Baptism
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” - Matthew 28:19-20
To schedule a baptism or register for a class,
please call the office at (573) 445-7915.
Classes
Baptism preparation classes are held the third Thursday of every month at 7 PM in the parish office meeting room. Please call the office to register for the class.
Godparents
During the Rite of Baptism, the sponsors (godparents) make the profession of faith with the parents and promise to assist the parents in raising the child in the Catholic faith. Their role continues as a support to the parents’ role as the first educators of their children in the faith.
The Church’s Code of Canon Law specifies the requirements for sponsors (godparents) as follows:
There is to be only one godfather or one godmother or one of each.
A godparent must:
- be designated by the parents or guardians of the child;
- be at least sixteen years old, unless the bishop, pastor, or the minister of baptism has granted a special exception;
- be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
- not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
- not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
An Orthodox Christian may serve as a godparent together with a Catholic godparent (see Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, n. 98)
A non-Catholic Christian may serve as a witness to the baptism in conjunction with a Catholic godparent.
Emergencies
In danger of death, anyone can validly baptize by pouring water over the head of the person to be baptized while saying the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
If a child (or an adult) was baptized by someone other than a priest or deacon in the case of an emergency, please inform the parish office.
Online Baptismal Form
Arranging Baptism at Our Lady of Lourdes
Parents requesting the Sacrament of Baptism for their children should be registered members of the parish and should contact the parish office to begin scheduling the sacrament.
Please plan for ahead, baptism classes may be required in order to fully understand the gravity of the sacrament. Parents should try to see that their children are baptized within the first few weeks after birth.
Obtaining Baptismal Records
To obtain a copy of your certificate of Baptism, Marriage, First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation, please contact the parish office at 573.445.7915, or you may submit a written request mailed to:
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
Attn. Sacramental Records
903 Bernadette Dr
Columbia, MO 65203
The Gateway to Life in the Spirit
"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.”
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1213
The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. . . . Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.
In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.
To learn more about the Church’s teachings on baptism, you can visit the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website outlining church doctrine on Baptism and RCIA.
Infant Baptism
The Rite of Baptism for Children, Introduction (nos. 2-3) tell us:
“From the earliest times, the Church, to which the mission of preaching the Gospel and of baptizing was entrusted, has baptized not only adults but children as well. Our Lord said: ‘Unless a man is reborn in water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ The Church has always understood these words to mean that children should not be deprived of baptism, because they are baptized in the faith of the Church, a faith proclaimed for them by their parents and godparents, who represent both the local Church and the whole society of saints and believers: ‘The whole Church is the mother of all and the mother of each.’
To fulfill the true meaning of the sacrament, children must later be formed in the faith in which they have been baptized. The foundation of this formation will be the sacrament itself that they have already received. Christian formation, which is their due, seeks to lead them gradually to learn God’s plan in Christ, so that they may ultimately accept for themselves the faith in which they have been baptized.”