Baptism is celebrated by arrangement after a couple of information sessions for parents who are attending one of the Catholic Churches in Darwen on a regular basis.
It is important to realise that Baptism requires Faith.
If an adult is to be baptised, then that adult would have to show some knowledge of and commitment to the Faith and worship of the Catholic Church for some considerable months before that person could be baptised. This would be after a long period of attending Mass each week and attending some instruction or discussion about the Catholic Faith.
When it is a child who is to be baptised, this commitment is not possible on the part of the child, but it is still expected on the part of at least the Catholic parent(s). This is why the Catholic parent(s) and the Godparents are required to re-affirm their own commitment to God and to the Catholic Church and to promise God before witnesses that they will bring this child up in the knowledge and the practice of their Faith. This promise made publicly in church to God must not be taken lightly. We do expect that the Catholic parent(s) will be attending Mass regularly before we will make arrangements for the baptism of the child.
To discuss arrangements for baptism, please introduce yourself to the priest as you leave church after Mass on either Saturday night (the Vigil Mass) or on Sunday Morning.
We do want to baptise your child, but we want to encourage active membership of the church as a genuine preparation for an important long term commitment.
