BECOMING PART OF A PARISH COMMUNITY 

Baptism initiates a person into the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. When baptism is celebrated in a church, the person is also initiated into that particular believing community. Belonging is important.

From the moment of birth, children seek to belong. To know the faces, voices and touch of those we call Mother and Father is essential in the development of a child. The need to belong is not limited to our family.

When a person comes seeking baptism into the life of the Church, he or she is asking to belong. Although through the Sacrament of Baptism one is initiated into life in Christ and the Church, there is another important way to belong.

We state our desire to belong to a parish community by formally registering in the parish. Registering is a rather simple act that brings responsibility and commitment. Belonging to a parish community is more detailed than filling our a registration form.

The registration form means that we want to gather each Sunday with our brothers and sisters in Christ to worship God and that we want to support the work of the Church.

In practical terms, the registration form allows the parish to know how many families live in the Parish and it allows us to contact families when deemed necessary. The Parish Roster is developed from the registration forms.

Supporting the work of the Church is the responsibility of all registered members. We support the work of our parish by sharing of our time, talents and monetary resources. The parish encourages all registered families to use weekly offertory envelopes. This assists everyone and it allows to Church to provide a yearly receipt for income tax.

Although a parish is busy with many activities, the primary work of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel and initiate new members. It is the work of the entire parish community (all registered members) to initiate new members.

When parents come seeking baptism for their child, it is only natural for the Church to inquire if the family is registered with the parish. Registration is a concrete sign that the family is involved in the work of the Church.