"He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. He that believeth not, he shall be condemned." --- Mark 16:16
Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord's will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.
The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water on his head, while pronouncing the inovocation of the Most Holy Trinity.
The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.
Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consencrates the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot be repeated.