Baptism at Sunday Mass

[Peggy_in_Burien]

I have attended Masses where babies were baptised.

My eldest daughter and my youngest son were both baptized right after Sunday Mass. I liked that because those who wished to stay could, and others could go on home, and not be leaving Mass.

My middle child was baptized at the hospital by the Military Chaplain.

 

[SecretGarden]

I have and it is my preferred method of baptism. That way the congregation is able to enjoy the moment with the family. I personally hate it when the baptisms are after mass. How can we as a congregation promise God we will help the family raise the child in Christ if we don’t know who is being baptised?

 

[phil19034]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baptism during a Mass (besides Easter Vigil), and if I did, it was when I was very young.

Our Parish does them every other Sunday at 1PM (the last Sunday Mass is at 11:15). The Baptisms are almost always done by one of our 3 Deacons.

Perhaps a priest on here can explain the advantages and disadvantages to in Mass vs outside of Mass, or provide some of the history behind why some Parishes (or perhaps even whole Diocese) do it outside Mass? I personally find these kinds of tidbits very interesting.

God Bless.

 

[pianistclare]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baptism during a Mass (besides Easter Vigil), and if I did, it was when I was very young.

Our Parish does them every other Sunday at 1PM (the last Sunday Mass is at 11:15). The Baptisms are almost always done by one of our 3 Deacons.

Perhaps a priest on here can explain the advantages and disadvantages to in Mass vs outside of Mass, or provide some of the history behind why some Parishes (or perhaps even whole Diocese) do it outside Mass? I personally find these kinds of tidbits very interesting.

God Bless.

See post #16

 

[jesus4ever]

Has baptism changed at all or is it just me. This year I have noticed that they do a baptism in a 3 week period instead of a one off mass. example the parents and the baby come to church 3 times in a 3 week period just to get baptised. I live in Australia by the way and this has been occurring since they changed the parish priest.

 

[phil19034]

Has baptism changed at all or is it just me. This year I have noticed that they do a baptism in a 3 week period instead of a one off mass. example the parents and the baby come to church 3 times in a 3 week period just to get baptised. I live in Australia by the way and this has been occurring since they changed the parish priest.

That might just be the way the Pastor does the Pre-Jordan classes before Baptism for the parents…

 

[Gorgias]

*Can. 856 Although baptism can be celebrated on any day, it is nevertheless recommended that it be celebrated ordinarily on Sunday or, if possible, at the Easter Vigil.

Can. 857 §1. Apart from a case of necessity, the proper place of baptism is a church or oratory.

§2. As a rule an adult is to be baptized in his or her parish church and an infant in the parish church of the parents unless a just cause suggests otherwise.*

EasterJoy,

Not to be a wet blanket, but I think that I need to point out that you did not prove what you think you’ve proved.

You responded to the question of whether the Church directs us to baptize on Sunday at Mass, and you demonstrated only that the Church directs us to baptize on Sunday. In other words, you haven’t answered the question.

Yes, baptisms should take place on Sunday; but this canon doesn’t mandate that these baptisms take place in the context of Sunday Mass. Moreover, RyanBlack’s assertion that “In the absence of emergencies, baptisms should take place during the Sunday celebration of the Mass” isn’t, in fact, what the Church teaches. The introduction to the Rite of Baptism encourages members of the parish community to be present for the baptism; it even provides direction for the celebration of baptism in the context of Mass; but it doesn’t say that baptisms must (or even should) take place during Mass. In fact, the introduction to the rite explicitly says that “[o]n Sunday, baptism may be celebrated even during Mass… but this should not be done too often.”

 

[EasterJoy]

EasterJoy,

Not to be a wet blanket, but I think that I need to point out that you did not prove what you think you’ve proved.

You responded to the question of whether the Church directs us to baptize on Sunday at Mass, and you demonstrated only that the Church directs us to baptize on Sunday. In other words, you haven’t answered the question.

Yes, baptisms should take place on Sunday; but this canon doesn’t mandate that these baptisms take place in the context of Sunday Mass. Moreover, RyanBlack’s assertion that “In the absence of emergencies, baptisms should take place during the Sunday celebration of the Mass” isn’t, in fact, what the Church teaches. The introduction to the Rite of Baptism encourages members of the parish community to be present for the baptism; it even provides direction for the celebration of baptism in the context of Mass; but it doesn’t say that baptisms must (or even should) take place during Mass. In fact, the introduction to the rite explicitly says that “[o]n Sunday, baptism may be celebrated even during Mass… but this should not be done too often.”

You misunderstand–we are in agreement. I meant to show that a) it ought to be on a Sunday and b) there *are *reasons it may be seen as desirable that it be at Mass.

It doesn’t have to be at Mass, not by any means. By “this should not be done too often,” though, some take it to mean baptisms ought not be spread out so that there is one at every Sunday Mass every weekend, which could probably be done in a large parish. In a smaller parish, though, there aren’t so many babies as that. The priest at a small parish or one with few young families can have every single baptism during Mass, and it still isn’t “done too often,” not by a long shot!

 

[babochka]

I don’t believe I’ve ever attended a RC Sunday Mass that included a baptism, which I find to be terribly sad. I have, however, witnessed several baptisms that took place during a Sunday Divine Liturgy at my Ruthenian Catholic parish.

Ryan, do the baptisms in your parish take place during the liturgy, or immediately prior to the Sunday Divine Liturgy? That’s how they always happen at my parish, and at other parishes that I’ve attended.

 

[babochka]

Has baptism changed at all or is it just me. This year I have noticed that they do a baptism in a 3 week period instead of a one off mass. example the parents and the baby come to church 3 times in a 3 week period just to get baptised. I live in Australia by the way and this has been occurring since they changed the parish priest.

