"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons and daughters of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission" ~ Catecheism of the Catholic Church, #1213
Baptism instruction for parent(s) and godparent(s) is normally on the 1st Sunday of the month. Parent(s) and godparent(s) are required to attend two meetings on censecutive months. The first meeting from 1:00-2:00 pm; the second the following month from 2:30-3:30 pm. Both will be in the meeting room of the Parish Center. Please be sure to call or email to verify your attendance at these.
The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated with parent(s), godparent(s) and extended family and friends, normally on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 2:00pm in the upper church. Please be sure to call or email to verify.
Godparents must be confirmed Catholics in good standing: practicing their faith (attending Sunday Mass), married within the Church (if married), and living the baptismal promises of loving God and neighbor to the best of their ability. Evidence of these qualifications must be provided by their pastor.
Only one godparent is required, but if two are chosen they must be male and female, not two of the same sex.
1. Please complete the Baptism Request Form at the left to register.
2. We will call or email you to schedule an introductory meeting with parents and godparents.
3. Please review the documents in the sidebar entitled: Baptism Sponsor Guidelines, Christian Witness and Role of Godparents to aid in your selection process and your understanding.
4. Parents who are not married are required to present a copy of the Civil Record of Birth to establish parental responsibility which will be retained by the Parish Center.
5. If you have not yet registered as a parishioner, please be sure to do so. The link to do this is under the "About" tab. Please fully complete the form.
6. A final date for your child's baptism will be determined after initial meeting and discussing all information, documents, etc that may be required. You will then be notified with open date availability, final details and arrangements.
**THE DATES FOR YOUR CHILD'S BAPTISM INSTRUCTION AND BAPTISM WILL BE SCHEDULED ONLY AFTER ALL COMPLETED FORMS AND ANY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ARE REVIEWED**
Thank you and congratulations for the wonderful
gift of Salvation you are giving your child!
"No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit" (Jn 3:5)
In his dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus taught that Baptism was necessary for salvation. "No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (Jn 3:5). After his Resurrection, Jesus met with the eleven Apostles and gave them the commission to preach the Gospel and baptize, telling them, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mk 16:16).
The word baptism in its origins is Greek and means "immersion" and "bath." Immersion in water is a sign of death and emersion out of the water means new life. To bathe in water is also to undergo cleansing. Saint Paul sums up this truth when he says, "You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col 2:12).
The author and founder of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting His public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. "He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake . . . to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water" (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Liturgy of the Hours, I, 634).
Jesus' immersion in the water is a sign for all human beings of the need to die to themselves to do God's will. Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father.
By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin—Original and personal—and begin to live a new life with God.
Above from United States Catholic Catechism for Adults