Baptism

Baptisms at our parishes

We extend a very warm word of welcome and congratulations to you during this wonderful time in the life of your family. The gift of God’s love is seen so beautifully reflected in the birth of your child. Through the sacrament of baptism, your child will share in the new life of Jesus. This union of love incorporates the person into the very death and resurrection of Jesus and so initiates the person into the Church, God’s Family. Your child is welcomed into the family of the Church and entrusted with the promise of eternal life. We share your joy and wish to offer our support and assistance in the great joy and challenge the sacrament of baptism brings.

How does one schedule the Sacrament of Baptism in our parish?  Here is the process we use:

• The family seeking Baptism for their infant child must be a registered member of the parish. To register at OLOP, simply call Wendy at the parish office and she will send out the necessary forms. Many times first time parents are still registered under their parents.  Baptism provides an excellent time for a young family to officially join our parish community.  What if the parents seeking Baptism do not live in the boundaries of Our Lady of Peace Parish?  We still allow the Baptism to take place here, but the parents seeking Baptism should be registered in a parish where they reside and will need a letter of permission from the pastor of that parish for the Baptism to take place at OLOP.
• One of the parents seeking Baptism should call Wendy at the parish office and ask for a Baptism registration form. Usually, Wendy will send this form electronically.
• The biggest challenge for many families is finding suitable sponsors or godparents for their child. Being a sponsor/godparent is more than a social or family role.  Godparents are role models for this young child and have the responsibility of assisting the parents in teaching and sharing our Catholic Faith.  To do this sponsors/godparents MUST be practicing Catholics (regularly going to Mass), fully initiated in the Church (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), and if married, have celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage. Godparents will need a “Sponsor Certificate” from the parish where they are registered and practicing.  Parents may have both a male and a female godparent, or only one godparent (male OR female).  We are not allowed to have two males or two females.  You may also have one non-Catholic act as a “Christian witness,” as long as there is one, practicing Catholic acting as the sponsor.  We are not allowed to have any other non-Christian act as a sponsor.
• Currently, first time parents are asked to participate in one Baptism Preparation session facilitated by Deacon Bob. At the present time, these sessions are conduct via Zoom.
• Once all of the paperwork is completed and returned to the parish office, and the Baptism prep session is completed or at least scheduled, a date for Baptism is mutually agreed upon.

Qualifications required to be a Sponsor (Godparent)

The selections of sponsors should be done with careful thought. The qualifications of sponsors are:

1. They must be at least 16 year of age.

2. They must have received all the sacraments of initiation in the Catholic Church. {A Catholic who has not been confirmed is not eligible to be a Sponsor/Godparent}

3. They must attend weekend Mass on a regular basis and receive the sacraments of the Church.

4. If married, a person must have either celebrated their marriage or have it sanctioned by the Catholic Church.

Sponsor designation and approval

Those whom you select as Sponsors are required to be approved by the Church in order to be officially designated as a Sponsor/Godparent

The parish of the one seeking to be a Sponsor

Please remember that the person seeking to be a sponsor is to approach their parish for a sponsor certificate. This means the parish they are presently attending (i.e.; where they go to Mass each week) and not where they received a Sacrament some years back. Many people find this confusing but please remember receiving a Sacrament in any church does NOT constitute membership. Anyone can receive a sacrament in any parish, but it is the person’s present participation that is at issue.

Please remember that it is the responsibility of the parents to communicate to those they select as sponsors the following:

1. The qualifications required by the Church to be a Sponsor/Godparent.

2. The process of obtaining a sponsor certificate in order to be approved by the Church as Sponsor/Godparent.

What is a Christian Witness?

The Church requires that there be one approved sponsor for the celebration of either baptism or confirmation. However, it has become a traditional practice to have two sponsors (a male and a female) at baptism, commonly referred to as Godparents.

If there is a couple that you would like to have as the godparents of your child, even though one person is a non-Catholic, it may be possible. Provided that there is one approved Catholic Sponsor, the other Godparent may be considered as a Christian Witness. It is only required that they be baptized Christians and will be designated as a “witness” to the Sacrament. There will be no distinction made during the celebration of the Sacrament and so both will be seen as Godparents. Please Note: A non-Baptized person is not eligible to be a Christian Witness.