Baptism

If you are a parent who with a newborn who is looking to have your child baptised, the information provided below is primarily for you. If your child is 8 years or older, please speak to Fr Tony Currer to make arrangements appropriate to the age of your child.

If you are an adult wanting to be baptised or enter the Catholic Church, please go to ✝️ Becoming Catholic.

Congratulations on the birth of your child; we are delighted that you are considering Infant Baptism! Baptism is the Sacrament of Initiation, which means it is the first step in joining God’s family, the church. Through it, we become brothers and sisters of Jesus, and children of God. 

(Please note that at least one parent must be a baptised Catholic in order for an Infant Baptism to take place).

When are Baptisms? 

Baptisms at St Augustine's usually take place on Sunday Mornings at 11:30am. Please be aware that there may be more than one family getting their child baptised at the same time, so you may have to share a service. Baptisms are not “private” as they are about your child becoming part of the wider family of the church.

Prerequisites to Baptism

• We ask that families bring their children to church on Sunday. Having your child baptised is a commitment to raising your child in the Catholic faith. This means that your child grows up knowing that they belong to our parish, however this can only happen if you bring them to church.

• We ask parents, who have not already done so, to attend our 'Preparation for Baptism' Course.

The Baptism preparation course is available to all families in the Hogarth Partnership who wish to bring their child up in the Catholic Faith.

When Are the Courses Held?

The course comprises of just one evening session, which is usually held on a Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30pm in St Augustine’s Parish Centre. There are usually four courses held during the year. The last course this year is :

• 4th December 2024

Next year the course will be on the following dates :

• 12th February 2025

• 18th June 2025

• 10th September 2025

• 3rd December 2025

To arrange a session, please contact Debbie Bowman in the Parish Office (Open Hours: Mon/Tues: 9am - 4pm ⋅ Thurs/Fri 9am - 2pm).

What Happens at a Course?

In our partnership, 'Preparation for Baptism' is led by a team of a dozen lay volunteers, who are delighted to be able to welcome you and help you to prepare. Together we watch a series of short video clips which show different parts of the Baptism service and explain the language and symbols used. There will be time to think and respond.

• There will be no pressure on parents. 

• There will be no judgement. 

We see this as a very special opportunity to enjoy time-out from busy lives, where you are given the time and space to think about and prepare for supporting your child as a baptised Catholic.

What Do I Do After Attending The Course?

After you have completed the course, you need to contact Fr Tony to arrange a date for your child’s Baptism. (Parents who are not based in St Augustine’s will be able to contact their own Parish Priest; we will inform them for you that you have attended our course).  Most importantly, please remember to bring your child to mass before (and after) their baptism.

We look forward to welcoming your child into one of our Partnership Parishes!