Baptism for your Child

Baptism of Children at St. Francis of Assisi

The baptism of a child is a very important celebration in the life of a church community. The parents rejoicing at the birth of their child want to share the child with the faith community of to which they belong. The parents bring the child to the church requesting baptism and asking that their child be received as a member of that specific faith community. The faith community in turn promises that it will share its faith with the child and help it grow in God's grace and holiness of life. The parents and sponsors accept the responsibility of bringing the child up in the practice of the faith assisted by the faith community.
 

Basic Requirements:

Parents must attend Baptism Class

Canon 843 § 2: Pastors of souls and the rest of the Christian faithful, according to their ecclesial function, have the duty to see that those who seek the sacraments are prepared to receive them by the necessary evangellzation and catechetical formation, taking into account the norms published by the competent authority.Specific requirements for infant baptism

Canon 868: For an infant to be baptized lawfully it is required:

1. That the parents, or at least one of them, or the person who lawfully holds their place, give their consent.
2. That there is a realistic hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion. If such a hope is truly lacking, the baptism is, in accordance with the provisions of particular law, to be deferred and the parents advised of the reason for this.

The Role of Sponsor

1. Be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by the parents or whomever stands in their place, or failing these, by the pastor or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;
2. Be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan bishop, or unless the pastor or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made;
3. Be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the Blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken;
4. Not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
5. Not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized.

To ensure that all things will be prepared for the celebration of the sacrament of baptism
in the church, parents are asked to have all the baptismal informational paperwork at
St. Francis of Assisi at least one week before the date of the scheduled baptism.