Lasting baptism gifts: cross, patron saint and rosary
Cross, holy picture or rosary: which baptism gifts last, why they come from the rite of baptism itself and what belongs in a child’s hands only later.
Babygrows are outgrown, toys get lost, and the congratulation cards end up in a box after a few years. Lasting baptism gifts are those that grow with the child and recall the day on which it became a child of God. Baptism itself provides the signs for them: the cross that the priest traces on the forehead and breast, the white garment, the burning candle and the name of a saint. This guide shows which gifts follow from this, what already suits a baby and what belongs in the child’s hands only later.
- A lasting baptism gift is a devotional object that recalls the sacrament and accompanies the child for years: a cross, a picture or statue of the patron saint, later a rosary.
- The Rituale Romanum has the priest sign the child with the cross on forehead and breast right at the beginning, still at the threshold of the church; towards the end he hands over the white garment and the burning candle (Tit. II, cap. 2, nos. 4, 24 and 25).
- According to the 1917 Code of Canon Law, children are to be baptised as soon as possible and are to receive a Christian name (can. 770 and can. 761).
- Because of small parts that could be swallowed, rosaries are not suitable for children under three. The parents keep a baptism rosary safe until the child learns to pray.
What are lasting baptism gifts?
Lasting baptism gifts are objects that are not used up and are connected with the sacrament: a cross for the nursery, a picture or statue of the patron saint, an image of the Mother of God with the Child Jesus, or a rosary intended for later years.
A baptism gift becomes meaningful when it tells a story that the child can understand later. A cross recalls the sign with which the priest marked the child at the very threshold of the church. A holy picture shows the patron whose name the child bears. Even a toddler understands a statue of the Mother of God with the Child in her arms without any explanation. The table arranges the options by their connection with baptism and by the age from which they are used.
| Gift | Connection with baptism | From when |
|---|---|---|
| Wall cross or standing cross | sign of the cross on forehead and breast at the beginning of the rite | straight away, out of the child’s reach |
| Picture or statue of the patron saint | Christian name according to can. 761 | straight away, then on every name day |
| Mother of God with the Child Jesus | the Most Blessed Virgin as Mother | straight away |
| Rosary | prayer beads for later, a sign of the promise to raise the child in the faith | in a child’s hands not under three, usually at First Holy Communion |
| White garment and baptismal candle | signs that the priest himself hands over | keep safe |
You will find statues of the saints and of the Mother of God in our Catholic statues collection.
Why is a cross a good baptism gift?
A cross is a good baptism gift because the cross is one of the first signs of baptism. Already at the threshold of the church the priest traces a cross with his thumb on the forehead and breast of the child to be baptised. A cross in the nursery keeps this beginning visible.
“Accipe signum Crucis tam in fronte, quam in corde …” Receive the sign of the Cross both on thy forehead and in thy heart.
Rituale Romanum, Ordo Baptismi parvulorum, Tit. II, cap. 2, no. 4 (Regensburg 1937), our translation
The Rituale Romanum has the priest come for the baptism to the threshold of the church, where the family waits outside with the child (Tit. II, cap. 1, no. 68). There he asks the name, signs the child with the cross and prays that God may guard the one signed with the cross of the Lord. A cross above the cot takes up this petition.
Our 35 cm wall cross has a wooden cross and a hand-painted, coloured resin corpus, with a hanger on the back. If you are looking for a cross for a chest of drawers, there is the hand-carved Siena standing cross in lime wood, 47 cm high and made in Italy. All models for the wall are shown in the wall crosses collection; crosses to stand up can be found under standing crosses.
Why give a picture of the patron saint for a baptism?
A picture of the patron saint is given because in baptism the child receives the name of a saint. According to the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the parish priest sees to it that every child baptised bears a Christian name. With the picture, the bond with this saint grows from an early age.
Can. 761 lays down that the parish priest is to see to it that the person baptised receives a Christian name. If he cannot achieve this, he adds the name of a saint to the name the parents have chosen and enters both in the baptismal register. The Rituale Romanum gives the reason. The names of saints are to be given, quorum exemplis fideles ad pie vivendum excitentur, et patrociniis protegantur: by whose example the faithful may be roused to live devoutly and by whose patronage they may be protected (Tit. II, cap. 1, no. 70).
The Roman Catechism adds that the likeness of the name should encourage imitation of the saint’s virtue and prayer for the saint’s assistance (Part II, On Baptism, no. LXXIII).
A picture of the patron above the bed is before the child’s eyes every day, and every year the name day comes round as well. You will find a selection among our wall pictures of the saints; the wall picture of St Joseph with the Child Jesus, for example, is available in A5 and A4, printed on sturdy photo card and without a frame.
Is a rosary a sensible baptism gift?
A rosary is a sensible baptism gift if it is meant for later. It does not belong in a baby’s hand, because rosaries contain small parts that could be swallowed. The parents keep it safe until the child learns to pray, often until First Holy Communion at around the age of seven.
The age for First Holy Communion is governed by the decree Quam singulari of the Congregation of the Sacraments of 8 August 1910, approved by Pope St Pius X: the age of discretion begins when the child begins to reason, circa septimum annum, that is, at about the seventh year. By then a rosary given at baptism already has a story. It is best to give it in a little box with a sentence saying for whom and for which day it is intended.
For First Holy Communion a rosary with cut-glass beads on white cord is suitable, for example. You will find it among our rosaries with glass beads. How to pray it is shown in our guide to the Rosary with all the prayers.
What do the white garment and the baptismal candle mean?
