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Tag: Baptism

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Sacraments

How Soon Should Your Child Be Baptized?

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As infant mortality has become less of a concern with modern health care in many parts of the world, the rush to baptize infants in the first weeks of life…

As infant mortality has become less of a concern with modern health care in many parts of the world, the rush to baptize infants in the first weeks of life has also lessened. Alongside the physical health of the child is the spiritual health, however, and in speaking of the timing of the baptism of an infant, the Introduction to the Rite of Baptism for Children states that “the first consideration is the welfare of the child, that it not be deprived of the benefit of the sacrament” (No. 8).

The document goes on to note three factors to be considered: first, the spiritual welfare of the child; second, the health of the mother, so that she is able to participate in the baptism; and last, pastoral considerations, which would include allowing for the participation of family members.

There is, nonetheless, an obligation on parents not to delay the baptism of a newborn unduly. In the same section mentioned above, the document notes clearly, “An infant should be baptized within the first weeks after birth” (No. 8.3). This teaching is also captured in canon law: “Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks” (Canon 867). The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides the theological rationale for this obligation: “The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth” (No. 1250).

These texts, and the constant practice of the Church, make the expectation clear that parents should employ the same zeal with which they care for the physical health of their newborn child in caring for the spiritual health of the baby. The celebration of baptism is principally about washing away original sin and allowing the inrush of God’s grace upon the soul of an infant, which are treasured gifts to be offered a child as soon as possible after birth. The social nature of a family gathering to celebrate this is important, as it demonstrates unity in faith and family support, but that is not the most important consideration.

For some families the delay could be because of a desire for family to attend. Given the clarity of the Church’s guidance on this point it might be best to celebrate the baptism of the baby as soon as possible, and later, if family is unable to attend, have a party to celebrate the child’s rebirth in Christ, sharing photos and videos of the event.

Rev. Msgr. William J. King is a priest of the Diocese of Harrisburg.

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Vocation

The Difference One Priest Can Make

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The priest who baptized me died recently, and I spent 6 hours in the car to attend his funeral. I had known Father Lloyd Bowden mostly by reputation. He had…

The priest who baptized me died recently, and I spent 6 hours in the car to attend his funeral.

I had known Father Lloyd Bowden mostly by reputation. He had been pastor of my family’s parish for 26 years, and he became something of an institution in the city and within my own family. In many ways a rarity, he was equal parts kind, gentle and thoughtful; the unsung parish priest who truly epitomized what the priesthood really is all about. 

Ordained in 1949, Father Bowden was in ministry during many changes within the Church. Though some of it frustrated him and made life more difficult, he persevered with charity, joy and fidelity. He had something of a reputation for being “strict” in those post-Vatican II years where almost anything went in so many parishes. Really, though, his pastoral plan was defined merely by a “hermeneutic of continuity” — a difficult task in his day. While he had his critics, his success as a pastor was found in the dearth of parishioners who took issue with him as a man — and in those who he served faithfully.

Father Bowden prepared my parents for marriage and celebrated their nuptial Mass. When my dad tried to give him an envelope with cash afterward, Father Bowden refused, noting, “I’m just happy to have you as parishioners here.” Still more, he was welcoming, patient and encouraging with my unchurched, Protestant dad during marriage preparation. He proposed, not imposed, the Faith, and he always managed to leave my dad with a good taste in his mouth for Catholicism, in which he eventually found a home – in part, I think, thanks to the foundation of gentleness that Father Bowden laid all those years before. And I’m sure there are legions of similar stories.

Father Bowden especially left an example for priests to follow. In addition to good stewardship, sound governance and right teaching, Father Bowden had about him a certain air of holiness. His life was his work and his work was his life, and he truly emulated how priesthood is a vocation. When he retired, Father Bowden was asked about the many successes of his long tenure. Instead of dwelling on the praise, he deflected any attention from himself and credited only the goodness of the people he served. In retirement, instead of moving into a house of his own, he took up residence with an older couple he had known from the parish where he first served as pastor.

Despite Father Bowden’s evident holiness, only a handful of priests came to send off the first diocesan priest of their diocese. There was no bishop, and there were not as many people as I might have expected. Given his advanced age, some of that is expected. But I rather think it reflected accurately his approach to ministry — something like John the Baptist’s: “He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).

