Baptisms at St Mary MacKillop Parish
On a number of Saturdays each month we now celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism at our Southern Mass Centre - 94 Oran Park Dr, Oran Park.
- For a Baptism to take place in the Parish, one parent must be a baptised Catholic. Also, families presenting children for Baptism are encouraged to be involved in the life of the Parish, including regular worship at weekend Mass, and to remain committed to this involvement after their child’s Baptism to support their faith life and ongoing faith formation.
- 'Private' Baptisms or Sunday Baptisms are not possible at this time.
- Also, while we have two Churches in the Parish where weekly Masses are held (Oran Park and Leppington), all Baptisms in the Parish take place at St Mary MacKillop Church at Oran Park.
Dates for Baptism Sessions, up to and including Saturday, 19 July 2025, are now open.
(Please note: there will be no Baptisms between 15 December 2024 and 10 January 2025 and Baptism dates for the "2nd half of 2025" will be available early 2025).
To have a "Baptism Pack" prepared for you to collect, please send an email to oranpark@dow.org.au and note ‘Baptism Booking’ in the subject line of the email.
Please include the following details:
- Parents' Names
- Address
- Child's Name
- Child's Date of Birth
- Have you had any other children baptised here at St Mary MacKillop Parish (if so, their names and the dates when they were baptised).
On receipt of your email, our Parish Admin Team will then prepare your 'Baptism Pack' for you and let you know when it will be available for you to collect from the Welcome Table at the St Mary MacKillop Church, Oran Park. The pack will include information from the Parish Clergy, details about online bookings for your preferred date, information about choosing Godparents and information on the online Baptism preparation course.
(Please note: While, in the past, 'Baptism Packs' were emailed out, these packs will now need to be collected - even for families who have previously had children baptised in the Parish).
BAPTISM PREPARATION PROCESS
All families presenting their child/ren for Baptism will be required to participate in a compulsory Baptism preparation course. To assist families, with a newborn and/or young children, who may find it difficult to come to 'face to face' preparation, we have now moved to ONLINE Baptism preparation. More details will be available in the ‘Baptism Pack’.
BAPTISM 'MEET AND GREET'
Also, along with completing the ONLINE Baptism preparation course, families are asked to attend a 'Meet and Greet' session with members of the Parish Baptism Team, which will take place in the lead up to the Baptism Session. These 'Meet and Greet' sessions will take place online over Zoom and be held on the first Wednesday of each month (7pm-8pm) and will also be attended by other families who are presenting children for Baptism. More details will be available in the ‘Baptism Pack’.
SUNDAY BLESSING FOR FAMILIES PRESENTING CHILDREN FOR BAPTISM
On a Sunday in the lead up to the Baptism, families are asked to attend 10am Mass, during which there will be a 'special blessing' of children and their families who have been preparing for Baptism. These 'special blessing' Masses will be held on the 2nd Sunday of each month (at the 10am Sunday Mass at St Mary MacKillop Church, Oran Park) and will also be attended by other families who are presenting children for Baptism, along with the regular 10am Mass congregation. More details will be available in the 'Baptism Pack'.
Completion of the ONLINE Baptism preparation course and attendance at both the 'Meet and Greet' Zoom session and 'Blessing Mass' must take place prior to the Baptism Ceremony.
- For children who are 7 years old or older who wish to be baptised, along with the Baptism preparation course for their parents, a Formation & Preparation program for these children (which is supported by their adult family members) will need to be completed prior to Baptism.
- For adults wishing to be baptised, please contact the Parish Office for information on our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
If you have any further questions about the Baptism process please contact the Parish Office, via email oranpark@dow.org.au or ph. 4648 2226. Our Parish Baptism Coordinator, Emily Bobillier, is available on Thursdays.