The normal time is at a Parish Mass (Saturday at 6.00 pm or Sunday 8.00 am, 9.30am or 5.00 pm). It is best to have the baptism within the Mass, so that the community may witness, and support the parents and the new Christian by their prayers, words of encouragement, and living example. If you want to have your child baptismed at another time, you will be invited to bring the child and be introduced to the Community either the weekend before or the weekend after the baptism.

It has always been the practice of the Church to baptize infants. From the earliest days, when an adult was baptized so was everyone else in that person’s household (see Acts 10). Along with the growth of Catholicism in the Fourth and Fifth centuries came a decrease in the number of adult baptisms and infancy became the primary time for baptism. After the Second Vatican Council the adult Catechumenate (or RCIA) was restored, but in keeping with the long-standing tradition of the Church, infant baptism is still normative.

That is true, and the Church recognizes that, so infants are baptized on the faith of the parents. This means there must “be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such a hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be put off” (Canon 868 1.1). In other words, if there is little or no faith on the part of the parents, little or no faith will be passed on to the child. In putting off the baptism, the Church is not refusing to baptize the infant; rather, the Church is ensuring that this child will be raised in the practice of the faith into which he or she has been baptized. Yes, postponing baptism may cause some anxiety or tension in the extended family, but it is also a time of reflection for the parents of the child on their own relationship with God, Jesus, and the Church. The Church earnestly desires all who are baptized to participate in the weekly liturgical and pastoral life of the community. This postponement should be viewed as a challenge to live out the baptism the parents themselves received earlier in life.

The Church considers anyone who has not yet completed their seventh year to be an infant. Therefore, the parents of children under the age of seven may request baptism and attend the parish’s infant baptism preparation session. For those children who are over seven years of age the Church requires that they make a profession of faith. Therefore it is necessary that they themselves be prepared for the Sacraments of Initiation. Please contact the parish office for more information.

The role of the sponsor or Godparent is, “together with the parents, to present an infant at baptism, and help the baptized to lead a Christian life in harmony with baptism, and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it.” (Canon 872) In the beginning of the Rite of Baptism of Children, the Godparents are asked if they are willing to help the parents of the one baptized in their duties as Christian parents. Thus, the function of the Godparents is not merely ceremonial or social but to assist the parents in raising their child in the practice of the faith.

The Church has established the following norms governing the qualifications needed to be a sponsor or Godparent. The sponsor must:

• be at least sixteen (16) years old;

• “be a Catholic who has been Confirmed and has already received the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with the faith and role to be undertaken;”

• “not be bound by any canonical penalty…;”

• “not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.” (Canon 874,1)

In addition to being a fully initiated Catholic (i.e., having received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) the sponsor must also be person of faith–one who regularly attends Sunday Mass, has been married according to the norms of the Catholic Church (if married), and strives to deepen his or her relationship with God through Jesus. A good question to ask is: “Does this person take care of their own faith… if not is he/she likely to help take care of my child’s?”

Because the child is being baptized into the Roman Catholic Church, “a baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may not be admitted except as a witness to baptism and together with a Catholic sponsor.” (Canon 874, 2). In other words, as long as there is one Catholic Godparent who meets all the requirements of the Church listed above, another baptized person, Catholic or non-Catholic, may be a witness to the baptism.

Only one Godfather and/or one Godmother can be baptismal sponsors (Canon 873) but additional Catholic persons may act as witnesses at the baptism.

The online baptism preparation has a small cost. The Church never charges for the celebration of a Sacrament. Rather, Christians give out of gratitude for what they have received from God. A donation to the parish may be made after the celebration of the baptism.