Little of Father Bowden’s ministry seemed to be about himself, and he was uncomfortable with any kind of cult of personality sometimes associated with priests. This was the case to the end, as reflected in the low-key plans he made for his funeral. And it was reiterated by those with whom I spoke at the funeral — like the couple whose vows Father Bowden recieved 61 years ago, or like his one-time religious education director. Father Bowden was the embodiment of the priestly life described in the poem “Thou art a Priest Forever,” composed by the 19th-century Dominican Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire. It happened to be read during funeral’s homily, thus underscoring the point:

“To live in the midst of the world with no desire for its pleasures; to be a member of every family, yet belonging to none; to share all sufferings; to penetrate all secrets, to heal all wounds; to daily go from men to God to offer Him their homage and petitions; to return from God to men to bring them His pardon and hope; to have a heart of fire for charity and a heart of bronze for chastity; to bless and to be blest forever. O God, what a life, and it is yours, O Priest of Jesus Christ!”

By the time Father Bowden retired when I was 7, my family already had moved to a neighboring state. I subsequently had only two or three brief personal interactions with him. And yet, I always felt a strong spiritual closeness to him. For many years I have prayed for him every day. Not necessarily because he was a great priest, which he was, but that because of his priestly “yes” and its connection to my baptism, he brought me into the life of grace. 

I guess, in the end, my drive to suburban Chicago was as much for me as it was for Father Bowden. It has been a rough many months for the Church. Not only are there more arguments in ecclesial life surrounding doctrine and governance than many of us remember in our lifetime, but there are also the seemingly unending sex abuse scandals and sordid stories of clericalism’s corrosion of ecclesial life that have rocked each of us to the core. My trip ended up being a pilgrimage of sorts amid the storms — an opportunity to reflect on what really matters in the life of faith and give thanks. 

In the car and at the funeral Mass, I thanked God for the priesthood and for the priestly ministry of Father Bowden. I recalled with gratitude his important role in my own life of faith and the incredible gift God bestowed on me through his priestly “yes.” Most apropos of the true nature of a life poured out in priestly service, the last line on the prayer card distributed at his funeral reads, “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.” And that is what I whispered as I touched Father Bowden’s casket on the way to receive the Lord in holy Communion.

Moreover, though, my thanks turned to intercession when I also thought about how Father Bowden embodied so much of what the Church needs right now. We have had men like him before, we have them now, and we will have men like him again. I’ll keep praying that God will send us more priests like Father Lloyd Bowden. May God reward him.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of Simply Catholic. Follow him on Twitter @HeinleinMichael.

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7 min read
Sacraments

Ways to be a good godparent

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Being a godparent is one of those not-so-well-understood honors and responsibilities that some of us are asked to undertake on behalf of the children of family and friends. While we…

Being a godparent is one of those not-so-well-understood honors and responsibilities that some of us are asked to undertake on behalf of the children of family and friends. While we may be willing, we don’t always know what becoming a godparent entails.

The role of godparent developed out of the task of sponsor in the catechumenate during the early Church. The function of the sponsor was to insure that a person was ready to receive all three sacraments of initiation — baptism, Eucharist and confirmation — and then to help him or her live out the Christian life. In the early Middle Ages, when infant baptism became firmly established, a sponsor was called a “ patrinus, ” or “godfather,” a term that is retained in popular use although the proper term still is sponsor.

While the early Church understood that a sponsor, or godparent, had a definite, hands-on function, all too often today being a godparent is viewed as a ceremonial honor such as when Bono of the rock band U2 was named godparent to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s twins, children unlikely ever to see the inside of a church, much less be baptized or confirmed. Or godparenting is seen as being a real-life fairy godmother who swoops in bestowing gifts on special occasions. Or it is thought to be akin to the role of a civil guardian who would take over the rearing of a child if the parents were to die.

