Baptism & Seminar
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“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 sacraments …” CCC1213
Baptism is the fundamental sacrament for all Christians and needs to be celebrated with due reverence and in the right spirit to receive God’s grace for the child, the parents and the godparents.
To avoid any misunderstanding and confusion regarding the Baptism Process, kindly pay attention to the following information and requirements.1. BAPTISM SEMINAR
To have one’s child baptized, parents and godparents first need to attend the Online Baptism Seminar held every second Sunday of the month (8:30 AM to 10:30 AM). Online link for seminar registration is provided at the bottom of the page. Upon successful registration, the contact email address on the seminar registration form will receive an email providing the zoom link and other pertinent information related to the seminar. This email is to be forwarded to the godparents.
The Baptism Seminar Attendance Certificate will be made available at the Parish Office from the day after the seminar.
One needs to have a valid parishioner profile number in order to register for the seminar. If you are yet to register as a parishioner, please follow the link at the bottom of the page and register yourself as a parishioner. If you are not a parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church - Dubai, you need to visit the parish office with a no objection letter from your respective parish priest along with other documents prescribed for Baptism and get yourself registered for the seminar.
As parents and godparents make some solemn promises on behalf of their children at the Baptism Ceremony, it is imperative they understandthe spiritual obligations of being a Christian parent / godparent and prepare for it accordingly.
You are obliged to attend the entire seminar from start to finish. This seminar is obligatory for all subsequent baptisms of your children.
2. REGISTERING FOR THE BAPTISM CEREMONY
After the seminar you will need to visit the Parish Office to collect the Baptism Seminar Attendance Certificate and register for the ceremony of Baptism. Baptisms take place every Friday at 2:30 PM and every Saturday at 1:30 PM except on Good Friday & Holy Saturday during Holy Week, Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Eve/Day.
Parents need to carry clear copies of the below when they come for the booking:- Church marriage certificate
- Godparents’ Confirmation Certificate
The office will provide you with the Baptism Ceremony Registration Form which you will need to bring for the Baptism Ceremony duly filled in block letters and crosschecked. Your baby's Baptism Certificate will be prepared based on the information provided on this form. The information on the Baptism Certificate will be a permanent record and cannot be changed at a later stage.
Note: It is a requirement to be married in the Catholic Church to baptize your child. In case you are yet to receive the Sacrament of Marriage, kindly make an appointment with the Parish Office to meet the parish priest or his delegate and give an undertaking to rectify your marriage at the earliest. Your child’s Baptism Certificate will be released only after this undertaking is honoured.
Following this you can then proceed to collect the Baptism Seminar Attendance certificate, register for the ceremony and collect the ceremony registration form.
Kindly carry clear copies of the below when you come for your appointment:- Baptism certificates
- Civil marriage certificate and
- Godparents’ confirmation certificate
3. BAPTISM DAY
Kindly carry the following documents to present at the Registration Desk when you come for the ceremony:
- Baptism Ceremony Registration Form.
- Online Baptism Seminar Attendance Certificate of both parents and godparents.
- Parents’ Church Marriage Certificate (clear copy) or Marriage Rectification Undertaking
- Godparents' Confirmation certificates (clear copies). If godparents are married in the Catholic Church, a clear copy of their church marriage certificate will suffice as one needs to have received the Sacrament of Confirmation to be married in the Catholic church. Note: It is not mandatory to have two godparents. One godparent with Confirmation Certificate and Baptism Seminar Attendance certificate is acceptable.
- Baby's birth certificate(clear copy).
Registrations take time and the Registration Desk will need time to register your documents without error. Please cooperate by coming half an hour earlier – at 2pm on Friday and 1:00pm on Saturday.
Note:
The next seminar is in June and scheduled for Sunday, 11th June 2023. Kindly login online before 8:30 AM. Please note that the meeting will be locked at 9:10 AM.
The zoom meeting link will be shared by email to the CONTACT ADDRESS given in the registration form. Each registered family member can log in using individual zoom accounts. Kindly follow the instructions for attending the zoom meeting provided in the registration email.
Important:In case you did not receive a confirmation email upon registration, kindly inform:
register@saintmarysdubai.org
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