The origin and foundation 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. . . . 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 actual – and begin to live a new life with God.

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.

Our Baptisms and Baptism classes are conducted every other month. The child’s Baptism can occur during one of the parish Masses (preferred), or can be conducted at a ceremony after one of the Masses.

What are the requirements for baptism?

For a child to be baptized in the Catholic Church, there must be a basis for hope that the child will be raised in the Catholic faith. In practice, this generally means that at least one parent is Catholic. Like many dioceses in the United States, our Diocese requires parents to participate in Baptism preparation before the baptism of their children.

The child may be up to six years old for a traditional baptism to occur. At age 7 and older, Canon law requires baptism to be followed by Confirmation and Eucharist. The parish staff can help you with this.

What are the requirements for godparents?

A person may only have one or two godparents (also called sponsors); if two are chosen, they must be male and female.

In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent, these are the requirements…

• They are chosen by the parents
• They have the ability and the intention to fulfill the role
• They must be at least 16 years of age, and…
• They must be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist, is leading a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith (including Marriage) and will be a good role model for the one being baptized
• They cannot be the father nor the mother of the child

A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a “Christian witness” (not a godparent) provided that there is at least one Roman Catholic godparent who fulfills the above criteria. A non-baptized person cannot be a witness.

It is extremely important to take your faith-life seriously because, before God, you have taken on an awesome responsibility for the salvation of another—your own child! 

Your commitment and openness to baptismal preparation will help develop the faith-life of your child as he/she matures.

Please contact the parish office for more information.