Actually, none of those is even close to the actual function of a godparent. Essentially, a godparent is a person who aids and assists in the spiritual development of a child (sometimes an adult convert who is a “child” in the faith). As the Code of Canon Law puts it: “In so far as possible, a person being baptized is to be assigned a sponsor. In the case of an adult baptism, the sponsor’s role is to assist the person in Christian initiation. In the case of an infant baptism, the role is together with the parents to present the child for baptism, and to help it live a Christian life befitting the baptized and faithfully to fulfill the duties inherent in baptism” (Canon 872).

Certain requirements and responsibilities regarding godparents must be met according to Church law, but a practical question still remains: What makes a good godparent?

A person of deep faith

First and foremost, a godparent must be a person of deep faith. His or her responsibility is to help assist in developing and establishing faith in another, so it is essential that he or she understands Catholic teaching and lives the faith on a deep, personal daily basis. You cannot help to pass on that which you do not fully and completely believe yourself. It’s not enough merely to know the faith; a godparent must live that faith. That means the usual of attending Mass on Sunday and observing the laws of the Church, but it also means being a person who is committed to his or her own ongoing spiritual growth and development through study, prayer, the sacraments and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

A good godparent is also, insofar as possible, positively involved in the ongoing faith experience of their godchild. This doesn’t mean merely being physically present at baptism or confirmation, but taking as active a role as practical in preparation for first reconciliation and first Communion, as well as later in life with marriage or holy orders. This probably will mean being encouraging, supportive and enthusiastic, but in cases where the parents can’t or won’t take the child to religious education classes or accompany them to sacramental preparation, godparents need to be willing to step in and take a more direct role.

As children grow older, commemorating the day of baptism and/or confirmation with a call, visit, card or appropriate gift can help keep those spiritual ties intact. In short, a good godparent walks along the entire journey of faith with a godchild; not just waves at the beginning or cheers from the sidelines.

A safe haven

One of the areas where a godparent can be particularly valuable is to become a safe haven for discussion of doubts and questions, especially as godchildren grow into their teens. Parents naturally get nervous when their children question teachings of the Church on moral issues, so a godparent can become a person who will listen and talk about emotionally charged issues without becoming defensive (or offensive). Teens may find topics like the Church’s teaching on sex before marriage, contraception and homosexuality easier to discuss with a non-parent, although issues like how we know Jesus is really God, what it means to be saved and why being a Catholic is important can also be areas for investigation with a godparent.

Another arena where a good godparent can make a difference is in exposure to sacramentals and devotional practices. While it’s not necessary to inundate godchildren with religious gewgaws, making sure they have a well-made rosary, a medal of their patron saint, a Catholic Bible and a crucifix is certainly an important duty of godparents.

The same is true of devotions. Assuring that godchildren know how to pray the Rosary, say the Stations of the Cross and are exposed to saints, novenas and seasonal practices like the Advent wreath are other ways godparents can be proactive without intruding in a godchild’s life.

Of course, many of these activities presuppose that godparents live close enough to godchildren to be physically present on a regular basis, which isn’t always true in today’s mobile society. That’s why the single most important action a good godparent can undertake on behalf of a godchild is regular, sustained prayer. As Alfred, Lord Tennyson said, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” While it is true that parents are the primary teachers of the faith, godparents can make an enormous difference in how that faith takes root by their ongoing uplifting of their godchildren in prayer.

If you are asked to become a godparent (or are thinking about selecting one), remember that this role is to be taken seriously, for the actions of a good godparent can literally make an eternal difference in a child’s life.

Woodeene Koenig-Bricker is a best-selling author and served as editor of Catholic Parent magazine for many years. She writes from Eugene, Ore. 

Requirements For Being A Godparent

  • “Be not less than 16 years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made;
  • “be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of Faith which befits the role to be undertaken;
  • “not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
  • “not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized;
  • “a baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a Catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism” (Canon 874)

Who Should Not Be A Godparent

  • You do not intend to take the duties seriously.
  • Are non-Catholic
  • Have not been baptized, confirmed and received the Eucharist.
  • Are not living in accord with the teachings of the Church
  • Are a member of a religious community
  • Deny some truth which “must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2089)
  • Are in an invalid marriage (outside the Church, remarried without an annulment, etc.)
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Sacraments

Baptism At Sunday Mass?

