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Baptism
Parish Requirements to have a Baby
Baptized
Parents and Family Life – THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
The role of the parents in the faith life of the child is to bring to
reality the promises made at baptism. The sacramental life of the Church
is what defines us as Catholic. The Eucharist is at the core of our
sacramental life. At a minimum this requires Catholics to participate in
Sunday Eucharist each week. This precept is outlined in the Holy
Scriptures, in the Ten Commandments, and in the law of the Roman
Catholic Church. Without weekly celebration of the Eucharist the central
truth of our faith is not experienced or lived out with any commitment
or intent. Those who do not attend mass on a regular basis have no
experience with the wider faith community in which to base their desire
for the sacraments or their commitment to that faith community. These
are of central importance in the preparation of children for any
sacrament. The role of the family is that of Domestic Church. You are
the first teachers in the ways of faith for your child. Commitment to
the parish, participation in community coupled with the training you do
at home helps to foster a child’s relationship with God.
The local parish of St. John the Baptist, under the leadership of
Archbishop Hanus, expects that:
1. Parent(s) must be registered members of the local faith community.
2. Catholic parents must be practicing Catholics who attend liturgy each
week in the parish.
3. Parent(s) are to attend parish sponsored baptism preparation class
prior to the reception of the sacrament. Baptism classes are held in
March and October each year, please plan ahead.
4. If you have taken preparation class before we may ask that you retake
the session if: 1) you are not attending mass on a regular basis. 2) You
are new to the parish 3) for any reason the Pastoral Administrator and
Sacramental Priest may request.
Godparents
The role of Godparent is more than honorary. The role is one of
Christian witness. Therefore the choice that you make should be
determined by the role that these people will play in the faith
formation of your child. The persons that you ask to be Godparents are
to be ones that live a Catholic lifestyle that witness a love for the
Church and Her sacramental life. Church law requires that at least one
sponsor is a practicing Catholic. Anyone who is not a Catholic may be
recognized as a Christian witness but not as a Catholic godparent.
Church law only requires one godparent. If you choose to have two
godparents, there is to be a godmother and a godfather. There should not
be two of the same gender to act as godparents. The godparent must be a
minimum of sixteen (16) years old and a fully initiated Catholic
(baptized and confirmed) who participates in the weekly liturgy of the
Eucharist in his/her parish. The godparent must be a practicing Catholic
who is not barred by ecclesiastical law from being a godparent, i.e. If
the Catholic godparent is married they must be in a valid marriage
(recognized by the Catholic Church) to act as a baptismal sponsor.
Documentation of the godparents’ status is required from the Catholic
godparent(s) parish that they in fact can fulfill this role. A form
signed by the pastor/pastoral administrator indicating that the person
is able to fulfill this role is required.
The Celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism
The celebration of the sacrament of Baptism takes place during one of
the regular weekend masses. We ask that parents please schedule baptisms
a month in advance of the date they are requesting. Baptisms are not
scheduled during the seasons of Lent or Advent. Emergency baptism is
always handled immediately. Please contact the Sue Schettler, Pastoral
Administrator about preparation and scheduling of the baptism.
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