Guidelines for Baptism Preparation

Dear Parents,

Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby! Our Catholic community joins you in thanking God for the gift of new life. You are contemplating baptism for your child. The following are some guidelines to help you make this step in faith and in the journey of the Church.

This sacrament can only be given to the children of parents who have been registered and practicing members of the Cathedral Basilica Community and are known to the pastoral team. If you belong to another parish and would like to have your pastor come and celebrate this sacrament here, please contact our office.

 

A. The Sanctifying Role of the Church

Through baptism, God enables us to participate in His life in Jesus Christ and makes us his children. It is through this sacrament that we receive the Holy Spirit and become members of the People of God, of the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Baptism becomes our commitment to grow in this new life and to strive to acquire spiritual maturity. By baptism, God purifies us from sin. Baptism is the sacrament of faith of which the essential object is the Risen Christ, the salvation of all men and women. Intimately linked to Confirmation and to Eucharist, Baptism is, with these two sacraments, Christian initiation. The child is baptized in the faith of his parents, of his godparents and of the Church.

B. Basic Guidelines and Information

Except in case of necessity, the church is the usual place of baptism. In order that a child be baptized, it is necessary that …

• the parents consent, or at least one of them, or someone legally standing in their place,
• that there be reasonable hope that the child will be educated in the Catholic faith;
  

In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent, he or she must…

• be chosen by the parents,
• have the ability and the intention to fulfil the role,
• be at least 16 years of age, and…
• be a confirmed Catholic, leading a life coherent with the faith and the role he or she is to fulfil,
• and be neither the father nor the mother of the child;
• a baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a witness provided that there is at least one Catholic godparent who fulfils the above criteria.

C. Preparation in our Parish

In order to respect your request to baptize your child, you are asked to follow closely the stages of preparation for Baptism described below…

1. Subsequent to your initial contact with the parish office, expressing your wish to have your child baptized, you will receive an information package containing preparation material;

2. Parents are obliged to attend one General Meeting of Parents prior to the Baptism of their child. Instead of asking parents to attend a series of meetings, we ask parents to do some preparation at home. The details are in the information package.

Registration Package Details

 

To obtain a baptism registration package, please contact the parish office at info@notredameottawa.com , by fax at (613) 241-1627, or by phone at (613) 241-7496. Please provide your full name, address, phone number and Email address if available. May God bless and guide you in this important step in the faith journey.

News and Events

NOTRE DAME PARISH Press Release The Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica and St. Hyacinth Parish wish to inform you of the Memorial Service for the deceased children of the Ambassador of Poland Mr. Zenon Kosiniak-Kamysz and his wife, Katarzyna. Their daughter Maria and son Michal as well as their niece Sylwia died in a tragic car accident during their holidays in Poland on August 9, 2010. The Memorial service will be held Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica. Refreshments will be served after the service. Anniversary of the Dedication of Notre Dame Cathedral On September 4 &5, at our Saturday and Sunday offices, we will celebrate the 157th anniversary of the dedication of Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica (1853). The importance of the cathedral church in the liturgical life of the diocese flows from the role of the Bishop as the high priest of the Lord's flock. Every parish community is related to the Bishop, and therefore the anniversary of the cathedral church's dedication as a place of worship is celebrated throughout the diocese. Annual Annual Bazaar – Saturday and Sunday, November 6th & 7th, 2010 Our annual bazaar will take place as usual on the first week-end in November. Please keep us in mind if you are moving, cleaning house or cottage. We will happily take all kinds of kitchen and household items, books, “treasures”, knick-knack, etc., except clothing. You may bring the items to the office. Please call ahead (613) 241-7496. We really appreciate your continued support.

CATHOLIC CHURCH Brother André’s canonization: celebrations in Montréal at St. Joseph’s Oratory on Oct. 16-17 and at the Olympic Stadium on Sat., Oct. 30. For more info, call Monique Lasnier at (613) 738-5025, ext. 243 or visit http://www.saint-joseph.org. Reminder: Brother André’s canonization’s official celebration, in Roma, on October 17th, at St Peter's Basilica; people who wish to organize a trip departing from Ottawa are invited to contact the Centre Regina Pacis of Montréal about the possibility of joining the trip to Rome which will be from Oct. 13 to 21, 2010 (Tivoli, Assisi and 5 days in Rome); Cost: $2,140/pers. More info: 1 (877) 322-1331 or http://www.centrereginapacis.org.