There seems to be much confusion and ignorance when it comes to the celebration of the Sacraments especially Baptism. The Sacred Heart Parish Baptismal Policy seeks to rectify this situation.

Life is really a journey. We grow up, we leave home, we get married, we change jobs etc. Nothing ever stays the same. Part of this journey is letting go of the past in order to welcome new beginnings. Setting up a new home involves leaving the family home we have grown to love over the years. This is also true of our faith community. When we move into a new area it is an opportunity to seek out a new beginning spiritually. This involves visiting our new spiritual home, our local Parish Faith Community. This is where your children will be nourished spiritually as their own personal faith home. In fact it is the same journey your parents made when they first settled into their new home.

Your child belongs to you. Even before your child was born your whole family was filled with hope and excitement. Will your child be a boy or a girl? Who will he or she be like? Likewise baby clothes were admired and bought. The baby capsule and cot were carefully chosen so that your child would be as comfortable and safe as possible. No expense was spared as you sought advice from family and friends alike. Only the very best is good enough for this child of yours. So in a very real sense your child was welcomed and belonged to you before it was ever born. He/she was already a full member of your family in every way.

We also want your child to belong. We want your child to belong to us, the parishioners of Sacred Heart, Kew. This is where the spiritual development of your child will be nurtured. We see ourselves as an extended family where you and your child feel welcomed, supported, and loved. Your child will hopefully attend one of our parish schools.’ It is also where your child will receive all their Sacraments.

Baptism Ethos- A Sacrament of Belonging to your Local Faith Community.Baptism is the first of the Sacraments of Initiation. It is a celebration of belonging to your Local Parish Faith Community and through it to the wider church.

Our way of fully welcoming you is celebrated in the Sacrament of Baptism. Baptism is about belonging, not just for your child but for your whole family. It is about sharing your life with us so we can all be enriched by one another. It is about a way of life that is lived out in and through this Faith Community at Sacred Heart Parish.

God called me before I was born, from my mother's womb he pronounced my name. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. from my mother's womb he pronounced my name. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. Can a mother forget her baby, or not love the child she bore? Yet even if these forget, I will not forget you. See, I have carved you on the palm of my hand

Isaiah 49:1-2,15-16.

Our responsibility as a community is to teach your child about a loving God who wishes to have a personal relationship with him/her. We can only help you to the extent that you choose to belong to us. The Faith Community of St. Sacred Heart Parish promises to awaken, strengthen, and develop, the faith of your child as he or she matures. We can and will help you in every way possible because we know the task before you is a difficult one.

Your child has just begun his/her journey of life. Your responsibility is to help form the inner nature of your child as he/she grows up. One of the most important ways of doing this is by telling your child about God. If you neglect to tell your child about God then the only God your child will know will be one who is indifferent and distant. How then can your child turn to God especially in times of trouble?If on the other hand your child knows God as a friend and companion then when difficulties arise he/she will be able to turn to him for reassurance and cope a lot more easily. This is our hope for your child. Let us begin this journey by celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism here at Sacred Heart Parish.

Please choose to belong to us because we are as rich or as poor as the people who make up our parish Community. It would be beneficial you and your family to attend weekend Mass at Sacred Heart Parish so that you come to know this worshiping community. Believe me when I say that Sacred Heart is a wonderful community and you will love it here.

You are also required to attend a ‘Welcome Mass’ before the baptism can occur. Welcome Masses are understood as one of our weekend Parish Masses so the family can be welcomed and introduced to the Parish Faith Community and make their commitment to belong to our Parish. This promise of belonging is made to God and to the parishioners of Sacred Heart. This takes six weeks to eight weeks after the initial information session but it can take longer depending on the parish calendar.

Baptisms are celebrated at Sacred Heart Kew, on any Sunday of each month at 9.30am. No date is set until the family have completed in full our Parish Policy for the Sacrament of Baptism. Likewise, you will need written confirmation from the parish confirming baptismal date and time to finalise the process. There are some weekends when baptisms do not occur due to the parish calendar. These include Sundays which are reserved for 1st Eucharist Masses, Palm Sunday, Christmas day, Confirmation masses, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, parish celebration Masses, etc. Consequently it is best not to arrange a baptism with having this information at hand.

NB: In having your child baptised you are promising God in the most profound sacred way that you will attend Mass regularly so that you can bring your child up in the practice of the Catholic Faith. Failure to do so is a ‘Serious Spiritual Sin’ as this vow is binding. It is a ‘Sacred Spiritual Vow’ between you and God.

Please take care of your child’s soul this is your ‘Most Sacred Duty’

Sincerely yours,

Father John Madden, Parish Priest