Office: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed 12–1)

SacramentsBaptism

Baptism

Congratulations on your new child. Infant baptisms are celebrated twice a month, after one short preparation evening for parents and godparents.

Baptism is the door to everything else: through water and the Holy Spirit a child becomes a Christian and a member of the Church. We baptize children of any age; for children over seven and for adults, see Becoming Catholic.

When

  • Baptisms2nd & 4th Sundays
  • Within Sunday Massby arrangement
  • Preparation classlast Saturday of the month

Bring

  • Child's birth certificate
  • Godparents' names & parish
  • Registration form
  • White garment & candleor buy at the office

Cost

  • No fee
  • Offering welcomecustomary $50–100
  • Certificate

Step by step

  1. Register with the parish

    Baptisms are celebrated for families who live in the parish or worship here. If you are not yet registered, register online — it takes five minutes. Families from another parish need a letter of permission from their own pastor.

  2. Submit the baptism form

    Download the registration form (PDF) or collect it from the office. Return it with a copy of the birth certificate at least four weeks before the date you would like.

  3. Attend the preparation evening

    One session for parents and godparents, on the last Saturday of the month at 2:00 PM in the hall, about ninety minutes, children welcome. It explains the rite and what you are promising. Godparents who live far away may attend a class at their own parish and send the certificate.

  4. Choose the date

    Baptisms take place on the second and fourth Sundays at 2:30 PM, usually three or four children together. A baptism within the 11:00 AM Mass — where the whole community welcomes your child — can be arranged for registered families.

  5. The day

    Arrive twenty minutes early. The rite takes about forty-five minutes. Photographs are welcome; a video from the side aisle is fine. Please ask guests to keep phones silent.

A child being baptized in a Catholic church

Choosing godparents

A godparent promises to help the parents raise the child in the faith, so the Church asks that at least one godparent be a practising Catholic, at least 16, who has been confirmed and, if married, married in the Church. A baptized Christian of another denomination may stand as a "Christian witness" alongside a Catholic godparent. One godparent is enough; two — a godmother and a godfather — is customary. Godparents will need a letter of good standing from their own parish.

Questions

One of us is not Catholic. Can our child be baptized?

Yes. What matters is that there is a reasonable hope the child will be raised Catholic. Both parents are welcome at the preparation evening and take a full part in the rite.

We are not married, or not married in the Church.

Your child is welcome for baptism. If you would like to talk about your own situation — including having a civil marriage blessed — Fr. Moreau would be glad to; there is no pressure.

Our child is older than two.

Children up to about age six are baptized as infants with a little more explanation for them. Children seven and older prepare with a short children's program (RCIC) so that they understand and choose what is happening.

Can we baptize in an emergency?

Yes — if a newborn is in danger, anyone may baptize with water and the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Call the parish at any hour (416-555-0142, press 9) and a priest will come to the hospital.

How do I get a baptism certificate later?

Baptisms are recorded in the parish register permanently. Request a certificate through the certificates page; it is free and usually ready within a week.

Questions? Ann Marie O'Connor in the parish office (ext. 20, office@stcolumbatoronto.ca) looks after baptism bookings.