How do get my child baptised? Please fill in the application form - paper copies of both are available from the Parish Office who will arrange a Monday morning appointment with Fr. John in order to discuss the importance of the decision that you are about to make in having your child Baptised into the Catholic Faith. The filled in form will be passed to the parish Baptism co-ordinator who will contact you to make the necessary arrangements.

What happens next? You will be asked to come to a Sunday Mass and to publicly request the Sacrament of Baptism for your child using a prepared rite. Copies of the rite will be available for you to read from on the day.

What preparation for Baptism does the parish offer? As part of the arrangements made with the Baptism co-ordinator you will be asked, on a pre-arranged date, to attend a one evening Baptism preparation course. This normally takes place on a Wednesday and outlines the Catholic Church’s teaching about the Sacrament of Baptism, the roles and the responsibilities of the parents and godparents before, during and after Baptism, and will provide an overview of the rites and the significance of each part of the Baptism ceremony.

Who can I have as a godparent for my child? We ask that the person(s) chosen be Confirmed, practicing Catholics of at least 16 years of age or older and that they are able to participate fully in the Baptism ceremony and be able to undertake the considerable responsibilities of being a godparent.

What if my chosen godparent is unable to attend the ceremony? Although the name of your chosen godparent will be entered into the baptismal register a proxy is able to make the responses on their behalf.

Are there any rules about what name I can give my child? We would ask that at least one of the names that you give your child be that of a recognised Christian saint.

When is the Sacrament of Baptism celebrated? Usually at 12.45 pm on the first Sunday of the month. Because to the large number of baptisms at the Church of the Immaculate Conception we regret that it is not always possible to Baptise babies individually and you may have to share your ceremony with a number of other families. Please note that there are no Baptisms during Advent and Lent.

How will I know what to do during the ceremony? The full text of the ceremony with the responses of the parents and the godparents highlighted in red will be provided for you on the day. The full text of the Baptism ceremony is available here and it would be helpful if you and the godparents were familiar with it before the day.

What will I need to bring? The only thing that we ask you to bring, apart from yourselves and the baby, is a white garment of some description to put around the baby at the appropriate part of the ceremony - although we do have one for emergency use should you forget yours. Normally we would provide the baptismal candle for the child although, if you wish, you are welcome to provide your own. If you do, please let the clergy or catechist on duty know before the service.

What time should I arrive? Please make sure that you and your guests arrive in good time - a minimum of ten minutes before the start of the ceremony. The post code of the church is OX26 6AW if you need to put it into your sat-nav, or a map is available here. Whilst we appreciate that unforeseen delays can sometimes happen, any avoidable delays are unfair on other families waiting in the church.

Is there anything else that I need to know? Whilst we do understand that for many people the inside of a church or a religious service might be a alien experience we would appreciate it if you could ask your guests to show the appropriate respect and decorum for what is a sacred act carried out in a sacred space.