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Baptism is the most important day of your child’s life. In it, your child is joined to Christ, cleansed from sin, and welcomed into the Church. All three of the traditions we serve baptize infants, and all three treat it as a sacrament, not simply a naming ceremony.
The practical details, though, differ quite a bit from one tradition to another. This guide walks through planning step by step, and notes where Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican practice differ. Your parish priest has the final word, so call early.
Step 1: Call your parish, ideally before the birth
Contact your parish office during the third trimester. Ask:
- How soon after birth are baptisms usually celebrated?
- Is there a preparation class for parents and godparents?
- What paperwork is needed (often a birth certificate, and certificates for the godparents)?
- Are baptisms held during the Sunday liturgy, or at a separate time?
- Is there a fee or customary offering?
If you are not yet registered at a parish, now is the time.
Step 2: Choose the timing
In your tradition: when to baptize
CatholicChurch law asks parents to have their child baptized “within the first weeks” after birth (Canon 867), and to speak to the pastor even before the birth. Many parishes baptize monthly, so plan around the schedule.
OrthodoxThe traditional time is on or after the fortieth day, often combined with the churching of mother and child. The baby is baptized, chrismated and receives Holy Communion all in the same service.
AnglicanThere is no fixed day, but the Prayer Book tradition encourages baptism soon after birth, ideally during a principal Sunday service so the whole congregation can welcome the child. Some parishes reserve baptisms for major feasts such as Easter, Pentecost or All Saints.
If a baby is in danger of death, baptism should not wait. Any Christian may baptize in an emergency, and the remaining rites are completed later in church. See our birth plan guide for details.
Step 3: Choose godparents
Godparents (also called sponsors) promise to help you raise your child in the faith. It is a lifelong role, not an honorary title. Choose people whose faith you admire and who will actually be present in your child’s life.
In your tradition: who can be a godparent
CatholicAt least one godparent is required, or one of each sex (Canon 873). A godparent must be at least 16, a confirmed Catholic who has received the Eucharist, living a life in keeping with the faith, and not the child’s parent (Canon 874). A baptized non-Catholic Christian may stand alongside a Catholic godparent as a “Christian witness.”
OrthodoxThe sponsor must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing. Usually one sponsor is chosen, of the same sex as the child, though customs vary. The sponsor recites the Creed, renounces Satan on the child’s behalf, and often receives the child from the font.
AnglicanPrayer Book tradition calls for godparents who are themselves baptized, and traditionally confirmed. The 1662 Prayer Book and Church of England canons provide for three godparents: two of the same sex as the child and one of the other. Many Anglican churches today allow parents to serve as sponsors as well.
Ask your godparents in person, and give them time to think and pray before they answer. Our guide to choosing godparents who will actually help (coming soon) goes deeper.
Step 4: Choose a name
All three traditions encourage giving a child a Christian name, usually the name of a saint, who becomes the child’s patron.
- Catholic: Church law asks parents to avoid names “foreign to Christian sensibility” (Canon 855). A saint’s name is customary but not required, and a saint’s name can also be a middle name.
- Orthodox: The child is formally named on the eighth day after birth, and the baptismal name is almost always a saint’s name. Many families celebrate that saint’s feast every year as the child’s “name day.”
- Anglican: There are no formal rules, but Christian and saints’ names are traditional.
Step 5: Gather what you need
What to bring
- A white baptismal garment, or white clothes the baby can change into after the baptism
- A baptismal candle (many parishes provide one)
- A towel or two, and a change of clothes for the baby
- Paperwork the parish has asked for
- An offering for the priest, if customary
Extra items for an Orthodox baptism
- A baptismal cross on a short chain or ribbon
- Three candles, often decorated, for the godparent
- A large white sheet or towel for receiving the child from the font
- Olive oil, a bar of new soap and a hand towel, as your parish requests
- A small icon of the child’s patron saint
Ask your priest what the parish provides. Many Orthodox parishes have a list.
Step 6: Plan the celebration
Baptism is a feast. A simple reception after the service, at the parish hall or at home, is traditional in all three traditions. Ideas:
- A cake decorated with the child’s name and baptism date
- Asking each guest to write a prayer or blessing for the child in a book
- Giving godparents a small gift, such as a framed icon of the child’s patron saint
- Recording the baptism date somewhere you will see it every year
Celebrate the anniversary. Light the baptismal candle and say a prayer on the anniversary of the baptism each year. Children love it, and it teaches them that baptism is a birthday too.
For the parents: renewing your own faith
Most parishes ask parents to attend a baptism preparation session. Don’t treat it as a hurdle. At the baptism you will be asked, in some form, whether you will raise this child in the faith. It is a good time to recommit yourselves: to go to church regularly, to pray as a family, and to make your home a “domestic church.”
Our guide to simple family prayers for babies and toddlers is a gentle place to start.
