Having Your Child Baptised
Welcoming new members into the family of Holy Trinity & Sacred Heart
As parents of a new baby or young child, the responsibility and wonder you feel is something we long to celebrate with you. When you bring your child to the Church for the Sacrament of Baptism, our parish family rejoices with you.
What Is Baptism?
Baptism is the first of the Sacraments of Initiation and the foundation of the whole Christian life. In the waters of baptism your child is freed from sin, reborn as a child of God, and joined to Christ and his Church.
It is also the first step on a lifelong journey of faith, one we hope your child will continue through First Holy Communion and Confirmation in the years to come.
Part of our household of faith
Baptism is far more than a naming ceremony or a blessing for a new baby. It is the beginning of Christian life and the gateway to eternal life.
Through this beautiful sacrament, your child is welcomed into the Body of Christ and becomes a member of our parish family here in Sutton Coldfield.
How to Arrange a Baptism
Arranging a baptism with us takes two simple steps
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about baptism, preparation, godparents and what to bring on the day.
We ask that you bring a baptismal candle (that can be bought from the piety stall at Holy Trinity), and a white garment (such as a shawl) to place on your child at the end of the rite.
No fee is charged for the Sacrament. It is customary to make an offering on the day to the priest or deacon who celebrates the Rite.
You need at least one godparent to act as sponsor, who must be must be at least 16 years old and a Catholic. It is possible to also have an additional Christian witness – a godparent who is a member of a non-Catholic Christian denomination. If you haven’t yet chosen godparents, return the form with that section left blank (and make that decision later.)
Yes. Although we do not need to remind you of the importance of marriage, we are aware that there are many reasons why people are either unmarried, or may have separated. Neither is a barrier to your child being welcomed by the Church.
Yes, those of any age can be baptised. For children in school Year 3 or above, we would expect them to also be prepared for First Holy Communion; if in school year 6 or above they would need preparing for Confirmation too. We will give you more details.
If your child is aged 14 or above, he or she is considered an adult by the Church and would need to make his or her own choice to join the Church and so be prepared appropriately. Please speak to a priest or deacon about this.
At least one parent must be a Catholic to have their children baptised in the Catholic Church.
How We Use Your Information
The Parishes are part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The information collected on this form helps with the preparations to be undertaken before baptism and will be handled by the Archdiocese of Birmingham registered charity number 234216 as set out in its privacy policy on its website at https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/privacy-policy and in accordance with this statement.
The following information on this form will be entered into the Register of Baptisms and will be kept at the parish of Holy Trinity or in the Diocesan Archives securely: the full name of the person to be baptised, their sex, their date of birth, the names of their parents (where relevant), and of their Godparent(s). That information will be kept indefinitely. The name of the person baptised will be published in the parish newsletter which is also made available online.
Information from the Register of Baptisms may in the future be sent to any Catholic church in the world, where the person baptised has asked to receive a further sacrament in that parish. The reason for this is that to receive any further sacrament, evidence of Baptism is necessary.
The legal basis for processing this personal data is that it is necessary in the legitimate interests of the Church to do so. Some of the information retained is special category information because it reveals someone’s religion. This processing of that personal data is a legitimate activity of the Church and relates to members or former members of the Church (or to persons who have regular contact with it) in connection with its purposes. The reason for the processing is that the Church needs to know who it has baptised. The privacy impact caused by this processing of this personal data is minimal because it is kept securely and will be provided only to the person baptised (or whilst they are under 13 to their parents) on proof of identity. It will not be shared outside the Roman Catholic church unless we are required to do so by law. The personal data contained in this form will be kept for no more than 11 years after the date of Baptism so that the Parish can contact the person baptised or (where relevant) their parents about the reception of other sacraments.
