Baptism is an initiation ceremony in which we become members of the Christian Church. It is God’s gift: there is no charge. Through baptism we join the world-wide family of Christians – millions of them !
During the baptism ceremony we are Christened, so the ceremony is sometimes known as a Christening.
Baptism of Children
We can baptise children of families who live in the parish or who worship at St Silas. The first thing to do is be in touch with Fr Rayner. He will then arrange to see you to talk about baptism, and fill in a baptism form.
We love baptisms to take place during our Parish Mass on Sundays at 11.00 a.m. but baptisms can take place at other times. The date must be agreed with Fr Rayner.
Godparents must be adults who have been baptised themselves, and it’s good to choose people who are connected to a church.
Children aged 9 and over would normally be confirmed as well as baptised. They are able to answer for themselves, and do not need Godparents.
Fr Rayner will discuss the baptism ceremony with you as part of the preparation.
We can baptise children of families who live in the parish or who worship at St Silas. The first thing to do is be in touch with Fr Rayner. He will then arrange to see you to talk about baptism, and fill in a baptism form.
We love baptisms to take place during our Parish Mass on Sundays at 11.00 a.m. but baptisms can take place at other times. The date must be agreed with Fr Rayner.
Godparents must be adults who have been baptised themselves, and it’s good to choose people who are connected to a church.
Children aged 9 and over would normally be confirmed as well as baptised. They are able to answer for themselves, and do not need Godparents.
Fr Rayner will discuss the baptism ceremony with you as part of the preparation.
Baptism of adults
Baptism is not just for children. Many adults who were not baptised as children discover Jesus and want to join his family of the Church. There is no upper age limit. Adults would normally be confirmed as well as baptised. Confirmation is about marking a desire to grow in faith as a member of the Church. A confirmation ceremony takes place about once a year at St Silas – on a day when our bishop is able to join us. |