BAPTIZING YOUR CHILD
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“Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations,
Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28:19-20
We welcome and congratulate families who wish to pass on their faith through the Sacrament of Baptism! Baptism is the basis of our entire Christian life. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God.
Following this instruction from Jesus in Matthew's Gospel, we welcome new members of our faith through baptism, from which our knowledge of our faith grows.If you are an adult who wishes to receive baptism and become Catholic, please click here.
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STEP ONE:
Complete Baptism ApplicationWe're excited to welcome your child into our parish family - and the family of God! The first step is to fill out the Baptism Application to let us know a little bit about your child and family.
Fill out the Baptism Application here.
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STEP TWO:
CertificatesWe'll need a copy of your child's birth certificate, as well as godparent sponsor forms for each of your child's godparents (they can obtain these from the parish where they are registered).
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STEP THREE: Pick a DateNow that we have our paperwork complete, Deacon Dennis will send you the dates we have available for baptisms. We have baptisms on most Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 pm. Select a date that works best for you and your family.
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STEP FOUR: Complete the Baptism CourseTo better to prepare you, as parents, for the baptism of your child, you will be completing a short on-demand video course with Fr. Mike Schmitz (if you haven't encountered him, he's a popular YouTuber and dynamic priest).
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STEP FIVE: Attend the BaptismOnce all of the preparatory work is complete, we'll welcome your family at the baptism! See below for more information about what takes place the day of the baptism.
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What to expect the day of baptism
Yay! The day of your child's baptism has arrived! We are thrilled to welcome your child into God's family.
On the day of baptism, you'll want to arrive about 15 minutes early to get settled. The priest or deacon will show you where to sit and answer any last minute questions you have.
The ceremony will last about 30 minutes, and you are welcome to stay afterwards and take pictures.*
*Photography and videography are allowed, but in respect for Jesus' presence, please refrain from coming up onto the altar.
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what's the big deal about godparents?
Godparents are so important for your child's life of faith! It's often misunderstood that godparents are the guardians for your children, but their role is actually to help you in raising them in the faith.
Think about, who is someone who will be a good role model of faith for my child? If my child goes to this person to ask about God or Catholicism, can I trust what they will answer?
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You may feel pressured to honor somone in your family with this role, but this is one of many decisions in parenthood where we have to do what's best for our children, even if that means people will be upset.
Because this role is so important, the Church provides guidelines to help you. This video is a also great resource for helping you discern this important decision!
We highly encourage you to pray before choosing your children's godparents. Feel free to contact Deacon Dennis prior to the selection to ensure your godparents will meet the requirements.
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godparent guidelines
The Church encourages parents to select two godparents for their children, one male and one female, who are good examples of a lived Catholic faith. However, only one godparent is required for baptism.
In some cases, you may have a family member or friend who is an excellent witness to the Christian faith, but belongs to another denomination of Christianity. In that case, provided you have one godparent who is Catholic, a Christian witness may be selected to fill the additional place. However, the primary responsibility for sharing the Catholic faith falls to the Catholic godparent.
A Catholic who is not in good standing with the Church (i.e. has been married outside of the Church, no longer attends Mass, etc.) is not permitted to be a Christian witness or a godparent. That's because during the baptism, the godparent agrees that they are striving to live in accordance with Church teaching and will share that faith with their godchild. If they are not living the Catholic faith themselves, they will not be able to fill that role, and we would never want to put someone in the position of lying.
It's important to note that these rules are universal, meaning they apply in any Catholic church, not just at St. Columba.
This can seem like a a lot of rules, right? But the Catholic Church cares so deeply about the soul of your child that these guidelines have been put in place to help parents discern the best people for the role.
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Baptism FAQs
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The best time is as soon as possible after they are born.
The next best time is now!
After mother and baby have adjusted to life postpartum, we encourage you to baptize your child right away. After all, why wait to have your child welcomed into the family of God and receive all of the graces of the sacrament - not just for your child, but also for you! (Because yes, you receive special graces from your children receiving this sacrament too!)
But, we also get that life happens. If your child is no longer an infant, just reach out! We can help you no matter the age of your child.
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Baptisms are typically scheduled for Saturdays or Sundays at 1:30 pm. Other days of the week and times are sometimes available, pending clergy and church availability. Deacon Dennis will assist you in selecting a baptism day for your child.
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Godparents must be:
- At least 16 years old
- Have completed the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation
- Be living a life in communion with the Catholic Church, and if married, married in the Catholic Church
- Not the father or mother of the child
Additionally, if there are two godparents, one must be male and the other must be female.
Don't know anyone who would fit these requirements? Just let us know! We'd be happy to connect you with some parishioners who would be honored to be the godparents for your child.
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A proxy may be selected to stand in for the place of the godparent, provided he/she would also meet the requirements for being a godparent.
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Typically, a priest or deacon from St. Columba will perform the baptism. If you have a priest or deacon with whom your family is close who you would like to do the baptism, just let Deacon Dennis know when you set up the baptism. We are always happy to welcome our fellow clergy to our parish.
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Of course! We will never deny a child baptism (provided you are the legal guardian of the child; special arrangements need to be made in the case of adoption to ensure the child was not already baptized). If you would like to pursue having your marriage blessed by the Church (called convalidation), mention that to Deacon Dennis when you speak with him, and he can share a bit more about that process.
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In order to be eligible to be godparents, a person must be in good standing with the Church, meaning they go to Mass at least every week and if they are married, they are married in the Catholic Church (though your godparents do not have to be married to each other). If you have already asked someone to be a godparent and you discover they are unable to meet these requirements, we would suggest having a conversation with the person about why and explaining that they will still be a significant part of your child's life.
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We would be happy to assist you in finding godparents for your child! We have many parishioners who would be overjoyed to be your child's godparent (new bonus extended family member!). Don't be embarrassed - just ask!
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baptism is just the beginning
We are particularly passionate about walking with young families here at St. Columba. We don't want to just baptize your child and then not see you again until the next sacrament. Baptism isn't just the start of your child's journey within God's family - it's also the start of their journey with the St. Columba family.
That's our way of saying, please bring your children to Mass! We don't mind their wiggles or noises; in fact, we delight in them.
Mass Times
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"At St. Columba, people actually come up to us and thank us for bringing our two young kids to Mass. I have never once felt judged for the noise they make; in fact, we have people who get disappointed when we don't sit in front of them. This is truly a parish that practices what they preach when it comes to letting the little children come to Jesus." - Emily Ricci, mom of two
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