The white garment and the baptismal candle are signs from the rite of baptism itself. After the baptism the priest lays a white cloth on the child and speaks of the garment that it is to carry unstained before the judgement seat of Christ. Then he hands the child or the godparent a burning candle.
Accipe vestem candidam, quam perferas immaculatam ante tribunal Domini nostri Jesu Christi, ut habeas vitam aeternam.
Accipe lampadem ardentem, et irreprehensibilis custodi Baptismum tuum: serva Dei mandata, ut, cum Dominus venerit ad nuptias, possis occurrere ei una cum omnibus Sanctis in aula caelesti, et vivas in saecula saeculorum.Receive this white garment, and carry it unstained before the judgement seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have eternal life.
Rituale Romanum, Tit. II, cap. 2, nos. 24 and 25; our translation from the Latin
Receive this burning light, and keep thy Baptism without reproach: keep the commandments of God, that when the Lord cometh to the wedding feast, thou mayest go forth to meet Him together with all the saints in the heavenly court, and live for ever and ever.
The Roman Catechism explains both signs. The white garment signifies the glory of the resurrection, the splendour of the soul once its sins have been blotted out, and the innocence that the baptised person is to preserve throughout life. The burning candle shows that faith, kindled by charity, must be nourished and increased by good works (Part II, On Baptism, nos. LXXI and LXXII). The garment and the candle are therefore keepsakes that stay in the family. Whoever keeps them together with the baptismal cross will later have everything together that the child should know about its baptism.
Does a baptism gift have to be blessed?
A baptism gift does not have to be blessed, but a cross, a picture and a rosary become sacramentals only through a priest’s blessing. Any priest may bless a cross or holy picture for one’s own home without special permission. In doing so the Church implores God’s blessing on whoever uses it.
The Rituale Romanum reserves only the solemn blessing of crosses and images set up for public veneration to the Ordinary, as a rule the bishop, who can delegate it to any priest. Privately, any priest can give it, sine ulla Ordinarii licentia (Tit. VIII, cap. 24 and 25). According to the 1917 Code of Canon Law, sacramentals are things or actions that the Church uses to obtain effects that are above all spiritual by virtue of her intercession (can. 1144).
A blessed cross above the cot therefore has no power of its own. St Thomas Aquinas holds it lawful to carry sacred words or relics, so long as one looks solely to reverence for God, from whom the effect is expected, and not to the manner of writing or binding them on; he expressly names the sign of the cross as lawful (Summa theologiae II-II, q. 96, a. 4). Blessed things are to be treated with reverence, even if they are privately owned (can. 1150).
The description of our rosary with peach-coloured cut-glass beads includes the note that a rosary is an object of prayer and not a toy: because of small parts that could be swallowed it is not for children under three, and long cords or chains can pose a risk of strangulation. That is why a baptism rosary belongs in the parents’ hands.
The rosary with peach-coloured cut-glass beads is made by hand on white cord, with 8 mm beads, a Miraculous Medal and a silver Pardon Crucifix; centrepiece and crucifix can be combined, and you enter your choice in the notes field when ordering. The statue of the Mother of God with the Child Jesus is made of resin, hand-painted in colour and 31 cm high.
For the nursery
Statue of Mary with Child
The Mother of God with the Child Jesus in her arms, in resin, hand-painted in colour, 31 cm high.
View the statue
The baptismal cross
Wall Cross, 35 cm
Wooden cross with hand-painted coloured resin corpus and a hanger on the back.
View the cross
Frequently asked questions about baptism gifts
What is a meaningful baptism gift?
A meaningful baptism gift is connected with the sacrament and is used for years: a cross, a picture of the patron saint or a statue of the Mother of God with the Child Jesus. A rosary is also fitting if the parents keep it safe until the child learns to pray.
What should a guest give for a baptism?
As a guest you give something for a baptism that does not overlap with the godparents’ gifts, such as a picture of the patron saint or a small statue. Ask the parents beforehand whether a cross or a rosary is already planned.
What does the godparent give?
The godparent gives something that suits the office. According to can. 769, the godparent is to regard the spiritual child as entrusted to him for ever and to see to its Christian upbringing. A cross at baptism and later a rosary at First Holy Communion link the gift with this promise.
How soon after birth is a child baptised?
According to the 1917 Code of Canon Law, a child is to be baptised as soon as possible, quamprimum (can. 770). The Rituale Romanum requires parish priests and preachers to remind the faithful often of this grave obligation (Tit. II, cap. 1, no. 39).
- Codex Iuris Canonici of 1917, cann. 761, 769, 770, 1144 and 1150. codex-iuris-canonici.de
- Rituale Romanum, Editio quinta juxta typicam, Regensburg 1937, Tit. II, cap. 1, nos. 30, 39, 68 and 70; Tit. II, cap. 2, nos. 4, 24 and 25; Tit. VIII, cap. 24 and 25.
- Römischer Katechismus nach dem Beschlusse des Conciliums von Trient (Roman Catechism according to the decree of the Council of Trent), German edition, Passau 1853, Part II, On Baptism, nos. LXXI to LXXIII. archive.org
- Sacra Congregatio de disciplina Sacramentorum: decree Quam singulari of 8 August 1910, Acta Apostolicae Sedis 2 (1910), pp. 577 to 583. vatican.va
- St Thomas Aquinas: Summa theologiae II-II, q. 96, a. 4. corpusthomisticum.org
- Product details from MarcellusOnlineShop, as of 26 October 2026.
Last checked on 26 October 2026.
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We knot rosaries by hand in our workshop in Germany and write in our guide about prayers, devotional articles and the traditional Catholic faith.
