Baptism preparation for second grader

[PhilotheaZ]

A question for DREs, CREs, or RCIC catechists:

There is a family that our pastor wants to bring into the church as soon as possible (for a seemingly valid reason).

What kind of preparation is required/recommended for a second-grader prior to baptism?

Is she considered an “infant” for purposes of baptism, not requiring any special catechesis?

Or is she considered to have reached the age of reason, requiring RCIC?

If you had about a month to prepare her, what do you think are the essential concepts she would need to receive?

She will be joining a regular faith formation program with children her own age for ongoing catechesis and preparation for the other sacraments.

My “instinct” tells me that she should at least understand that God exists, one God in three Persons, that He created her, that He loves her, that Baptism is the way that she becomes part of God’s family, and a little bit about how the sacrament is celebrated.

What else would you recommend?

 

[Texas_Roofer]

I believe the Priest decides if infant or adult

BAPTISM (Cann. 849 - 878) ( edited for size)

Can. 849 Baptism, the gateway to the sacraments and necessary for salvation by actual reception or at least by desire, is validly conferred only by a washing of true water with the proper form of words. Through baptism men and women are freed from sin, are reborn as children of God, and, configured to Christ by an indelible character, are incorporated into the Church.
CHAPTER I.

THE CELEBRATION OF BAPTISM

Can. 850 Baptism is administered according to the order prescribed in the approved liturgical books, except in case of urgent necessity when only those things required for the validity of the sacrament must be observed.

Can. 851 The celebration of baptism must be prepared properly; consequently:

1/ an adult who intends to receive baptism is to be admitted to the catechumenate and is to be led insofar as possible through the various stages to sacramental initiation, according to the order of initiation adapted by the conference of bishops and the special norms issued by it;

2/ the parents of an infant to be baptized and those who are to undertake the function of sponsor are to be instructed properly on the meaning of this sacrament and the obligations attached to it. The pastor personally or through others is to take care that the parents are properly instructed through both pastoral advice and common prayer, bringing several families together and, where possible, visiting them.
Can. 852 §1. The prescripts of the canons on adult baptism are to be applied to all those who, no longer infants, have attained the use of reason.

§2. A person who is not responsible for oneself (non sui compos) is also regarded as an infant with respect to baptism.

…

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.
…

§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.

CHAPTER II.
THE MINISTER OF BAPTISM
…
Can. 863 The baptism of adults, at least of those who have completed their fourteenth year, is to be deferred to the diocesan bishop so that he himself administers it if he has judged it Expedient.
CHAPTER III.

THOSE TO BE BAPTIZED

Can. 864 Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is capable of baptism.

Can. 865 §1. For an adult to be baptized, the person must have manifested the intention to receive baptism, have been instructed sufficiently about the truths of the faith and Christian obligations, and have been tested in the Christian life through the catechumenate. The adult is also to be urged to have sorrow for personal sins.

§2. An adult in danger of death can be baptized if, having some knowledge of the principal truths of the faith, the person has manifested in any way at all the intention to receive baptism and promises to observe the commandments of the Christian religion.

Can. 866 Unless there is a grave reason to the contrary, an adult who is baptized is to be confirmed immediately after baptism and is to participate in the eucharistic celebration also by receiving communion

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.

…

Can. 868 §1. For an infant to be baptized licitly:

1/ the parents or at least one of them or the person who legitimately takes their place must consent;

2/ there must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after the parents have been advised about the reason.

§2. An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents is baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents.

Can. 869 §1. If there is a doubt whether a person has been baptized or whether baptism was conferred validly and the doubt remains after a serious investigation, baptism is to be conferred conditionally.

§2. Those baptized in a non-Catholic ecclesial community must not be baptized conditionally unless, after an examination of the matter and the form of the words used in the conferral of baptism and a consideration of the intention of the baptized adult and the minister of the baptism, a serious reason exists to doubt the validity of the baptism.

§3. If in the cases mentioned in §§1 and 2 the conferral or validity of the baptism remains doubtful, baptism is not to be conferred until after the doctrine of the sacrament of baptism is explained to the person to be baptized, if an adult, and the reasons of the doubtful validity of the baptism are explained to the person or, in the case of an infant, to the parents.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

A question for DREs, CREs, or RCIC catechists:

There is a family that our pastor wants to bring into the church as soon as possible (for a seemingly valid reason).

What kind of preparation is required/recommended for a second-grader prior to baptism?

Is she considered an “infant” for purposes of baptism, not requiring any special catechesis?

Or is she considered to have reached the age of reason, requiring RCIC?

If you had about a month to prepare her, what do you think are the essential concepts she would need to receive?

She will be joining a regular faith formation program with children her own age for ongoing catechesis and preparation for the other sacraments.

My “instinct” tells me that she should at least understand that God exists, one God in three Persons, that He created her, that He loves her, that Baptism is the way that she becomes part of God’s family, and a little bit about how the sacrament is celebrated.

What else would you recommend?

If she is Baptized as an infant she requires no preparation, and would only be Baptized at this time.

If she is going to be Catechized. That then presumes that she is at the “age of reason” or “Catechetical age”. this then requires that she go through RCIA for children. AND it requires that she she be Baptized (at the Easter Vigil, unless in danger of death), be Confirmed and receive Holy Communion at the same time as her Baptism.

 

[puzzleannie]

what Bro says

and canon has been cited above as well

as to how to apply this to your situation, “rules” say when a child reaches “catechetical age”–we used to call it age of reason–they are brought into the Church through RCIA because they are an adult–no longer an infant–for the purposes of Sacraments of Initiation. The age is generally recognized as 7 or 2nd grade.

You diocese has policies to govern this, that is your first stop. But bear in mind it is the pastor who has ultimate responsibility to determine who is ready and properly disposed for the sacraments, and if in his judgement they are ready, that has weight. He must have good and sufficient reason I am sure.

We had a similar situation a couple of years ago. The child was being raised by grandparents who wanted to baptize her as an infant but because the birth father would not sign off on his rights (although he has never even seen her or contributed to her support) they could not. She attended Catholic school since age 4, was taught prayers, taken to Mass etc. by grandparents. As soon as their adoption of her was official we were ready to go, this happened just before Lent, so she joined the children’s RCIA class for the Rites of Lent and received immediate preparation for Easter with them, and was baptized etc. at Easter with the other children and adults, with confirmation and 1st communion of course. She was already in a first communion class at school, so catechesis was not an issue, and as she is continuing in our school, ongoing catechesis is a given.

Canonically the preparation and disposition required is that she is of canonical age, knows the elements of the profession of faith (Apostles Creed) asks for baptism and the other sacraments, knows the difference between ordinary bread and wine and the Eucharist, knows that Jesus is present and expresses the desire to receive him.

If the priest has a good pastoral reason to receive the family before Easter, you presumably have a bit of lead time. So spend a lesson on the creed, one on the Mass and Eucharist, one on Baptism and Confirmation & the Holy Spirit, and one on the person of Jesus Himself through 2 or 3 basic gospel stories.

If she is already baptized, she will join a sacramental class with children of her age for first communion, or at the pastor’s discretion be confirmed and brought to first communion with her parents and other siblings. Children under 7 who are baptized are “automatically” Catholic when their parents join the Church, and are prepared for the other sacraments at the appropriate age for your diocese.

If it is your call, she joins an RCIA class with her peers and goes through the preparation dictated by the diocese, and is reaceived into the Church in due course. If the pastor has reason to do this sooner, he will tell you.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Thank you all for your responses! You have been very helpful.