The first of our seven sacraments, Baptism is the “gateway” to all the others. Baptism is the first time that a person formally receives the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is the first of the Sacraments of Initiation; the others being Confirmation and Eucharist. Baptism is the beginning of a person’s life in the community of the church and so should be celebrated with much joy and celebration among the faithful.
There are two essentials to the Rite of Baptism, the pouring of water over the head of the person being baptized (or the immersion in water); and the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
At Baptism, one is joyfully welcomed into a community of faith that promises to help nurture and sustain the faith of the one being baptized. Therefore, the norm is to offer Baptism within the context of a communal gathering for Mass.