The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments in the Catholic Church, since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Once baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church.

Christ Himself ordered His disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations and to baptize those who accept the message of the Gospel. In His encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), Christ made it clear that baptism was necessary for salvation: "Amen, amen I say to you, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the very mark of being a Christian, because it brings us into new life in Christ. However, that doesn't mean that only those who have been formally baptized can be saved.

From very early on, the Church has recognized that there are two other types of baptism besides the baptism of water. The baptism of desire applies both to those who, while wishing to be baptized, die before receiving the sacrament and "Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they know it through the dictates of conscience" (Constitution on the Church, Second Vatican Council). Similarly, the baptism of blood is similar to the baptism of desire. It refers to the martyrdom of those believers who were killed for the faith before they had a chance to be baptised. This was a common occurrence in the early centuries of the Church, but also in later times in missionary lands. The baptism of blood has the same effects as the baptism of water.

Baptism has six primary effects, which are all supernatural graces:

1. The removal of the guilt of both Original Sin (the sin imparted to all humanity by the Fall of Adam and Eve) and personal sin (the sins that we have committed ourselves).

2. The remission of all punishment that we owe because of sin, both temporal and eternal.

3. The infusion of grace in the form of sanctifying grace (the life of God within us).

4.  Becoming a part of Christ.

5. Becoming a part of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ on earth.

6. Enabling participation in the sacraments, the priesthood of all believers, and the growth in grace.

While the Catholic Church has an extended rite of Baptism which is normally celebrated, involving anointing with oil, clothing with a white garment and reception of a lighted candle and includes roles for both parents and godparents, the essentials of that rite are two: the pouring of water three times over the head of the person to be baptized (or the immersion of the person in water); and the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

In the Catholic Church today, baptism is most commonly administered to infants. Adult converts to Catholicism also receive the sacrament, as part of their reception which normally takes place at the Easter Vigil unless they have already received a Christian baptism. A person can only be baptized once as a Christian. While an adult can be baptized after proper instruction in the Faith, adult baptism normally occurs today as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and is immediately followed by Confirmation and Communion at the same Mass.

Make an appointment at the Parish Office for both parents to meet with the Parish Priest. The priest will probably ask both parents to attend a course of preparation for Baptism. You can start preparing even before your baby is born. The course is held in the parish and contains teaching about the Sacrament and is also an opportunity to ask questions and meet other parish members. It is a good idea to defer making a date for your child’s Baptism until after attending these sessions.