“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission”
[Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213]
SHORT VIDEO: Why Baptizing Your Baby Is the Most Important Thing You Can Do – Fr. Mike Schmitz
Congratulations!
We welcome you to baptize your child here at St. Francis Xavier church. Parents have a serious obligation to baptize their children as early as possible. Baptism is an important part of their duty to raise the children in the faith handed down by Jesus in the Catholic Church. Our parish is happy to support families and parents in this important task.
Baptism is the most important spiritual event in a person’s life. By Baptism, a child is freed from sin, filled with the Holy Spirit and becomes a member of the wider Body of Christ, the Church. By this sacrament the child becomes consecrated and holy, belonging to God and now has the right to enjoy the spiritual promises given by Christ to believers, namely, eternal life.
We recommend that parents and godparents prepare for the baptism as early as possible – even before the child is born. This enables the preparation to be more relaxed and meaningful.
Note 1: Families are advised not to make any arrangements (asking for time off, booking a reception, sending invitations, etc.) for the baptism until the date is booked and confirmed with the clergy, to avoid any disappointments.
Note 2: If your child is very sick/about to undergo a serious medical procedure/other emergency situation, contact the parish priest as soon as possible. In cases of extreme emergency or near death, anyone including parents may baptize the child without a priest.
PARENTS
Ordinarily, the parents of the child to be baptized (or at least one) are practicing members of St. Francis Xavier Parish, meaning they attend Mass weekly here and support the parish. If you are not attending and live in the area, you are asked to register and become active in our parish family prior to the baptism. Becoming a registered parishioner means you are making your spiritual home here at St. Francis Xavier. To register in the parish, you can complete the form online HERE or pick one up from the church office during regular office hours. If you live elsewhere and wish to have your child baptized here, we need a letter of permission from your home parish.
If the parents of the child to be baptized are currently not married or were married outside of the Catholic Church, we would be happy to discuss the process with you of receiving the Sacrament of Marriage here.
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GODPARENTS/SPONSORS
You will need to select at least one qualified godparent or sponsor. There are normally two godparents, one man and one woman. The godparent promises to support and assist the parents in raising the child in the Catholic faith, and be a mentor and example to the child in the Catholic faith.
Godparents must be baptized Catholics, at least 16 years of age, who have received the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation, and, if currently married, married in the Catholic Church or had their marriage blessed by the Catholic Church. If they are not married and are in a relationship, they should not be cohabitating with their partner. They must have an active affiliation with a parish and must obtain a “sponsor’s certificate” from the church they currently are registered with. If they are not registered at a parish, they must obtain the “sponsor’s certificate” from the church at which they regularly attend Sunday Mass.
It is possible to have one “Catholic Sponsor” and one “Christian Witness.” A baptized Non-Catholic Christian who actively practices his/her faith, may stand with the Catholic Godparent as a Christian witness [Canons 873-874]. Baptized Catholics cannot be designated a Christian Witness. Catholics must meet the above Requirements to be a Godparent or should not be asked to perform this important role in the life of a child.
A close friend or family member who is not baptized does not qualify to be a godparent. This applies also for a Catholic who is not confirmed or one who is currently in a marriage not recognized by the Catholic Church.
If you would like a baptized Catholic who is not confirmed to be a godparent, they must first receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. They can enroll in the diocesan Confirmation preparation program by following this LINK.
If a godparent cannot attend the baptism ceremony, a proxy can stand in the place of the missing godparent. The name of that person will be entered as a proxy in the Sacramental Record Book, along with the name of the missing godparent.
Read more about the Catholic understanding of Godparents here.
Parents should know and understand the proper role of a Godparent or Christian Witness before asking someone to fulfill this important role. This will eliminate the embarrassment and confusion of rescinding a request to family members or friends. If you are unsure about whether one is appropriate for this role, please speak to Fr. Ryan or Deacon David for clarification before you ask someone to be a Godparent. Fr. Ryan and Deacon David are always available to help you to make decisions about Godparents and Christian witnesses. Godparents and Christian witnesses serve a special role in the life of the baptized person and should be trustworthy believers of the faith as they help the Godchild attain salvation.
STEPS TO SCHEDULING A BAPTISM
To schedule the baptism of your child:
- If you are not registered or not active here, please register as parishioners in the parish and begin to attend weekly Mass as a family prior to initiating the process for baptism. Introduce yourselves to Father Ryan and Deacon David so they may get to know your family personally.
- Schedule a meeting with Father Ryan by emailing him at frrhealy@diocese-fr.org in order to discuss the process. Father can usually meet right after weekend Masses, or on weekday evenings.
- After meeting with Father, please have the godparents/sponsors you have selected secure their Sponsor Certificates. (They may either request a form from their own parish or they may fill out and have their pastor sign our parish’s form.) Once you have these, drop them off to Fr. Ryan either after Mass or at the parish office.
- If the godparents are parishioners at St. Francis Xavier, they will still need a sponsor certificate. Fr. Ryan signs them after the weekend Masses. The godparents should print out the form and complete it, and approach Father after Mass to ask him to sign it.
- To better understand the Sacrament of Baptism and your role as a Catholic parent, you are asked to watch at home the 3-part video series Reborn found online at formed.org and complete this brief response questionnaire HERE.
- To access the videos, follow the link below to sign up for an account at formed.org (app also available on smart-TVs) (There is a 7 day free trial.):
- Watch Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of Reborn: You, Your Child, and the Heart of Baptism (about 90 minutes in total)
- Optional video: Reborn: The Mission to Love: 7 Keys to Catholic Parenting (about 1 hour)
- Encouraged videos for godparents: 1) Episode 2 of Reborn and 2) Reborn: The Gift of Godparents: More than Cards and Presents (about 40 minutes)
- To access the videos, follow the link below to sign up for an account at formed.org (app also available on smart-TVs) (There is a 7 day free trial.):
- After completing the videos and response questionnaire, reach out to Deacon David Pepin (dbp@sfxparish.com) to schedule a one-hour meeting to discuss the ceremony. At the end of that meeting, if you would like Deacon David to celebrate the Baptism, you may schedule the date and time with him then. If you would like Fr. Ryan, please email him to schedule the time and date.
- Baptism. We ask that if a baptism occurs after a Sunday Mass, that not only the parents and godparents, but the entire family that will be in attendance at the baptism also be present at the Holy Mass preceding the baptism. In this way the family is well prepared spiritually for the baptism and the parish community can give a proper welcome to the child and his or her family.
DONATIONS
There is no fee for a baptism. If you would like to make a donation to the parish, place it in an envelope with the child’s name on it and give it to the priest or deacon on the day of the baptism.
