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INFANT BAPTISM
Welcome to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament parish and the information area concerning having your baby baptized. We hope this information is helpful. Feel free to contact us at 202.449.4618.
“Jesus sent the disciples out to baptize and from that time until today, there is a chain in the transmission of the faith through Baptism. Each of us is a link in that chain. We’re always moving ahead like a river. Through Baptism, we enter the people of God. We transmit our faith to our children, and when they are grown up, they transmit the faith to their children. And that is how God’s grace works. This is most important: We are the people of God who walk and transmit the faith.”
Pope Francis on Baptism, January 13, 2018
REQUIREMENTS
- Complete Baptismal program, attend 2 sessions: 1 parent led, 1 clergy led (sign up for sessions by contacting Rosalie Days at baptism@blessedsacramentdc.org or 202.449.4618 with the dates of the sessions you wish to attend)
- Decide which group baptism you wish to attend: every month Blessed Sacrament offers a group baptism on the 2nd Saturday and 4th Sunday (private baptisms will have to be arranged through email, please read below for details)
- Fill out Baptismal form, which will be sent to you, once you know what date your child will be baptized and once you have chosen the godparents. Baptism preparation is not complete until the form has been returned to the office.
THE BAPTISMAL PROGRAM
The Baptism preparation program is designed to help parents better understand the religious significance and meaning behind the use of symbols during your child's Baptism ceremony. We will also equip you with some concrete, practical suggestions for raising your children in the Catholic Faith and tradition. The program consists of two sessions, which can be attended in any order. Sessions are held once every two months at 1:45 p.m. in the parish center. When you attend a session, it is recommended that you park in the parking area between the church and the school and enter the parish center by the door to the right of the glass entrance. The doors from Quesada Street may not be open.
PLEASE NOTE WELL: Sometimes due to extenuating circumstances in the parish, this schedule may be subject to change at any time regarding the place of baptism (i.e., a baptism in the church may be moved to the Parish Center Chapel or vice versa). A change may also occur at any given time regarding the priest or deacon scheduled to preside over the baptism. Parents will be notified in advance as soon as we are aware of the situation. This is why we request an email address on the form so we can inform parents of any change(s) that may occur.
THE SCHEDULE OF BAPTISMAL PREP SESSIONS FOR 2019–2020:
Session led by a priest or deacon: deals with the meaning of baptism, the Rite of Baptism, and the symbols in the rite. All sessions will be held from 1:45 - 2:45 p.m. in the parish chapel. Space is limited, the cutoff to sign up is 1 week before a class by emailing: baptism@blessedsacramentdc.org:
- Sunday, August 4, 2019 with Fr. Alec -(SIGN UP BY JULY 28)
- Sunday, October 13, 2019 with Deacon Flynn -(SIGN UP BY OCT 6)
- Sunday, December 1, 2019 with Fr. Foley -(SIGN UP BY NOV 24)
- Sunday, February 2, 2020 with TBA -(SIGN UP BY JAN 26)
- Sunday, March 29, 2020 with TBA - (SIGN UP BY MAR 22)
- Sunday, June 7, 2020 with TBA - (SIGN UP BY MAY 31)
Session led by parents: deals with the faith journey of the parents, the rituals and traditions of the Catholic faith, and the responsibility and joy of being the first teachers of the children in matters of faith. All sessions will be held from 1:45 - 3:15 p.m. in the main level of the parish center. Space is limited, the cutoff to sign up is 1 week before a class by emailing: baptism@blessedsacramentdc.org :
- Sunday, July 14, 2019 – (SIGN UP BY JULY 7)
- Sunday, September 8, 2019 – (SIGN UP BY SEPT 1)
- Sunday, October 6, 2019 – (SIGN UP BY SEPT 29)
- Sunday, November 3, 2019 – (SIGN UP BY OCT 27)
- Sunday, January 5, 2020 – (SIGN UP BY DEC 29)
- Sunday, March 1, 2020 – (SIGN UP BY FEB 23)
- Sunday, April 5, 2020 – (SIGN UP BY MAR 29)
- Sunday, May 3, 2020 – (SIGN UP BY APR 26)
Attend sessions, if required:
a. Those having their first child baptized: Are required to attend both sessions
b. Those who have had children baptized at other parishes (who have NOT completed a baptism preparation program at another parish): Are required to attend the session led by parents
c. Those who took part in our program more than five years ago: Are asked to attend the meeting led by parents
d. Those who have attended a baptism program at any Catholic Parish within the past five years are asked to get a notice from that parish, and are then exempt from additional classes and only need to schedule their child’s baptism date.
GROUP BAPTISM
GROUP BAPTISM
Every month, Blessed Sacrament offers a group baptism where families sign up to attend a pre-scheduled group baptism where a given number of families gather for infant baptisms that are done individually. Every family will be given an individual time for their child’s baptism and plenty of time and space for individual and private photos. We highly encourage group baptisms, since they are the easiest and fastest way of scheduling your child’s baptism, the church and a priest/deacon are already scheduled for you – below you can check for immediate availability.
SEPTEMBER 2019- Saturday, September 7th - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, September 22nd - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
OCTOBER 2019- Saturday, October 5th - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, October 20tt - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
NOVEMBER 2019- Saturday, November 2nd - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, November 24th - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
DECEMBER 2019- Saturday, December 7th - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, December 23rd - NO GROUP BAPTISM
JANUARY 2020- Saturday, January 4th - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, January 26th - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
FEBRUARY 2020- Saturday, February 1st - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, February 23rd - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
MARCH 2020- Saturday, March 7th- Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, March 22nd - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
APRIL 2020- NO GROUP BAPTISMS
MAY 2020- Saturday, May 2nd - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, May 24th - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
JUNE 2020- Saturday, June 6th - Chapel at noon with TBD
- Sunday, June 28th - Church at 2 p.m. with TBD
To register for a Group Baptism, please email baptism@blessedsacramentdc.org.
PRIVATE BAPTISM
Due to various circumstances, you may need to arrange a private baptism – in this case, you will need to provide several dates and times that will work with your schedule several months in advance. Please email baptism@blessedsacramentdc.org with your desired dates. Due to the large number of requests, we cannot guarantee the dates you select, so please be patient as we coordinate schedules until we find a date/time that works.
BAPTISMAL FORM
***Baptismal forms will be emailed to you from Rosalie Days
Once you have the date of the baptism and the godparents, you will need to fill out a baptismal form. If you have chosen to partake in a group baptism, please indicate on the form what date you have selected. A priest/deacon and the location are already booked for a group baptism.