Baptism

Requesting Baptism for an Infant/ Child

As primary catechists, parents/guardians must accept the responsibility of raising the infant/ child in the practice of the Catholic Faith and nurture that faith at home and within a Catholic parish. Godparents and the local parish community will assist the parents/guardians with the teachings of the Church.

Requirements for Parents

  • be a registered and participating member of our parish for at least 4 months;
    • If you are not registered at St. Andrew but attend Mass at another Catholic parish, you must provide a letter from the pastor of your parish giving permission to have your child baptized at St. Andrew.
  • Attend Mass regularly on Sundays and Holy Days- regularly is defined as ‘at least 3 times a month.’
  • Complete an Infant/Child Baptism Request Form
  • Provide child’s birth certificate
  • Provide Godparent(s) completed sponsor forms
  • Attend an interview meeting
  • Attend baptismal preparation class

If you meet the above requirements, please call the church office and request the Baptism Forms to complete. Forms can be sent through e-mail and can be completed on the computer. After all the forms are completed, you must bring or mail the forms to the church office along with your child’s birth certificate. You will receive a call to schedule a meeting to go over the baptism process and answer any questions you may have. The meeting can be in person, over the phone, or Zoom.

More Information:

  • If you are a single or divorced parent, we must have a notarized affidavit from the other parent stating he or she agrees to have your child baptized in the Catholic Church. An affidavit form will be provided in the packet.

  • If you have full custody of the child, you will be required to provide legal documentation stating that you have full custody.

  • Your chosen godparents are required to provide a sponsor eligibility letter from their parish of registration– a form is provided in the packet. The form states that they are registered members who participate in the Sunday Mass and receive the Eucharist on a regular basis. It must be completed and signed by the godparent and the pastor, and must have the parish seal affixed to it.

  • If the godparents do not attend the pre-baptismal class at St. Andrew, they will need to do so at their parish. Upon completion of the class, we require a letter from their parish stating they have completed the class. The letter must be on church letterhead, be signed by the pastor, and bear the church seal.

  • If you are a member of St. Andrew and your child is 5 years or older, you must register them for faith formation.

  • There is a $25 donation per child due before the baptism of your child; generally, this donation is covered by one of the godparents.

Godparents

A Christian knows that following Jesus is not easy. We need each other’s support to guide us and remind us through good times and bad, we must live out the gospel. Even Jesus realized this when he sent his followers out in pairs to support each other.

Parents need support and encouragement, too. In baptism, we have godparents- men and women who represent the community and are willing to be active sponsors.

Godparents are required, just as parents are, to teach the child by example. They may help the parents in a variety of ways:

  • By providing the parents with moral support.
  • By maintaining a close relationship with their godchild, and showing interest in his or her spiritual development.
  • By commemorating the anniversary of the birth or baptism of their godchild, perhaps with the giving of a small gift to the child on the appropriate date(s).

Parents need to consider prayerfully and carefully who will be their child’s godparents. Godparents should be in good standing with the Church. If the godparent attends another parish, a letter is needed from each godparent/s parish priest recommending the person as a potential godparent.

As stated in Canon Law, Godparents must:

Can. 872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.

Can. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.

Can. 874 §1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:
⦁ be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function;
⦁ have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;
⦁ be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
⦁ not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
⦁ not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
§2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism.

A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a “Christian witness” (not a godparent).  You must have at least one Roman Catholic godparent who fulfills the above criteria.  A non-baptized person cannot be a godparent or a witness.

In addition to Canon law requirements, the Godparent must complete a Sponsor Form for Baptism and obtain the pastor’s signature, and attend a baptism preparation class at St. Andrew or their home parish.  If taking the class at their parish, they must obtain a certificate of completion and provide it to St. Andrew.

Finally, Godparents are normally responsible to provide a $25.00 donation to the church to cover the cost of the candle, certificate, and paper processing.  A Baptism envelope is provided to the godparents during the preparation class.  If the godparent does not attend the class at St. Andrew, it will be provided to the parents to give to the Godparents.