Dear Parishioners,

One of my favorite liturgies to celebrate is that of the baptism of a baby or a young child. To begin the child on their spiritual road through the waters of Baptism is a great celebration. I know that some people moan and groan a little, “Oh, a baptism at Mass today. We will be here forever.” However if you notice it adds very little time to the celebration of the Mass. If the baptism is worked into the liturgy as it is meant to be: parts of the Mass are omitted because of the baptism itself.

It is so important for baptisms to take place within the Sunday Liturgy, because a person, young or old is being brought into God’s family and we are that family. Baptism is not a “biological family” thing, or a “personal” thing; it is a “God” thing, and it makes us a “parish family.” All the sacraments are parish celebrations, taking place within the parish community is important for the parish.

Baptism is a great responsibility for the parents, as well as for the parish family. The parents are asked a series of questions: You are asking to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him/her in the practice of the faith. (Do you understand what you are asking?) It will be your duty to bring him/her up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. ( Do you clearly understand what you are undertak-ing?) Then later in the rite: Is it your will that (child’s name) should be baptized in the faith of the Church, which we have all professed with you?

Baptism is the beginning on the spiritual journey to Heaven, and it is the responsibility of the parents and the parish community to help that young person along the road. Parents are the first teachers of their children in the ways of the Faith and the re-sponsibility of the parish community is to provide added religious education in our Faith. It is much easier to provide the reli-gious education in a Catholic School setting, but that does not mean that those who do not go to a parochial school are left along the side of the road without religious instruction. On Sundays we have are PSR, Parish School of Religion. It is an im-portant ministry within our parish, since all of our young people do not attend a Catholic grade school or high school.

All of this letter explains why Baptisms within the context of the Mass are so important and why these celebrations are among my favorites.