Celebrate the Baptism of Each Child The 1969 Rite of Baptism for Children emphasizes the importance of the local community in the baptism of children. Parishes have found a variety of wonderful ways to express this ecclesial dimension of the sacrament. Here are three examples: Members of the Church of the Presentation, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, bring their babies to be baptized on a Sunday at 1:30 p.m. when all parish baptisms are scheduled. At the conclusion of the rite, the presider reads a letter from the community addressed to each infant who has been baptized. The moving personal letter, to be kept by the parents and read by the child just before confirmation, affirms the love of God for the newly baptized baby and expresses the prayer-filled love and welcome of the community. (Click here for the source and text of the letter.) At Our Lady of the Holy Angels, Little Falls, New Jersey, where baptism is celebrated within the Sunday liturgy, parents and godparents join in the entrance procession, walking just before the presider. From the back of the church the presider tells the parishioners that at this Mass they will welcome a new member into the community. As they move up the aisle, the parents, carrying the baby, stop at each row and the person at the end of the row makes a sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead. Father Bob Sandoz, pastor, says, “Our people love this. I wish you could see the faces of the people.” The parents love it, too. Sharon and James Minnella have had two children baptized at Holy Angels. Sharon says, “We felt our whole family was welcomed and accepted.” After Mass, parents and baby stand with the presider outside the church to receive the congratulations of the community Father Richard G. Rento, now retired from St. Brendan’s Church in Clifton, New Jersey, added several pastoral features to the rite of baptism, as it is celebrated within a Sunday Mass at St. Brendan’s. Parents, godparents, and baby join in both the entrance procession and the recession at the end of the Mass. The baby and family are included in the intentions of the Prayers of the Faithful; the parents and godparents take the gifts of bread and wine to the altar. At the end of Mass, just prior to the dismissal, the family is asked to step into the sanctuary and face the congregation. Father Rento holds the child up for all to see and to applaud joyfully again.” The baptismal party is invited to stand at the exit of the church in an informal receiving line so that the community can see the child up close and personally express good wishes. Click here for five steps to enhancing the celebration of the Rite of Baptism for Children in your parish. Return to Great Ideas Home Page