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Congratulations on the birth of your child! Now that you have brought your child into the world, it’s time to bring him or her into the family of God to begin a journey of faith life that is filled with God’s grace and blessings.
The first of all Sacraments, Baptism calls us into the family of God as His adopted sons and daughters, imparting upon those who are baptized the grace of being cleansed from original sin. In the dying and rising to new life that is the drama of Baptism, the individual is freed from the bonds of sin and death and given the promise of new life. -
In preparation for your child’s baptism, please review the following:
- Any discussion regarding baptisms will only be had with the biological or adoptive parents. Grandparents, friends, aunts, uncles, legal guardians, someone speaking on the parent’s behalf, cannot schedule baptisms, or provide the staff with any personal information regarding the child or parents.
- All parents wishing to have their child baptized will be required to follow a Baptismal Preperation Program. This must be done before the Baptism and proof of completion must be sent to the parish.
- Here is a list of websites which offer Baptismal Preperation Programs accepted by the parish:
- To request that a child be baptized the following registration form must be completed :
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. May a child be baptized if only one parent requests it?
The consent of at least one of the parents, or the person who lawfully takes their place, is required for the baptism of a child.
2. How do we arrange to have our child baptized in a parish other than the one where we normally worship?
If, for a good pastoral reason (for example, so extended family may attend), parents wish to have their child baptized in another parish, they need to approach the Pastor of that parish to ask if he is willing to baptize their child. A letter of permission to have the baby baptized elsewhere must be obtained from the Pastor of the parish where the family usually worships. Normally, Baptism preparation may take place in either of the parishes.
3. Can our child be baptized if we are not practicing Catholics?
Baptism is more than a rite of passage for a child or a washing away of original sin. Baptism is a sharing in the life of the risen Christ. Baptism is also the first step of initiation into the Christian community. During the Rite of Baptism, parents promise to raise their child in the practice of the faith. Parents who are not practicing members of the community may be asked to delay the Baptism of their child until they have re-established that connection with their parish community.
4. Can our child be baptized if we are not married?
Not married in the Church? Your child's Baptism and your marriage are two separate issues. Your marital status may be discussed during your Baptism interview to encourage you to get married (or validate your marriage in the Church) if this is appropriate. However, as long as you are committed to raising your child as a Catholic, he/she may celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism and be welcomed into the Catholic Church.
5. Who can be godparents?
Since godparents take on two roles - that of support for the parents in the Catholic upbringing of their child, and that of representing the Christian community into which the child is being initiated - they must be practicing Catholics, living according to the faith and fully initiated through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, who are mature enough (usually at least 16 years of age) to undertake this role. (Code of Canon Law, c. 872)
A godparent does not need to be the same gender as the candidate for Baptism. The godparent assumes no legal responsibility for the child.
6. Can a parent serve as a godparent?
A parent may not serve as a godparent because the parent already has a distinct role and relationship with the child. A godparent's role is separate from that of a parent or legal guardian.
7. Can a non-Catholic serve as a godparent?
A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic church community may be admitted as a Christian Witness. A Christian witness is a baptized Christian and a member of a non-Catholic ecclesial community. (e.g., Anglican, United, Presbyterian, etc.) Christian witness is a witness to the Baptism, not a godparent. A Christian witness is allowed only if there is one Catholic godparent. (Code of Canon Law, c. 874) A member of the Eastern Orthodox Church may serve as a godparent if there is a Catholic godparent.
8. What does a godparent do?
A godparent is called to model what it means to live as a Catholic Christian. The godparent is to assist the child in living a Christian life.
9. How many godparents are required?
The child may have only one or two godparents. If two godparents are chosen, one is to be a man and the other a woman. (Code of Canon Law, c. 873)
10. What if the person I have chosen as godparent is sick or unable to be present at the time of the Baptism?
In exceptional circumstances, it is possible for the godparent to be represented at the Baptism by a 'proxy'. The names of the godparent and his/her proxy will be entered in the Baptismal Register. The name of the person who has served as proxy is not included on the Baptismal Certificate.
11. In the future, may I change the Baptismal sponsors?
On occasion, one or both of the people who served as godparents are no longer a part of the child's life or they have moved a great distance and the possibility of an ongoing relationship is compromised. Although a new person may now hold a place of prominence in the faith life of the child it is not possible to alter the Baptismal register. The register is a legal record and the original godparents were a witness to the event. It would be untruthful to remove the name of the original witness and replace it with a new name, perhaps someone who was not even present at the Baptism.
12. I no longer want to be Catholic. Can I remove my name from the baptismal register?Baptismal Registers are records of historical fact. They are not archives of membership enrollment. Accordingly, a person's name can never be removed from a Baptismal Register after he or she has been Baptized. The only changes allowed are those necessary to correct errors originally transposed into the record.