Baptisms are held on Sundays at 1:15pm by appointment.

Instructional classes for Parents and Godparents are held on the second or fourth Friday of the month at 7:20 pm in the Rectory by appointment only.

Baptism and New Life

Congratulations! We are happy with you at the birth of your child and welcome your new baby. A new life born into the human family and into our world should always be a joyful and happy event. It should be an event that changes lives for the better. A new life gives hope, promise and expectation for a future that will become a better place because of this new life. We share these dreams with you, but we want to do more. We want to do everything possible to make them come true.

If the world is to become a better place because a new person has been born into it, you, as parents, have a large responsibility. But, you are not alone. We, the Christian Community, into which you have asked to have your child baptized, share that responsibility. We take that responsibility seriously. We believe that it is only when people come together in a spirit of love and begin to care for each other that the faith really comes alive. We have all received the gift of life from God who is love (1 John 4:16). God sent Jesus, the Son, to bring us to the fullness of that life (John 10:10) which we receive in baptism.

Sharing the life of this Christian Community is what you have asked for your child. At Baptism, you are saying “yes” for your child to God’s invitation to belong to a Christian Community. We, as part of that family, also say “yes” to the acceptance of a new member. We all accept the responsibility for a new life.
 

ARRANGING FOR A BAPTISM AT ASSUMPTION:

When a child is of school age (5 years old) and has not been baptized, it will be necessary for that child to go through a period of classroom preparation in our CCD Program. Please contact Mrs. Cathy Bischoff at 914-737-2231 for more information and registration – or click here to send her an email. If you child is currently attending Assumption Catholic School, there is no need to register in CCD classes as well.

In the selection of persons chosen to be godparents for your child, it is necessary to state that they should both be practicing Catholics. As they have to profess the Faith and promise to assist the parents in raising the child as a Catholic, it is only logical that they, themselves, believe what they are publicly promising. Being a godparent is a spiritual responsibility not merely a social honor. Godparents must obtain a letter from their pastor stating that they are indeed practicing Catholics and qualified to be Catholic godparents. This letter should be brought to the rectory before the day of the Baptism. While one godparent can be replaced by a Baptized member of another Christian religion (in which case he or she is called a “Christian Witness”), it is not permitted that a godparent be a non-Christian. Only two godparents (one male and one female) can act as such in the ceremony and are listed in the baptism register. Former Catholics (i.e., people who were Catholic but have joined a different religion or denomination) are not eligible to be Godparents or Christian Witnesses.

There is no fee for baptizing your child. If you wish to make a donation to the church, it will be deeply appreciated.

May the occasion of your child’s Baptism bring a generous outpouring of grace to you and your family.

For adults seeking Baptism, we have an ongoing process called the catechumenate (a catechumen is a person undergoing instruction). This is also the appropriate process for those Baptized in another faith tradition who wish to become Catholic, and for Catholic adults who have not been Confirmed. The process is often referred to as the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). Adults meet on certain weekday evenings from 7:30-9:00 p.m.  For more information, click here or the Rectory Office at 914-737-2071.