BAPTISM
Purpose:
A new program entitled "Go Forth Into Deep Water" has now been implemented.
This program was presented to the parishes for evaluation and "fine tuning"
before being implemented.
In the Spring of 1995 a training session was offered to interested
volunteers willing to start a parish baptismal preparation team.
The Baptismal program includes 4 steps :
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1 Home visitation.
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2 Three Group Meetings whose topics are :
The Loving God; Death and life with Jesus Christ; To live in the
Spirit.
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3 Celebration of Baptism.
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4 Follow up to the Celebration.
These steps represent a process which invites the parents as well as the
godparents (whenever possible) to a rich journey of faith. It encourages
small group faith sharing, and invites the participants to see their faith
in connection with their everyday lives. This process encourages adult
faith education. A child's baptism provides the opportunity for parents
and godparents to become more conscious of their own faith journey.
This may deeply enrich their faith lives and help parents to better understand
their role as the primary faith educators of their child.