The St. Brigid' s Baptismal Preparation Program was conceived as a way to outreach to--evangelize--the 40 to 5O young couples who, although unregistered as parishioners at St Brigid's, make within an average year a request to have a child peptized in the parish Our program is designed not just to achieve baptism of these couples' children, but to stress our Christian belief that the sacrament of baptism is, like all sacraments, a symbol of God's care for us which we, as a Christian community, must ask God to bestow on us. And further, that enactment of the symbol brings us all closer to one another in the Church In other words, we use the Baptismal Preparation Program as a way to bring the parents (back) into active parish life at St. Brigid's. In March and April 1993 we ran notices in our parish bulletin, and through this gathered together a core of volunteers to head up the baptismal preparation program. The core group held meetings in May and June 1993 wherein tne curriculum was developed. In the fall of 1993, the facilitators practiced presentation of the curriculum and fine-tuned it through critique sessions with the clerical staff at St. Brigid' s. The rirst session of the Baptismal Preparation Program will occur in January 1994, with some ten couples currently anticipated to participate in the first session. We expect quarterly presentations, thereafter. The twe- to three-hour, Saturday morning curriculum includes the following highlights: - self-introduction of participants, including a brief statement of own religious background: - a brief history of St Brigid's 90 years as a parish; - a theological discussion of the meaning of "sacrament" and "baptism", stressing the essential participation of the Christian community in bestowal of sacraments, including baptism; - a slide presentation of the more than twenty social and service ministries (e g., Bible Study, RCIA, Ladies Sodality, Vincentian Conference, etc.) which are currently active within the parish; and an earnest invitation to consider joining one of these; - a videotaped presentation of the baptismal rite, with an explanation of what the rite entails and means, and what participation by parents and godparents will be required; - a question-and-answer period; - a tour of our beautiful church. We wish to stress that while the first Baptismal Preparation Program class will occur in January 1994, work to develop the curriculum, gather together the slides, and videotape the baptismal rite were well underway early in 1993. We anticipate that the Baptismal Preparation Program will be an important cornerstone--although not our only one--in our parish' s evangelization effort.

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