To not want MIL to “redo” our baby’s name with her priest?

I'd speak with Father Liam about this, and say that you aren't happy with this, and there is no way he should be encouraging it. He should be guiding her to accept her role as grandmother and understand the responsibilities and BOUNDARIES of that role.

Just NOOOO! Your husband should really be taking this more seriously - at the very least you both should have been involved and baby’s name should be the one on the birth certificate. You need to sit down with MIL and state your parameters if you are prepared to go ahead with this fiasco.

I’m glad you’ve decided not to go along with this ridiculous charade OP. DP’s parents pushed hard for us to have DS1 baptised. They had assumed it was a foregone conclusion until we said we had no intention of it. DP was all for going ahead, even though we’re both atheists, because he said it would make his mum happy and give her a day out. I mean, come on. I think DP was trying to play it down because, really, his mum thinks we’re all going to hell. Maybe he thought that presenting it as a day out would change my mind and keep the peace. I just stood my ground and he came round to agreeing with me. We’re in NI and, as far as I’m concerned, I’m sick of appeasing people and their religious views, when they refuse to respect my choice not to believe. Giving in to this nonsense would have sent out the wrong message. When I was pregnant, a priest just ‘dropped in’ while we were visiting and he blessed my bump🤣 Just out of nowhere! DP’s ma must have been getting her points marked up with God before the baby even arrived.

This is 100% correct. An Anglican marriage isn't recognized by the Catholic Church so a christening absolutely won't be, either.

"although I do have at the back of my mind that at some point in their religious journey catholics can choose a Saints name."

this is at confirmation/first communion and they CHOOSE it, some batshit relative doesn't choose it for them

Oh god, we went through something very similar with my MIL when she wanted our DC blessed in the Greek Orthodox church without our knowledge or consent. That was 14 years ago & I still bristle when I think of it. Stand your ground!

My four are all Baptised and I was never asked to pay a penny.

wrong, as in the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it clear that you cannot be re-baptised if you have already had a christian baptism

wrong

Definitely time for a day trip on that Sunday, nice early start, off to the seaside or a park.
I would absolutely be having a meeting with the priest and making quite sure he understands that none of her daft ideas ever happen unless you specifically agree to it.
Im afraid if you don’t stamp down on this, it will be only the beginning… Your DH needs to be “right by your side” where your child is concerned.

Is your MIL quite ‘alright?’ OP?

I feel as though I’m out in a limb here but based on what MIL arranged for us after we got married I wouldn’t object to the child being blessed if that’s all she’s asking for. The name thing I couldn’t agree to though - although I do have at the back of my mind that at some point in their religious journey catholics can choose a Saints name.
My MIL is of the same faith as the OP’s MIL, and like her deeply religious. It must have upset her greatly that we didn’t choose to marry in church, but fair play to her she never once tried to persuade us to do so and she happily went along with all our arrangements.
When we returned from holiday she asked whether she could arrange for the priest to bless our marriage, and although it seemed a bizarre idea to me I felt that as she’d accepted our non church wedding without question it was a small price to pay if it made her happy.
It was a very informal blessing carried out in the garden of her home - and I’m really glad she arranged it for us. Yes there was a prayer or two but the priest chose his words well
None of our children have been christened and after raising the issue
when our first child was born she’s never mentioned it again or asked if they could blessed. If she had I wouldn’t have objected. She does however often buy them age appropriate religious books and that’s fine by me - my memories of Sunday School, when I was young are few and far between

I'm glad your husband is now on board.

You both chose the baptism that you wanted for your child.

As did MIL with her kid(s).

You both need to stand together and tel her to No if this is not want you want

Just to add that a Catholic Priest may not view an Anglican Christian as real so depending on where the priest comes from theologically, he may think your daughter hasn't been baptised and does need to be done properly. Your MiL may feel the same

She'll have had to pay for this. There is no such thing as a Catholic "blessing". Its an actual baptism.

You need to stop her now. Next it will be sending her to Catholic school or a nunnery etc. Or something else where she takes the lead without notice.

no.

A Catholic priest will not rebaptise the child because Catholics recognise Anglican baptism. He won't do it again. He might be prepared to give a blessing, but he won't use water and oil.

I imagine he will refuse to do anything once the OP has spoken to him.

OP, I think your points are clear but you might want to reinforce what your daughter's correct name is so even if she only gets a 'mention' from Fr Liam, it's by the correct name.

Your child, your choice, your rules………do not let this woman take command of this re-naming event! Before you know it she’ll be taking the child to confirmation classes and ordering her white dress, veil, shoes…………!

@Bobcomp

If she's doing a 'Presentation and Blessing of a Child' as this 'blessing, you should know that it includes a promise to raise the child as a Catholic.

They're common in Hispanic culture as a pre-cursor to Baptism.

What the point is and what needs to be said to both your MIL and Father Liam is in your own post. If you aren't absolutely blunt, clear and firm your boundaries will never be respected. And letting the priest know the actual situation helps him not to be co- opted into her bizarre power fight. He may wish to counsel jer after learning of your situation.

"I’ll be ringing Father Liam tonight and making it clear that 1) we are the child’s parents, 2) she has already been christened in the Church of England, and 3) any kind of blessing/naming ceremony is not to involve our daughter. I’ll also be telling MIL very directly that we won’t be there and neither will DD. She can pray by herself if she wants — our child is not a prop."

I’m an Anglican now but come from a Catholic family and if they tried this I would be incredibly pissed off! You get to name your baby, not MIL and certainly not MIL’s priest 🤯

Glad you're saying a hard no, OP.
There's a film called Kidnapped on iplayer about the famous case of a Jewish boy, baptised without his parents knowledge, then abducted by the Pope!
Never give religious zealots an inch!

My (very catholic) maternal Grandfather dictated my Christian name - he didn't like the one my parents (both practicing Catholics) had chosen - seemingly objected to the shortened version, but i feel sure it was more to do with the fact it wasn't a saint's name!)
A new name was chosen together with a middle name. He spent his entire life hyphenating my 2 names on every birthday or Christmas card he ever sent. There has never been a hyphen on my birth certificate. I have 2 separate names. But this is 1960's level of control. Absolutely crazy that your MIL is trying this stunt in 2025. It sounds to me very much like she having a covert Catholic baptism. Was she miffed that you had a CofE one?

Would you please have a chat with Father Liam. Explain your feelings and how it all came about.
The only RC Priest I know would be extremely reluctant to get caught up in a family tussle. He would not like to be manipulated by MIL

This should have been a hard no from the beginning. Totally weird.