Baptism
Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift. . . . We call it gift, grace, anointing, illumination, garment of immortality, bath of regeneration, seal, and most precious gift.
It is called a gift because it is granted to those who contribute nothing of their own; grace, because it is given even to the guilty; Baptism, because sin is buried in the water; anointing, because it is priestly and royal, as are those who are anointed; illumination, because it radiates light; clothing, because it covers our shame; bathing, because it washes; and a seal, because it is our protection and the sign of God's Lordship.
Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 40, 3–4: PG 36, 361C.
Basic information:
The ceremony is in a group and in Spanish, therefore space is limited. Children receiving the sacrament must be under 7 years old. If they are already 7 years old, they must register for two years of Religious Education before receiving the sacraments.
To lawfully baptize a child, it is required that the parents give their consent, or at least one of them.
A donation of $60 per child is requested. Your donation will help support the church and all that is needed for Divine Worship, Charity, and the Parish's Apostolic works.
Documents required from the parents:
- Present identification of the parents.
- Please present the original birth certificate of the child to be baptized.
- Letter from an Active Parishioner of your Parish.
Godparents:
(Code of Canon Law, Can 872-874)
Whenever possible, a godparent should be assigned to the person being baptized. The godparent's role is, if the person being baptized is an adult, to assist them in their Christian initiation, and if the person is an infant, to present them for baptism along with their parents. The godparent also helps the baptized person to live a Christian life consistent with their baptism and faithfully fulfill the obligations inherent in it.
For a person to be accepted as a godfather or godmother, it is necessary to:
- To be chosen by the person to be baptized or by his parents and to possess the necessary aptitude to faithfully fulfill the commitment he freely makes.
- To have turned 16 years old.
- To be Catholic, to have received the sacrament of Confirmation and First Communion, and also to lead a life consistent with the faith and with the mission that he/she will receive, because during the ceremony he/she will swear to God to be the guarantor and example of faith for the one who receives baptism.
- Attend Sunday Mass.
- Those who live in a marital relationship but are not married in the Catholic Church cannot be godparents under any circumstances.
- Not to be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
Required documents from godparents:
- Single Godparents: Over 16 years old
- Recent Baptismal Certificate with Notations
(Confirmation Certificate).
- Godparents Married by the Catholic Church:
- Recent Baptismal Certificate with Notations
(Confirmation Certificate and Marriage Certificate).
