Arranging a baptism

The shape most pages share

Where the Anglican and Catholic pages describe arranging a baptism, the steps follow a similar order: approach the local church, take part in some preparation, choose godparents, settle a date, and celebrate, often within a Sunday service. The detail is set locally: the Archdiocese of Brisbane, for one, says your parish can tell you how baptism is celebrated in your community. This page collects what each church says, in this guide’s words, alphabetically.

The usual steps, as the pages put them

1. Ask early

   CatholicThe Code of Canon Law obliges parents to see that infants are baptised “in the first few weeks”. Soon after the birth, or even before it, they should see the pastor to ask for the sacrament and be prepared for it.

   AnglicanThe Diocese of Perth says you need not have been baptised yourself, or be a regular churchgoer, to ask about baptism and explore what it means.

2. Preparation

   AnglicanThe vicar may ask you to come to a few sessions exploring what it means to be a Christian, the Diocese of Melbourne says.

   CatholicThe Code of Canon Law says parents and future sponsors are to be properly instructed in the meaning of the sacrament and its obligations, sometimes with several families together. Brisbane’s page says the parish will guide you through it.

3. Godparents

   AnglicanParents usually choose godparents, who need to be physically present to make their promises, according to the Diocese of Melbourne.

   CatholicThe Archdiocese of Brisbane lists four requirements, among them being at least 16 and not a parent of the child.

   The full picture, including the Baptist and Uniting pages, is on godparents and sponsors.

4. A date

   AnglicanOnce you are ready, the Diocese of Melbourne says, you can talk with the vicar about a proposed date.

   CatholicThe Archdiocese of Brisbane says some parishes do not hold baptisms during Lent. The Code of Canon Law says baptism may be celebrated on any day, and recommends Sunday or, if possible, the Easter Vigil.

5. The place and the service

   AnglicanThe Diocese of Perth says baptism is often celebrated in the Sunday service, so that as many people as possible can welcome the person baptised. The Diocese of Adelaide says it may be held in a regular service or on a special occasion, often with family, godparents and the wider church. The Diocese of Melbourne says a service may baptise one person or more.

   CatholicBaptisms are normally held on a Sunday in the parish church, the Archdiocese of Brisbane says: at Mass, or at another Sunday time shared with a few other families. When parents ask about a school chapel or another meaningful place, it says the local parish community is more appropriate.

If you are the one being baptised

Several pages speak to adults directly. The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne says it sees many more adults asking for baptism, and that adults make the promises and state their belief themselves. The Archdiocese of Brisbane welcomes people who want baptism for themselves, and the Code of Canon Law says an adult is admitted to “the catechumenate” and led through its stages to sacramental initiation.

In the Baptist statements, baptism is always a believer’s own profession of faith; the page on believers’ baptism and immersion sets out what two associations say. The Uniting Church baptises those who confess the Christian faith themselves, as well as children.