Baptism
Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into the Church. When one is baptized the stain of original sin inherited from Adam is washed away, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the person, and the person is formally incorporated into the Body of Christ. This occurs regardless of whether a person is baptized as an infant or an adult because the grace bestowed upon a person during baptism is an unmerited gift from God in His boundless mercy. We can do nothing in and of ourselves to earn this grace. Baptism is regenerative, which means that it bestows sanctifying grace and new life in Christ upon the recipient.