Baptism
Baptisms at St.Thomas the Apostle are celebrated
three times a month for infants and children
under the age of seven years old.
Arrangements can be made by calling Deacon Warren Hecht in the parish office at 734.761.8606 ext. 2804
Baptism Workshop Schedule
Adults and children seven and older see
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults page (RCIA)
or call Deacon Warren Hecht or Linda Madden in the parish office at 734.761.8606 ext. 2804
The Sacrament of Baptism is the beginning of a lifetime journey of commitment and discipleship. God calls us through the Christian community to live the Gospel and to be a follower of Christ. God's invitation and our response to his call are ritualized and made "real" for us in the Sacrament of Baptism. When we celebrate Baptism we celebrate the outpouring of God's Spirit and our acceptance of God's transforming love. Baptism celebrates a family's and a community's experience of that love.
Baptism—and all sacraments, for that matter—are much more than the moment of celebration. They neither begin nor end with the liturgical ritual. They are celebrations of lived experiences. They exist before, during and after the celebration.
The ritual of Baptism does not bring God's love into being as if that love did not exist before the ceremony. Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God who first loved us from the moment of our conception. Baptism is a ritualization and manifestation of something real—of the outpouring of God's Spirit and of our acceptance of that transforming love. It remains for us to grow into what we already are: daughters and sons of God. Baptism celebrates a family's and a community's experience of that love in the baptized.
Being a Godparent is not just an honor to be given to a good friend or relative, but someone who will have a personal and lasting influence on the child's religious development. Godparents are present with parents to profess the Church's faith in which the child is being baptized and proclaim that they will help the parents to exemplify to the child how to live that faith.
It is a serious responsibility for the parents to choose well who will be the Godparent(s) of their child. Parents need to ensure that the Godparent(s) understand the time, willingness and faith required of them. God parenting is more than an honor; it is a ministry and sacred vocation in the Catholic Church.
According to Canon Law, Godparents must be:
- Mature enough to undertake this responsibility (at least 16 years old)
- Catholic: One Catholic Godparent is required, although both a Catholic Godmother and a Godfather are preferred:
* Catholic person(s) who themselves have been baptized, confirmed and sharing in the Eucharist, and
* Active, practicing, registered member(s) of a Catholic parish, whom are able to share their faith with
the child - Of different genders: If there is only one Godparent, that Godparent may be of either gender. If there are two Godparents or one Godparent and one Christian witness, they must be one of different genders.
- A Baptized, believing and actively participating Christian who is not a Catholic may act as a Christian witness, along with a Catholic Godparent.