Baptismal Preparation Guidelines
Congratulations on the birth of your child and your desire to give your child the very
best by having him or her baptized into the Catholic faith!
We look forward to preparing with you for this special community event - celebrating
becoming a member of the Christ's Body, the Church, sharing in the risen life of Christ.
Parent Preparations for Baptism
We ask both parents to participate in:
- signing up online for Baptism Preparation
- one session with our Baptism Coordinator to discuss faith, community involvement and your desires for your child. Call to make an appointment.
- a Baptismal Preparation Gathering for Parents (and Godparents if possible)
to deepen your understanding of
baptism, the Church, and God, and to meet other couples to get to know others in the community. Topics include
parenting, sponsors, being Catholic, our relationship with God, the history of baptism and Rite of Baptism
options. Gatherings for 2012 are as follows: March 3, May 5, July 7, September 8, and November 3 at 9:00
a.m.-11:30 a.m. in Room Matthew near the Parish Center. *Reservations required – indicate your choice on your
registration form.
- Setting a date for Baptism with the Pastoral Associate after all the above are
completed. Unless approved otherwise by the Parish Leader, Baptisms are
usually celebrated on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month after you attend
10:30am Mass. No Baptisms during Lent (except in emergency).
Sponsors and Godparents
Parents have the primary responsibility for raising their child as a Catholic. To
help them carry out this responsibility, they pick 1-2 people to be Godparents/sponsors.
The Catholic Church requires that at least 1 sponsor is a practicing Roman Catholic who:
- is at least 16 yrs old, fully initiated Catholic (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation).
- actively practices the Catholic faith (lives the faith daily/attends Mass weekly).
- gets a letter from their parish stating they are active practicing Catholics.
- (we also suggest) writes a letter to the Pastoral Associate (or baby) stating why
they want to be Godparents and their hopes for the child as s/he grows in faith.
If desired for pastoral reasons, one sponsor can also be a Christian witness who is:
- at least 16 years old, baptized Christian (Anglican, Orthodox, etc.).
- regularly practicing their Christian faith (lives their faith in everyday life).
The two-fold role of Godparent is to help parents raise their child as a Catholic and to represent the Catholic Church community into
which s/he is to be baptized and grow.
Contact our Baptism Coordinator/Pastoral Associate
Nancy DeRycke at (585) 247-2566, extension 107, or by email at
NDeRycke@dor.org