The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is the essential event in Christian initiation. By water and the Holy Spirit, your child will be brought into Christ’s Body, the Church, and will then require nurturing within this Family.

As parents, you are the effective “contact persons” of the Church Family for your child at this stage and are responsible for your child’s nurturing in the Christian life. You are invited to choose sponsors (godparents) who will share with you in this responsibility and who will join you in presenting your child for Baptism.

At the time of Baptism, you, the godparents, and the Cathedral congregation will make promises on behalf of the child who is, as yet, unable to speak for him/herself. As the child grows, you will need to share with the child what has been promised and enable him/her to grow in the knowledge and love of God, and to accept the responsibilities of being a member of God’s Church.

For a Baptism at the Cathedral of the Incarnation we request that you observe the following:

Parents are expected be active members of the Cathedral and regular in attendance for a minimum of three months prior to a Baptism.

Both parents should be baptized themselves. If not both, at least one parent must be baptized.

Godparents should be Episcopalian. If not, at least one must be Episcopalian.

Parents and godparents are required to attend the pre-baptismal counseling with a member of the Cathedral clergy prior to the Baptism.

Following are several suggestions of things you might wish to remember while preparing for the Baptism of your child and looking to the future of your child in his/her Church home:

1. Pray daily for your child.

2. Receive Communion regularly yourself and bring your child with you.

3. Maintain contact between your child and his/her godparents.

4. Recognize that, as a baptized member of the Church, your child will be able to receive Communion when you decide that it is appropriate for him/her to do so.

5. When your child is old enough, bring him/her regularly to Sunday Church School.

THE CATHEDRAL OF THE INCARNATION
Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
Garden City, New York