Baptism

Baptism: Theology and Requirements

Parents must be registered members of the Parish or have a letter from their proper pastor. Call  the Parish Office (856-235-0181) to make arrangements for a baptism.

Baptism and Initiation for Adolescents and Adults

Please see the information on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults on this webpage: http://www.olgcnj.org/RCIA_religious_ed.htm

Baptism for Infants and Young Children

Schedule for Celebrating Baptism

Baptisms occur each month in the church at 1:30 PM on the First, Third, & Fourth Sundays.

Orientation and Preparation

Parents must attend a Preparation Session in Heritage House on the Second Sunday of the month at 1:30 PM.

Godparents

All Godparents, other than registered members of Our Lady of Good Counsel parish, must submit a Letter of Eligibility issued by their own parish priests to be admitted as sponsors at Good Counsel.  Letters of Eligibility must be received by  the Parish Office a week before the Baptism.

Naming a Child

The 1983 Code of Cannon Law (canon 855) gives greater freedom to parents in selecting a name for their new child.  It simply states that "Parents, Sponsors, and the pastor are to see that a name foreign to a Christian mentality is not given." This relaxation should not be understood as a denigration of Christian names or of the religious and cultural significance attached to a "Saint's Name." Therefore, it is in this light that parents should name their children: family, cultural, and religious heritage should exert an influence. Thus, a new baby may be named after a Grandparent or a favorite relative. Parents may want to use national or ethnic names to respect the family's culture. Some names with strong non-Christian identification may seem inappropriate.