The Catholic Church defines baptism as “the sacrament which makes one a member of the Church”. To Catholics, being “washed with holy waters” during the christening signifies the washing away of original sin and being reborn to a new life in Christ.

Officially, your child can only have a Catholic christening if at least one parent is a Catholic as the priest needs to have a “well-founded hope” that your child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith.

The ceremony usually takes place in your parish church during the main Sunday service so that the child can be publicly welcomed into the church community.

During the ceremony, the parents and godparents will be directed to gather at front of church or round the font with the child. They will then be asked to make declarations or promises on behalf of the child that they believe in God and will bring the child up to follow Jesus.

The priest will make the sign of the cross as a badge to show that Christians are united with Christ and pour water on the child’s head to signify that the child is washed free of sin and raised to a new life with Christ. In some ceremonies the priest may then anoint the child with oil to symbolise the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit.

The congregation will then welcome the child into the Church and a candle may be lit in the church and/or given to the parent. This is a reminder of the light which has come into the child’s life.