This course is for parents of babies including those babies not yet born. If your child is 7 or over, they will have to attend the course with you. Once 14 or over, they will have to take a course for Reception as Adults (RCIA) instead. If you have children already baptised into the Catholic Church, you will only be required to take the final Week 4 of the course as a refresher. The paperwork, however, cannot be avoided so come on the first evening to clear that up.
Week 1
- Check paperwork. Issue anything not filled in.
- Attendance at Mass here.
- Godparents requirements and forms issued
- Agree date of baptisms
- God the First Be-cause (Evangelium 01)
- What is God. What does creation teach us about God?
- Human beings: rational animals
- Knowledge. Our ability to choose. Therefore immortal souls
- Happiness and knowing God.
- What is creation? – out of nothing (Evangelium 02)
- Creator v created. The soul
- Evolution and creation
- Human being in the Garden of Eden. Marriage
- The Fall – obedience to God. Consequences.
- What we have inherited (slide 35)
Week 2
- Check paperwork.
- Recap
- Hope after the Fall – the serpent is cursed
- Salvation History (Evangelium 03)
- Noah (slide 10)
- Red Sea (slide 29)
- John the Baptist (slide 38)
- Responsibilities of parents and godparents. (Fr Mike Schmitz DVD clip)
Week3
- Check paperwork
- Liturgy and the sacraments (Evangelium 11)
- Liturgy
- Sacraments
- Sacrament and symbols of baptism.
- Baptism (Evangelium 12)
- Chosen unit 9
Week 4
- Recap:
- What is a Sacrament?
- Why do we need baptism?
- What does it do?
- removes original sin, strengthen us; is our entry into the Church; initiation for the other Sacraments; spiritual birth – being born again.
- Why babies as well as adults?
- CCC
- Walk through the liturgy:
- Responses
- Intercessions
- Litany of saints
- Reading
- Symbols: candle, shawl,
- What is outstanding?
- attendance at Mass sheet,
- baptism certificate of one parent,
- godparents’ promises
- Issue certificate of attendance if the baptism is not here.