Congratulations on the birth of your Baby!
from the priests and people of the Family of Parishes which includes
Ardfield & Rathbarry | Barryroe | Clonakilty | Kilmeen & Castleventry | Rosscarbery | Timoleague
The sacrament of BaptismThrough Baptism, your child will form a special bond with Jesus which cannot be broken. Baptism also enrols a child in the family of God which we call the Church.
You have decided to give your baby the chance to grow up in the knowledge and love of Christ and to be an active member of the Church community. You are also undertaking to nurture your child’s faith as the child grows up by helping the child to pray and to learn about God’s love. Baptism is the first step of your child’s journey to God.
At the baptism ceremony you will be promising to bring up your child as a member of the Church. You are asking the parish to help you in this and you will be given help to prepare for the ceremony. Your child will be part of a wider family - the Christian family - which your child will first meet in the local faith community.
In a few short years, and with God’s help, the next steps of First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation will see your child blessed with full membership of the family of God in his Church.
Day and Time
Most of the Baptism ceremonies now involve more than one baptism being celebrated together and the ceremony is held in one of the parish churches. In Clonakilty, Baptisms are on Saturday at 4:00pm each week. Baptisms in the other churches are on Saturday at 2:00pm, one Saturday in each parish each month.
- 1st Saturday in Ardfield and Kilmeen
- 2nd Saturday in Rosscarbery
- 3rd Saturday in Barryroe
- 4th Saturday in Timoleague
You are free to choose any of the churches in our family of parishes and a minimum of 21 days' notice is required when requesting a date.
Arranging a Baptism
There are two ways you can request a baptism:
1. Request a date and church via
the online Baptism Request form
or if you prefer
2. Contact Carmel at the office on 023 883 5654
(Mon to Fri - 9:30am to 1:30pm)
to check availabilty and to provisionally book a place.
Next, please print and return this completed Booking Form
to the office at least three weeks before the baptism,
along with a photocopy of the child’s Birth Registration Certificate.
With either method please wait for the time and date of the ceremony to be confirmed.
Godparents / Sponsors
Your baby’s sponsors at Baptism must share the Christian faith (at least one must be Catholic) and be at least 16 years old. They will be undertaking to share the responsibility for handing on the Christian faith to your child. Please select one male and one female sponsor.
Parish Records
After the baptism, the parish will enter the details of your baby’s baptism in the Baptismal Register of the parish. Until your child is 18, you will be able to obtain a certificate of baptism from this parish. Once your child is 18, he/she will be able to obtain the certificate themselves.
What to Bring
- A Baptism Candle. A separate candle is required for each child.
- A white blanket or shawl in the hand (this is placed on the child during the ceremony).
- Sometimes, a child may need to be fed during the ceremony so you may need to provide for that. (The ceremony usually lasts about 40 minutes.)
- The family gives an offering to the priest on the day of Baptism. It is also customary to give a gratuity to the sacristan who prepares the church. Thanks.
