Baptism

Only parents or legal guardians of children may request baptism for their child. Grandparents, other relatives, and family friends should encourage the parent/guardian of the child to contact the Proto-Cathedral for baptism. 

Ideally, baptism occurs as soon as reasonably possible after the birth of a child. You can even contact us before the child is born to get the process started! 

During the baptism, a parent or legal guardian makes a sacred promise to do their best to raise the child in the faith of the Church. For this reason, at least one parent/guardian of the child should be a practicing Catholic. The pastor reserves the right to delay baptism if there isn’t yet some founded hope that the child will be raised in the faith.

In order to help parents and godparents better understand their sacred task, parents and godparents must take a baptism class before their child is baptized. This requirement may be waved in certain circumstances, at the pastor’s discretion.

Families who are not registered parishioners of the Proto-Cathedral may be required to seek permission from their home pastor before we can baptize your child.

A Godparent serves as a model of Christian living for the individual he or she is serving. The Godparent has a special relationship with the person receiving the sacrament, and promises to help the parents/guardians of the child in their duties as Christian parents. 

Each child must have at least one Godparent who meets the following qualifications:

1.     Intends to fulfill the role of Godparent
2.     Not the mother or father of the child
3.     At least 16 years of age
4.     Fully initiated into the Catholic Church (received Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation)
5.     Lives a life in keeping with the faith. The person should not be bound by canonical penalty. If they are married, their marriage is valid and lawful in the eyes of the Catholic Church. They should be a member of a parish, regularly attend Mass, etc. 

If you have questions about who can qualify as a Godparent, please feel free to contact the Parish Office. 

If a child has more than one Godparent, there must be at least one man and one woman. 

Baptized, Non-Catholic Christians may serve as a Christian Witness to the baptism, as long as there’s already at least one Catholic Godparent. 

Godparents should complete the Godparent/Sponsor Commitment Form (from the Parish Office) and attend a baptism class.

1.  A completed Infant Baptism Registration Form
2. Your child’s birth certificate
3. Completed Godparent Commitment Form(s). 

    You may also need…

• Proof of completing a baptism class, if it occurred at another parish
• A letter of permission from your home parish’s pastor.  

The Sacrament of Baptism is not just a symbol of an inward disposition; it is an outward act that signifies what is actually taking place spiritually. The water used to physically cleanse the baptized is a sign necessary for the cleansing of the soul to take place. Many Christian churches believe that baptism is more or less a social act that displays the inner disposition of the baptized, which is why most non-Catholic Christians are not baptized as infants. But the Catholic Church holds that as a Sacrament, Baptism is necessary for the spiritual changes to take place.

There are also clear indications of Infant Baptism in the Bible: In the New Testament we read that Lydia was converted by Paul’s preaching and that “She was baptized, with her household” (Acts 16:15). The Philippian jailer whom Paul and Silas had converted to the faith was baptized that night along with his household. We are told that “the same hour of the night . . . he was baptized, with all his family” (Acts 16:33). And in his greetings to the Corinthians, Paul recalled that, “I did baptize also the household of Stephanas” (1 Cor. 1:16). In all these cases, whole households or families were baptized. This means more than just the spouse; the children too were included. Certainly there were children younger than the age of reason in some of the households that were baptized. Furthermore, given the New Testament pattern of household baptism, if there were to be exceptions to this rule (such as infants), they would be explicit.

These things together with main effects of baptism mentioned above is why, in the eyes of the Catholic Church, Infant Baptism is crucial. Infants are born with original sin which separates them from the Body of Christ. Baptism will unite them as adopted children of God as well as give them the graces necessary to grow in their faith as they grow older.

Baptism leaves an indelible mark on one’s soul, forever marking them members of Christ’s Body. The Catholic Church recognizes Baptisms from all Christian churches as valid so long as they use water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If a follower of a Christian church was baptized to these standards wants to become Catholic, he or she does not need to be re-baptized.

All children who are younger than 7 years old qualify for infant baptism. If you would like to have an older child baptized or are an adult who wanting to be baptized, please contact the Faith Formation Office to enroll in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) or Children (RCIC).