least 1 Term of Edge (at least 4 sessions). 

Children from Prep to Grade 3 the process is under review however, for now, these children will follow the process for Infant Baptism (Mandatory preparation with parent and godparent on the first Tuesday of the month, and attendance at Mass on the day of Baptism). 

If you have any questions please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below or contact the parish [email protected]


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING BAPTISM FOR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

Question: What has changed about the process?

Answer: Previously, in addition to the mandatory preparation with parents and godparents, on the first Tuesday of the month, and attendance at Mass on the day of Baptism, school aged children from prep, needed to attend an information session to discuss Baptism. This session was only held once a year towards the end of the year. 
Now, the children can register for Baptism throughout the year. The process for Children from grade four and above now needs to participate in a term of Edge. Children from Prep to Grade three, are treated similarly to Infants (please note this is under review and will likely change in the future). 

Question: Why has the process changed?

Answer: The previous process was not feasible as we do not have available volunteers, the previous volunteers were stepping up, beyond their existing commitments, to support an initial demand (which is not sustainable). Furthermore, though we got more attendance than anticipated, the RSVP rates were 0 to low, making it difficult to decide whether to go ahead with each session or not. Most importantly, the children really did not get the opportunity to connect with our Parish. 
Edge is an existing program for Children from Grade 4 to Year 8, that runs Friday fortnights during the school term. This provides a stable time and space for children, interested in Baptism, to connect with our Faith Community before making the decision to become Baptised. It also means once children have completed four sessions, they can register to be Baptised throughout the year (Every third Sunday).

Question: Why is it important for the school children to get involved with the Parish community? Why can’t they just follow the process for infant Baptism?

Answer: In the Catholic Church, baptism is the first sacrament, a ritual of initiation into the faith, symbolising cleansing, and a new life in Christ, making individuals members of the Church and children of God.

The decision for an infant to be Baptised is made by the Parents (most often, at least one parent is Catholic) and/or at least one Catholic Godparent. It is the Parents and Godparents that are agreeing to raise the child up in the Catholic faith. With the decision made early in the child’s life and at least one Catholic Godparent, we expect that the commitment is made by a family who inherently understands the importance of the Sacrament of Baptism. 

The decision for school aged children to be Baptised, involves the Child. The Child is now old enough to think and be aware that they are becoming ‘members of the Church and children of God’. Hence, it is important for our Parish to welcome the children to the activities of the church. 

Whilst Edge may not cover 'Baptism' in the sessions that the children are enrolled in, they will provide the space to learn more about our faith in a fun and enjoyable way with other children. We find that many children continue with Edge until Year 8 and then re-enrol as youth leaders and become active members in our Parish community as adults, where the skills they gain contribute to their professional and personal lives.