These seven sacraments form an organic whole in which each particular sacrament has its own vital place. Most people understand the importance of baptism. Jesus himself affirmed that baptism is necessary for salvation. He commanded his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize. The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having been baptized are baptized by their death.
Provision also is made for baptism of desire.
We leave to God those to whom the Gospel has never been proclaimed and those who have never seen a need to ask for baptism, but the bottom line is that in God's master plan, baptism is very important. The practice of infant baptism is an immemorial tradition in the Catholic Church. Moreover, from the beginning of apostolic preaching, whole households received baptism. The Church and parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were baptism not conferred shortly after birth. Most parishes require parents presenting a child for baptism to attend pre-baptism sessions.