The Rite of Baptism is ordinarily performed in a church.

Every church is equipped with a

basin of water, called a baptistry, especially for this purpose. Some churches have a large
baptismal pool to accommodate Baptism by immersion.

Baptism can take place within or outside of Mass. Infants are usually baptized shortly after
birth. The most appropriate and traditional time to baptize catechumens is during the Mass
of Easter Vigil. Catechumen are those who have been preparing to enter be Catholic
Church; before being baptized, they usually undergo an extended process of formation and
education called the catechumenate

Who can receive Baptism? Any unbaptized person above the age of reason who believes in
Christ and the Sacraments and sincerely desires to enter the Church may be baptized. In the
case of young children and infants, the parents and godparents supply the desire to have
the child baptized, which is sufficient. At least one godparent, a practicing Catholic at least
sixteen years old who s in good standing with the Church, must be designated to help teach
and model the Catholic Faith; in addition, a name, ordinarily that of a saint or biblical hero,
must also be chosen for the candidate.

In the case of infants, the Church recognizes their need of the priceless gift of Baptism and
proclaims the responsibility of Catholic parents to have their children baptized as soon as
possible

Although some Protestant communities do not baptize infants, this practice dates to the early
Church and is implicit in Scripture when St. Paul writes of having baptized "the household of
Stephanas, which likely included young children.

At least one of the parents must consent to the Baptism, and there must be hope that the
child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith.

Matter, form, and minister. These three elements are essential for the validity of a
Sacrament. In Baptism, the matter, or essential material sign, is water. The form of the
Sacrament in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church is the simple and familiar affirmation
given to us by Christ: "N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit." In the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, the formula is this: "The Servant of
God N. is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The ordinary minister of Baptism is a bishop, priest, or deacon. In a grave emergency,

however, when one of these ordinary ministers of Baptism is not available, anyone can
baptize - whether Catholic, one of our separated brethren, of another faith tradition, or
having no faith at all - as long as he or she intends to confer the Sacrament, immerses the
recipient in water or pours or sprinkles water over the recipient's head, and recites the
Trinitarian formula of the Rite of Baptism.

Baptism in the ordinary form of The Latin Rite of the Catholic Chruch. The celebrant begins
the Rite of Baptism by making the Sign of the Cross on the forehead of the candidate for
Baptism, indicating that he or she will soon belong to Christ. Scriptural passages are read to
explain how Baptism makes possible our entry into the life of faith. The celebrant then says a
prayer of exorcism over the candidate to signify liberation from sin and anoints him or her
with oil. Then the candidate or the godparent(s), in the case of an infant recites the baptismal
promises, which consist of the renunciation of Satan and a Profession of Faith

The celebrant administers Baptism either by immersing the candidate in water or by pouring
water over his or her head three times while saying the form of the Sacrament. "[Name], I
baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Immersion and
affusion are both permissible methods of Baptism, as both customs are traceable to the
early Church; the word affusion is derived from the Latin affundere, meaning "to pour on”.

After the Baptism has been performed, the new Christian is anointed with Sacred Chrism, a
mixture of olive oil and balsam that was blessed by the local bishop; it is symbolic of the
anointing of the Holy Spirit. The recipient is also clothed in a white garment to indicate purity
from sin and that he or she has risen with Christ. A baptismal candle is lit from the Easter
candle in the church to remind all the faithful that the baptized are to be the light of the world.

Baptism in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Rites of the Catholic
Church, Baptism by triple immersion is the norm for infants and adults alike, with affusion
being employed only in danger of death: Another distinction in the Eastern Rites is that all
three Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism. Confirmation (called Chrismation), and the
Eucharist - are ordinarily conferred at the same time no matter the recipient's age. In the
Latin Rite, by contrast, these three Sacraments are normally conferred together only in the
case of an adult convert.