Baptism of Children

1. What is Baptism? Baptism is a Sacrament by which one becomes a child of God and is committed to live as such.

2. How can a child make this commitment? A child can make this commitment only through the parents who take the responsibility to raise the child in the practice of the faith by opportune instruction and by their personal example of faithfulness to God's Commandments.

3.   Why does the Church baptize babies? Because the church believes that the baby would want to become a child of God if   he simply knew what great honor and privilege this is. Parents who want the very best for their child do not wait until they are old enough to make this decision on their own; they make the decision for them, like they do for the kind of food, education, inheritance, etc., they want them to have for their own good.

4. What are the Baptismal promises? The Baptismal promises are the Profession of faith that parents and godparents are asked to make as a witness to their faith ( in their own name and in the name of the child) and as a reminder of the kind of teaching and example they are supposed to give their child. During the ceremony of Baptism they are formally asked the following questions: Do you understand that you are accepting the responsibility of training this child in the practice of faith, and of teaching the child to keep God's commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor?

Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God's children?

Do you reject the glamor of evil and refuse to be mastered by sin?

Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?

Do you believe in God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the father?

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

Through baptism the seed of Faith is planted in the child. However, without water and proper care, any seed will die. It is, therefore, the duty of parents and godparents to make sure the child's seed of faith is properly watered and cultivated so that it may grow and bear fruit.

5. What is the role of the godparents? The godparents represent the larger spiritual family, the parish, and they commit themselves to support the parents in seeing that the child does receive proper instruction in the faith and lives in accordance with it.

6.   Who can be a godparent? Any fully initiated Catholic in good standing with the Church and who has accepted the obligation of helping the parents in the fulfillment of their duty to raise the child in the Catholic Faith. He or she must be at least 16 years of age. They must also be baptized and should have received their First Communion   and Confirmation. If married, they must be married in the Church and must be practicing Catholics.

7. When can I baptize my child and what do I need? You can have your child baptized at 2:00 pm on any Sunday of the year, the second and fourth Sundays of the month being in English. For a sufficient reason you can baptize by Reservation only (at least 8 days in advance, but not more than 30 days in advance) on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m., if no Wedding or Quinceañera has been scheduled at that time. Once a time slot has been reserved, others may register for that same time slot, so that we never guarantee individual Baptism. Baptisms start PROMPTLY on the hour in the main church. Latecomers will have to wait for rescheduling on another day. Therefore, make certain you are present in the vestibule no later than 5 minutes before the scheduled time. To register a child for baptism, parents must:

a. Come to the office personally (that is the Father or Mother). Godparents may not register children for baptism.

b. Bring the certificate of live birth or notification of birth registration of the child..

c. Have the names of the godparents ready.

8. Pre-Baptismal instruction: Parents and godparents must attend one Baptism instruction, generally the Friday before baptism. The instruction begins at 7:00 P.M. (If at all possible, please do not bring your children to the instruction, so that everyone can hear the presentation without distraction). At time of class, permission slips are given for godparents attending class here, but baptizing in other parishes, but not for parents who belong to our parish, because they must get permission from a priest to baptize elsewhere, after giving evidence of a sufficient reason for doing so.The instruction, (like the Baptism), is given in English and Spanish on alternating Fridays.

9.   In which parish should a child be baptized? Children should be baptized in the parish of the parents. However, if this is not possible or desirable, a written permission from the pastor of the child's parish should be obtained before arrangements are made for the baptism.

10. Who must be present at the baptism ceremony?   Both parents and godparents must be present. When this is not possible a proxy may be chosen to stand in for the absent godparent.

11. What do we need for the baptism ceremony? No special clothes or ornaments are needed, since the parish will provide both the white baptismal garment and the candle.

12. Can we take pictures? Flash photography is not allowed during the ceremony. Video cameras without lights may be used, but everyone must remain in their place in the benches. Photos will be allowed for a few minutes afterwards, but not up in the sanctuary.

13. How much does the baptism cost? Who should pay for it? There is no charge for the baptism. However, we do ask for an offering of $35.00 to cover the expenses of secretarial work,   the use of the church, the white garment, and the candle we provide.

14. Where can I get the certificate of baptism? The certificate is mailed within 3-5 days. Should you need another copy of the certificate, you may request one from the office for a $2.00 fee.

2004 Schedule

For a sufficient reason you can baptize by reservation only (at least 8 , but not more than 30, days in advance) on Saturdays at 11:00 A.M. or 1:00 P.M. if no wedding or quinceañera has been scheduled at that time. Once a time slot has been reserved other may register for that same time slot, so that we never guarantee individual Baptism.