One Bread, One Body
"To be a Christian, to have received Holy Baptism, must not be looked upon as something of negligible importance. It must be something which thrills the baptized person to the very core of his being. "
Pope Paul VI, Ecclesium Suam 39
As Catholics, we see Baptism as necessary for salvation. Therefore, children should be baptized as soon as possible after birth. Preparation for Baptism ideally takes place before the birth of the child, and classes are attended by both the parents and godparents. Currently, St. Mary offers Baptism preparation classes quarterly, in March, June, September, and December. Parents may register for classes by calling Sherri Haverkamp in the Parish Office. Please register for class before attending. See the Calendar on this page for the exact dates, times, and locations of upcoming classes.
A copy of the child's birth certificate must be given to the parish office prior to the baptism.
If you are requesting to baptize your child in another parish, (ex. your home parish), you must receive permission from your current Pastor to have your child baptized in another church.
Qualifications for Godparents:
"Each child may have a godfather and a godmother, the 'godparents' is used in the rite to describe both." (Rite of Baptism for Children 6)
Only one godparent is necessary. The godparent must be a fully initated Catholic (baptized, confirmed, received first communion), at least 16 years old, and must be leading a sacramental life in harmony with the church. (Cf CIC, can. 874). If married, the godparents must be married in the Catholic Church.*
A current copy (not older than 6 months) of the Godparent's Baptismal Certificate with notations must be turned into the office. The godparent should be willing to accept the responsibility of assisting the parents in developing the faith life of the child.
If the godparents are from another parish, they could attend the baptism class at their home parish and get a letter from the parish stating they attended the class.
* These are not St. Mary's policies, they are from Canon Law and the Diocese of Fort Worth.