ST. JOSEPH PRO-CATHEDRAL
holy baptism
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.
Through Baptism, we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church, and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."
PARENT REQUIREMENTS
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The child must be between 1 day old and 6 years old. After the age of 7, the child must attend catechetical classes, according to the availability of classroom space and then baptism will be celebrated.
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Must bring the child's birth certificate
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Must bring a copy of each sponsor's ID (can be: license, passport or employment card).
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Must be registered in the parish and be active members.
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Must attend a pre-baptismal conversation
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If you have full legal custody of the child, you must present the documentation provided by the court where you are authorized as legal guardian of the child
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If custody is shared we must have the consent of both parents.
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At least one of the two parents must be a Catholic, the non-Catholic must be agree that his or her child receives the sacrament of baptism in the Catholic Church
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The parents' name will appear on the Baptism Certificate as it is on the child's Birth Certificate, we cannot remove or add.
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Costs:
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There is no cost for receiving the Sacrament; however, parents or godparents are advised to give an offering (donation) to the priest.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SPONSOR
1. At least one of the Godparents must be Catholic, have received the three Sacraments: Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation.
1.1 If any of the sponsors are missing one of the Sacraments he/she will not be able to be a sponsor unless he/she receives the proper formation by taking classes and is prepared to receive the missing sacraments (this takes about 1½ years).
1.2 Must be at least 18 years of age and must be an active member of the Catholic Church.
2. If the godparents attend a church that is no St. Joseph/St. Anthony of Padua, they must bring a letter of reference from the church they attend prior to the Baptism.
3. Godparents must take the Baptismal preparation class required by the parish
4. In the case of having two godparents, they must be a man and a woman. If they are married, they must be validly married in the Church (in a marriage presided by a Catholic).
5. Not the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
Infant baptism includes all children from infancy through the completion of their seventh year, which is acknowledged as the time when a child reaches the age of reason.
For an infant to be baptized lawfully it is required:
1° that the parents, or at least one of them, or the person who lawfully holds their place, give their consent;
2° that there be a well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the catholic religion. If such hope is truly lacking, the baptism is, in accordance with the provisions of particular law, to be deferred and the parents advised of the reason for this.
Unbaptized Children of Catechetical Age
This is the primary category of children involved in the catechumenate. Their special needs are addressed in RCIA Part II, Chapter 1 of the Rite.
Without exception, they should participate fully in the children’s catechumenate, and celebrate all three of the sacraments of initiation together.
Unbaptized Adults
Unbaptized adults are normally led through the full-length catechumenate described in Part I of the Rite.
The combined length of the catechumenate period and the period of purification and enlightenment is to be twelve months or more (NCCB Statutes No.6).
Origen y Fundamento
The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters.
Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.
