Preparing for baptism may involve attending an interview with a priest as well as organising your paperwork and arranging a date that suits the people who will be sharing the day with you. We suggest that you book for baptism at least two months before the date you want so all the preparations can be made. However, if you are likely to have logistical issues that take time to sort out (e.g. you have records in another Diocese or country), three months minimum would be a safer choice. If the preparations haven't been completed, we regret that we can't guarantee to conduct the baptism.
We are flexible with baptismal dates and times; however, they have to be confirmed by the Parish Priest, Fr Chris Eaton.
We can’t guarantee that all times will be available: this would need to be discussed with the celebrant. Also, we prefer not to have more than 2 children involved for baptism during Mass for logistical reasons.
If you would like a celebrant other than Father Chris, Fr Samson or Deacon Joseph to conduct the baptism, this would need to be agreed to by Father Chris.
As baptism is a celebration within, and shared by, the parish faith community, we ask that you bring your child to a Mass (either the 6.00pm Vigil on Saturday evening, the 9.00am on Sunday or the 6.00pm on Sunday) during the month before the baptism to be presented to the parish. You just need to arrive a little early and let the priest know that you are there for the presentation.
The first formal step in the baptism process is registering with us (which includes selecting your date). Although the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism is completely free, it is customary to give the priest or deacon a gift as an expression of gratitude to him for his time and involvement and to also financially help our parish. As many parents ask how much is customary we suggest the amount of $75 which would be very much appreciated. This amount covers administrative expenses as well as the gift to the priest involved with the Baptism.
How to Register:
We accept registration and payment via the secure Qkr! by Masterpass App.
It’s an app that you can download for your phone, from the App store or Google Play.
You can also go through the Qkr! website: https://qkr-store.qkrschool.com/store/#/home
Once you are on Qkr: follow the steps below.
- Enter your institution name: Type in St Benedict’s Parish Narrabundah. Make sure you select the Parish rather than the School.
- You will then need to create a profile/account.
- You then add your child.
- Then, from the menu on the lefthand side, select Parish Payments, then the second tab across the top Sacramental and then Baptism. This is where you will commit to pay the stipend.
- Once you commit to pay, you will be taken to the registration form to fill in.
Your payment will be recorded within your app wallet for easy reference at a later date and your Mastercard or Visa Card details are stored with the security of Masterpass (not on your phone) for ready access when making payment.
Should you have any concerns about making this payment, please do contact the parish office or speak to the parish priest Fr Chris Eaton.
If you don’t have a smart phone you can still access Qkr! through a web based version https://qkr-store.qkrschool.com/store/#/home . You will need to set up in the same way as the phone app.