For Baptism and Marriage

The Archdiocese of Hartford requires that marriage preparation begin at least six months prior to the celebration of the sacrament. Please call the Priory to arrange an appointment with the Pastor. At least one of the couple should be a registered member of the Parish.

HELPFUL INFORMATION

Photos and/or videotaping may be taken during the ceremony observing the instructions of the priest or deacon. Baptism is a sacred moment of rejoicing in prayer. While your desire to record this special moment is understandable, at the same time the joy of this day should not be marred in any way by photo and taping equipment and those who operate it.

Parking:

Parking with meters (meters in operation Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.) is available along Hillhouse Avenue and the streets around the Church. A public parking garage is located on Grove Street. Yale Parking Lot #51 on Temple Street, located between Wall and Elm Streets, is open to the public after 4:00 p.m. on Friday and through the weekend.

Restrooms are located downstairs in the Church building, to the right as your enter the Church.

An elevator is available for the Church at the side entrance of the Church located between Hillhouse Avenue and Temple Street, next to the Priory.

Baptism is our birth as Christians. Through it we are cleansed of original sin, incorporated into the Body of Christ that is the Church, and it is the beginning in us of the new life Christ imparts through his death and resurrection. It is the role of the father and mother, accompanied by the godparents, to present the child to the Church for baptism. These guidelines are offered to you to help make the preparation for your child's baptism a time for spiritual growth and the ceremony a joyful celebration. Registered members of the parish may have their child baptized in St. Mary's Church. Roman Catholics who attend Mass at St. Mary's but who have no formal relationship with the parish community may speak to one of the priests about establishing a relationship with the intention of celebrating their child's baptism here. Former members of this parish and members of other parishes must speak with both their present pastor and to one of the priests at St. Mary's if they wish to have their child baptized here.

Sundays, after the 10:00AM Mass or by appointment. Expectant parents should call the Priory to make the necessary arrangements and to participate in our baptismal preparation program.

If possible, baptism should take place on Sunday, the day on which the Church celebrates the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ. It should be conferred in a communal celebration in the presence of the faithful, or at least of relatives and friends, who are all to take an active part in the Rite. Baptisms are scheduled on most Sundays at 11:15 a.m. (after the 10:00 a.m. Mass) or at 2:00 p.m. Parents arrange for the scheduling of the baptism during the required preparation session. The Church of St. Mary will try to accommodate requests for other times if there are special reasons with consideration for the availability of the Church and priests.

Ordinarily, one of the parish priests will celebrate baptisms in the parish. If a family has a special relationship with a priest or deacon from outside the parish he is most welcome to celebrate the baptism. Visiting priests or deacons should contact the pastor of St. Mary's to obtain the necessary permission from the parish to conduct the baptism.

In choosing to have your child baptized in the Catholic Church, you are accepting the responsibility of raising him or her in the practice of the Catholic Faith. The preparation process is conducted under the assumption that at least one of the parents is a believing and practicing Roman Catholic. It is an occasion to reflect on your faith and how the faith of the Church will be communicated and lived out in the life of the child. If Catholics have not been practicing their faith, this is an opportunity to rediscover and renew your commitment to the Church. It is an invitation to deepen your knowledge of the faith and to actively live that faith.

Parents are required to attend an hour-long preparation session. The session is arranged by contacting one of the parish priests and is schedule at your mutual convenience. You do not need to wait until the child is born to attend the session. Parents who have already attended a session for the baptism of another child do not need to attend. The date and time of the baptism is schedule during the preparation session. The session will focus on the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism, the responsibilities of the parents and godparents in teaching the faith of the Church to the child, and the celebration of the rite. If the child is between the ages of 7 and 14 years, it will be necessary to arrange a brief interview of the child with the priest who will be conducting the baptism. This interview is to ascertain the child's sufficient awareness and knowledge of the Sacrament.

Each child must have at least one, but may have two godparents or sponsors, one male and one female. One godparent must be a practicing and believing Roman Catholic who has received the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Confirmation, be at least 16 years old, and if married, the marriage must be a valid Catholic marriage. It is through baptism that one enters the Church. Godparents or sponsors represent the Church community. Therefore, it is necessary that one godparent be an active member of the community. A baptized Christian may serve as a witness to the ceremony. Godparents may be represented by proxies if they unable to be present for the ceremony. Those serving as proxies must fulfill the same requirements as godparents. Catholics serving as godparents must contact their parish and obtain a sponsor letter or certificate. Please bring the letter or certificate to the baptism.

All the sacraments, including Baptism, are celebrated as a community in which the Catholic faithful gather in prayer and to listen to the Scriptures. At the baptismal preparation session you will receive a booklet with the Rite of Baptism. Please read it over and note the responses and the places where the parents and godparents actively participate in the rite. Please bring this booklet with you to the ceremony. Some things to consider for the ceremony: It is customary to have the baby dressed in white for the ceremony. After the pouring of the water, there is a reference to the white garment. St. Paul speaks of the newly baptized as having "put on Christ." The white garment symbolizes that the newly baptized have "put on Christ." There is an anointing that takes place before the pouring of the water. This anointing is done on the top of the chest area of the child. Please make sure that the baby's clothes are loose enough to provide access to this area for this anointing. The mother holds the baby for the pouring of the water during the ceremony. After the pouring of the water, a small candle is lighted from the Easter candle and pass on to the godfather (or to the Catholic godparent). The candle will be provided by the Church and should be kept by the family as a reminder for the child of his or her baptism. If desired, families may provide their own candle. If the baptismal outfit includes a hat for the baby, please make sure it is removed before the ceremony. If there are elements that families have traditionally used for baptism (e.g., a special vessel for the pouring of the water, etc.), you are most welcome to bring these to the ceremony for use.

Families who desire to have a child baptized in another parish should contact a priest in the parish where the baptism will take place and one of the parish priests at St. Mary's Church. Because sacramental preparation is primarily the responsibility of the parish to which you belong, St. Mary's Parish will be very happy to assist our parishioners who desire to have a child baptized in another parish. The priests will work with family and the other parish to provide the necessary preparation in the most convenient way.

If a child was baptized in danger of death, the Rite of Bring a Baptized Child to the Church may be celebrated. This rites celebrates all the additional ceremonies of the baptism rite including the reception and welcoming of the child, anointing, clothing with the white garment, presentation of the candle, and blessings.

For the convenience of all involved, everyone should be on time for the ceremony. There is no need to rush through your celebration on such an important day. Also, we ask you to please be aware that other parish liturgies may follow yours and it will be necessary to begin those celebrations on time.

Baptism is the gateway to the sacramental life of the Church. The baptismal register of each parish records the sacramental life of each person. During the future years of your child, at times it will be necessary to provide a new certificate of baptism in preparation for other sacraments. This certificate can be obtained by contacting the Church of St. Mary. The parish in which the sacraments of Confirmation, Marriage, and Holy Orders, are received will send a notification to the Church of St. Mary to be entered in the baptismal register here.

Offerings

It is customary for the family to make a donation to the Church.