The Sacrament of Baptism

“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacarments.  Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission.”  (CCC,1213)

 The Sacrament of Baptism

Congratulations and a warm welcome to all those who are beginning the Baptismal process here at Our Lady of Lourdes!  We are happy and grateful that you have chosen us to accompany you as you begin your or your child’s official initiation into the Catholic Church.  If you are new to the idea of the sacraments, we invite you to read our page entitlted “Understanding the Sacraments“.  This will give you a brief introduction to these mysterious “masterpieces of God” (CCC, 1116), and what each Sacrament does for us.

The word “baptism” is derived from the Greek baptizein—meaning “to plunge” (in water). This “plunge” into the Baptismal water effects a mystical death with Christ, from which the person “rises up by resurrection with Christ as a ‘new creature (CCC, 1214).’”  As Pope Benedict XVI writes, “Baptism …serves the purpose of giving meaning to man’s life above and beyond biological life…It takes him up into fellowship with Christ…[It] is much more than a ritual conferring membership in a community…It is a process of birth through which a new dimension of life opens up.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Benedictus, June 2, 173)

What is Baptism?

The word “baptism” is derived from the Greek baptizein—meaning “to plunge” (in water). This “plunge” into the Baptismal water effects a mystical death with Christ, from which the person “rises up by resurrection with Christ as a ‘new creature (CCC, 1214).’”  As Pope Benedict XVI writes, “Baptism …serves the purpose of giving meaning to man’s life above and beyond biological life…It takes him up into fellowship with Christ…[It] is much more than a ritual conferring membership in a community…It is a process of birth through which a new dimension of life opens up.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Benedictus, June 2, 173)

What are the requirements for Baptism?

If you are a parent and are seeking Baptism for a child under the age of seven, please continue reading.  If you are an adult who is seeking Baptism, or have a child(ren) over the age of seven who are seeking Baptism, please visit our OCIA/OCIC Page Here:

The pastoral requirements for Infant/Child Baptism at Our Lady of Lourdes are as follows:
  1. Registration at Our Lady of Lourdes To register as a parishioner, please register here:
  2. A state issued birth certificate (The original is preferred but we accept photocopies if necessary; the certificate will be returned to you.)
  3. The selection of at least one godparent The godparent(s) must be a practicing Catholic(s).  If not parishioners, the godparent(s) should produce a letter of good standing from his/her parish priest.
  4. The completion of a baptismal class on the part of both the parents and the godparents (preferably together) within the last five years The certificate should be submitted as proof of completion (If you have taken a Baptism Preparation Class at Our Lady of Lourdes, or at another parish within the past five years, you are considered current).  Please contact Laurie Cantonwine at 360.601.4037 or oggr@comcast.net for details about the class.
  5. Attendance at our quarterly Baptism “Meet & Greet” is highly recommended. This event is a wonderful time of fellowship and refreshments, where you will meet the Baptism team and other families with children of similar ages. This is also a time to have your questions answered, to discuss the Baptism class, and to learn what to expect during the Baptism.

Our parish secretary (Lisa Quimby) will be happy to guide you through the necessary paperwork and class registration.  Once all the requirements are met, you are ready to schedule a Baptism!  Lisa will help you with this, as well, since Father Leonardo’s schedule needs to be accommodated (N.B. It is customary in the Catholic Church to refrain from scheduling a Baptism during the Lenten season). 

Contact Us!

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa at lisa@ollparish.org, or Charles Bivens at charles@ ollparish.org  You can also call the Parish Office at 360-695-1366.