Just a guess, but maybe they are mimicking the RCIA process, in which one has several ceremonies leading up to the baptism itself.

 

[EasterJoy]

Has baptism changed at all or is it just me. This year I have noticed that they do a baptism in a 3 week period instead of a one off mass. example the parents and the baby come to church 3 times in a 3 week period just to get baptised. I live in Australia by the way and this has been occurring since they changed the parish priest.

I have never seen that happen. Canon law says:

*Can. 867 §1. Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks; as soon as possible after the birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared properly for it.

**§2. *An infant in danger of death is to be baptized without delay.

I can’t say what the situation is in your parish, but satisfaction of Canon 867 would normally argue against stringing the process out over several weeks after the child was already born. Were I in such a parish and of an age and state of life that the blessing of a new child was a real possibility for me, I’d make inquiries about that.

 

[RyanBlack]

Ryan, do the baptisms in your parish take place during the liturgy, or immediately prior to the Sunday Divine Liturgy? That’s how they always happen at my parish, and at other parishes that I’ve attended.

Technically, immediately prior to the actual Divine Liturgy. However, Fr. begins the baptismal liturgy at the same time he normally begins Divine Liturgy, and the movement from the baptismal liturgy to the Divine Liturgy is seamless.

 

[RyanBlack]

RyanBlack’s assertion that “In the absence of emergencies, baptisms should take place during the Sunday celebration of the Mass” isn’t, in fact, what the Church teaches.

I never said that it is required by Church teaching. What I stated is my opinion, based on the theology of baptism. Through baptism, we die with Christ to sin and are raised with Christ unto life in the Spirit. Furthermore, we are made members of the body of Christ, which is the Church. For these reasons, it is most fitting that baptisms occur in the context of the celebration of the Mass/Divine Liturgy/Holy Qurbana.

 

[Phemie]

Have you attended a Sunday Mass at which a baby’s Baptism also occurred?

In my parish, most Baptisms occur during Sunday Mass, whether at the Saturday evening or Sunday morning one.

Sometimes, when a parent can’t be present on the weekend, due to work commitments that take him/her out of town, a baby will be baptized during a weekday Mass. Other than emergency ones, Baptisms are rarely celebrated outside of Mass. I can think of only one in the last two years.

 

[babochka]

Technically, immediately prior to the actual Divine Liturgy. However, Fr. begins the baptismal liturgy at the same time he normally begins Divine Liturgy, and the movement from the baptismal liturgy to the Divine Liturgy is seamless.

Ok. Thanks for the clarification. That is how it has happened in my experience as well. We often have latecomers to Divine Liturgy trapped in the narthex, as the doorway is filled with godparents, parents, baby, and priest. It does make for a very long Divine Liturgy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. When the bishop came out recently to baptize two new babies in our parish, I believe the whole thing lasted more than 2 hours.

When Baptism happens within the Mass, the Mass actually begins first (entrance procession, etc), then the baptisms occur at the point in the Mass in which the creed is recited, replacing the creed.

 

[Orogeny]

Since baptism has its own Rite, I would suggest that the Church, at the very least, has no issues with baptisms being performed outside of Mass.

I personally prefer that baptisms be separate from Mass.

Peace

Tim

 

[Phemie]

Has baptism changed at all or is it just me. This year I have noticed that they do a baptism in a 3 week period instead of a one off mass. example the parents and the baby come to church 3 times in a 3 week period just to get baptised. I live in Australia by the way and this has been occurring since they changed the parish priest.

I’ve only seen that once, in a French parish I was visiting in Ottawa. I don’t know if they spread it out over 2 or 3 Sundays but at the Mass I attended they only did the Greeting, the Signing with the Cross and, IIRC, the anointing with the Oil of Catechumens. The parents would bring back the child the next Sunday for the next part of the Rite.

When I mentioned it to my Pastor he replied that as far as he knew splitting up the Rite that way was forbidden.

 

[babochka]

I’ve only seen that once, in a French parish I was visiting in Ottawa. I don’t know if they spread it out over 2 or 3 Sundays but at the Mass I attended they only did the Greeting, the Signing with the Cross and, IIRC, the anointing with the Oil of Catechumens. The parents would bring back the child the next Sunday for the next part of the Rite.

When I mentioned it to my Pastor he replied that as far as he knew splitting up the Rite that way was forbidden.

When adults join the church through RCIA, they are made catechumens first, right? How is this done? Are they anointed with the oil of catechumens at that point in the RCIA process? I don’t know if it is allowed or not (it is allowed in the Byzantine Rite, but rarely done for infants), but I can certainly see how a priest or liturgist would decide that it is more “meaningful” this way. If it isn’t allowed, I really wish people would just stick with what the church prescribes and not innovate in these matters.

 

[Phemie]

When adults join the church through RCIA, they are made catechumens first, right? How is this done? Are they anointed with the oil of catechumens at that point in the RCIA process? I don’t know if it is allowed or not (it is allowed in the Byzantine Rite, but rarely done for infants), but I can certainly see how a priest or liturgist would decide that it is more “meaningful” this way. If it isn’t allowed, I really wish people would just stick with what the church prescribes and not innovate in these matters.

Adult catechumens are anointed, but it can be at any point after the Rite of Acceptance up to and including immediately before Baptism at the Vigil ( per the new Roman Missal).

The anointing with the Oil of Catechumens is optional in the Rite of Baptism for Children, as is the Ephpheta Rite. In our parish we still do both, but all within the one Mass.

 

[jilly4ski]

Since baptism has its own Rite, I would suggest that the Church, at the very least, has no issues with baptisms being performed outside of Mass.

I personally prefer that baptisms be separate from Mass.

Peace

Tim

I enjoy watching other people’s babies get baptized during Mass. I prefer my children get baptized after Mass.

But yes, I have attended many Masses that included a baptism.