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church Catechism devotes a chapter to the Sacraments of Initiation — that is, baptism, Eucharist and confirmation. The text remarks, “Certain essential elements will always…

The Catechism of the Catholic Church Catechism devotes a chapter to the Sacraments of Initiation — that is, baptism, Eucharist and confirmation. The text remarks, “Certain essential elements will always have to be present: proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel … profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and admission to Eucharistic communion” (No. 1229).

Whether these sacraments are conferred at one time (as is the case with adult converts) or over the course of years (as with those reared as Catholics) Christ’s death and resurrection remain the center and focus of these sacraments. Therefore, the Mass is a logical time to celebrate them, as we do each year at the Easter Vigil. Indeed, in parishes that embrace the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, catechumens progress through a series of brief ceremonies at Mass, which allow the congregation to welcome them and acknowledge their progress in the faith.

The Catechism points out: “Baptism is the sacrament of faith. But faith needs the community of believers” (No. 1253). This is a good argument for including baptism as part of the Eucharistic celebration. However, time constraints, especially in large parishes with many infants awaiting baptism, may make such public celebration of the sacrament impractical.

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Sacraments

Godparents and Sponsors: Who Qualifies?

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The answer is in the Code of Canon Law. Canon 874 tells us that a sponsor should be (1) at least 16, unless the bishop or pastor makes an exception;…

The answer is in the Code of Canon Law. Canon 874 tells us that a sponsor should be (1) at least 16, unless the bishop or pastor makes an exception; (2) a practicing Catholic who has already been confirmed and made his first Communion; (3) free of any canonical penalty; and (4) neither the father nor mother of the person to be baptized.

The same criteria apply for confirmation sponsors. In my opinion, the most important criterion is that the sponsor be a good practicing Catholic.

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3 min read
Sacraments

The Great Gift of Pilgrimage to the Place of My Baptism

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Several times during the course of his pontificate, Pope Francis has asked the faithful if they know the date of their baptism. “Today, at home, go look, ask about the…

Several times during the course of his pontificate, Pope Francis has asked the faithful if they know the date of their baptism.

“Today, at home, go look, ask about the date of your Baptism, and that way you will keep in mind that most beautiful day of Baptism,” the pope said in an April 2017 general audience. “To know the date of our Baptism is to know a blessed day. The danger of not knowing is that we can lose awareness of what the Lord has done in us, the memory of the gift we have received. Thus, we end up considering it only as an event that took place in the past — and not by our own will but by that of our parents — and that it has no impact on the present.”

He went on to say: “We must reawaken the memory of our Baptism. We are called to live out our Baptism every day as the present reality of our lives. If we manage to follow Jesus and to remain in the Church, despite our limitations and with our weaknesses and our sins, it is precisely in the Sacrament whereby we have become new creatures and have been clothed in Christ.”

I could not agree more. Keeping one’s baptism alive is a way of remembering the most important day of our lives: when we were welcomed into the Catholic faith, cleansed of original sin, and given new life as a beloved child of God.

I reflected on this recently during a personal pilgrimage to the site of my baptism — the first time I had visited there since I was an infant. My parents moved from Maryland to North Carolina when I was 3 months old, so I was not raised at the parish in which I was baptized.

It was a thrill, therefore, to finally make the journey last week with my family. We visited the Church for daily Mass, and we had the opportunity to worship the Lord together within the walls where I was first marked with the sign of faith.

There is something very meaningful about acknowledging and honoring the beginning of one’s faith journey. About seeing and touching the baptismal font. About being in the place where this most important of sacraments took place. About imagining the friends and family gathered in community to welcome a small child into the Body of Christ.

It was a great gift to share the experience with my husband and my son, who was baptized only a little more than a year ago. Being at the church of my baptism also helped me recall the beautiful day on which he was baptized, and served as a reminder of the responsibility that my husband and I continue to have to raise him and educate him in the Faith.

Visiting the location of my baptism was such a gift that if I had to add one piece of advice to that of Pope Francis, it would be to not only learn the date of your baptism, but the place. If you haven’t been in a while, I encourage you to make a little pilgrimage out of it. You won’t regret it.

 Gretchen R. Crowe is editorial director for periodicals at Our Sunday Visitor. Follow her on Twitter @GretchenOSV.

This column originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor.

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