Baptism is the foundation of our Christian life. Through this Sacrament of Initiation, we become children of God, members of Christ’s Body in the Church, are freed from sin, and are empowered by the Spirit to share in Christ’s mission. More than just a rite of passage, this Sacrament is a transformational encounter with God’s life-giving love.

If you are an adult seeking baptism, please read about our program of faith formation for adults interested in becoming Catholic.

About Baptism…

  • Eligibility

    Please note that for a child to be eligible for baptism at St. Basil’s:

    - at least one parent must be Roman Catholic, and

    - the parents must:

    - live within the parish boundaries (the map below outlines our parish boundaries), or

    - be active members of the parish, or

    - have a historic relationship to St. Basil’s (e.g. family, prior sacrament, or USMC connection)

  • Requirements for Godparents

    Godparents support parents in handing on the Catholic faith to the child being baptised and also represent the wider community of faith which welcomes and supports the child.

    As such, a godparent must be a practicing Catholic who is fully initiated into the Catholic community, having received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Typically, godparents must be at least 16 years old.

    A child may have only one, or a maximum of two godparents.  If two godparents are chosen, one is to be a man and the other a woman.

    If you want to select a non-Catholic Christian, they may be considered a “Christian witness” (not a godparent) and there must still be at least one fully initiated Catholic godparent.

    Some families have more than two people they want to stand up with them at baptism to bear witness and support the faith of the child. Only two will be considered the official godparents, per the outlined requirements above.

    (Code of Canon Law, c. 872-874).

  • Preparation

    - Both parents and godparents are required to attend our baptismal preparation course before a child’s baptism.  These are typically scheduled monthly and are held virtually on a Saturday morning.

    - Since parents and godparents make a commitment to handing on faith to a child throughout their life, the best preparation for baptism also involves an active life of faith, including participating in weekly Mass and a cultivating a life of faith through prayer, service, and engagement with a faith community. We are here to support families in growing in and living out their faith in family life.

Celebrating baptism in the parish

Each of the Sacraments are a public celebration of a living relationship with God and with the local believing community. As such, baptisms are typically celebrated in the parish where the family resides or is registered and normally worships. Parishioners of St. Basil’s are those who live within our boundaries, and/or who worship here regularly. Each baptism is a joyful celebration for our parish community, as we bear witness to God’s grace at work in our midst.

If you are not a parishioner at St. Basil’s, you may celebrate your child’s baptism here if you have another good reason for doing so (e.g. a historic relationship). You will need to contact the Pastor of your home parish for a letter of permission for a baptism to take place outside that parish. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with your local church and meet your Pastor. You will find a map below that outlines our parish boundary. If you want to find your parish in the Archdiocese of Toronto, you can check here: Archdiocese of Toronto - Find a Parish

Scheduling

At St. Basil’s we celebrate Baptism communally as the whole community gathered to worship welcomes your child into the family of the Church. Baptism for children is celebrated at our weekend Masses (Saturday at 5pm, Sunday at 9am, 10:30am, 12 Noon, or 4:30pm). After you complete the inquiry form below, we will work with your family to schedule the celebration of your child’s baptism.  

If, for particular special circumstances, the regular weekend celebration does not work for your family, we are able to accommodate other options on a case-by-case basis.

Please note: no baptisms are scheduled at the parish during Lent (for 2025 this will be between February 18 to April 5).

Once the baptism is scheduled we will share additional details about the day of baptism, including information about the baptismal garment for your child, reserved seating at the Mass, and policies around photography.

More information about the Sacrament of Baptism, including frequently asked questions, is available on the website of the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Next Steps:

Get in touch with our Parish Office to plan and prepare for your child’s baptism at St. Basil’s. Please complete the intake form here, and we will respond to you with next steps, including the baptismal information form, the next scheduled baptismal preparation course, and availability of dates for the baptism.

Note: Any child that is above the age of 7 has reached the “age of reason” and will need to  be prepared for baptism in an adapted format. For those cases, please first review the information on this page, complete an intake form, and include a note in the comments about your child’s age.

Parish Boundaries: