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Baptism

- Religious Education

Baptism Preparation for Newborns and Young Children under 7 Years Old

Congratulations on the birth (or the coming birth) of your child! As parents, you are filled with excitement - and exhaustion! This is a time of new beginnings for everyone. The Church rejoices with you in this most wonderful time, and we at St. Vincent Ferrer couldn't be more joyful that you have chosen our parish family to baptize your child! St. Vincent Ferrer Parish's clergy, lay ministers, and parishioners are here for you and will help guide you through the preparation, baptism, and faith formation of your child. The following information explains the basics of Baptism and how to prepare for it.

After reading this carefully, please do not hesitate to contact the parish office to register for baptism preparation class and schedule your child's baptism. If you have any questions or other needs, we are here to help! If your child is 7 years old or older, please refer to our information for Child Faith Formation in our Religious Education Program here; because your child has reached the age of reason, they will follow a different but not less special path.
May God bless you and yours, and congratulations once again on the beautiful blessing God has bestowed on you!
1. Your Catholic Faith

A child is born in a dependent state – physically, emotionally, etc. He/she looks to you for every need. And you provide for your child. But there is one thing that you cannot give your child – eternal life. Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Your child’s soul cries out for God’s grace – to be healed of the woundedness of sin and to be made holy. This is the holy Sacrament of Baptism! Your child is – and will become – the newest member of the spiritual family that Christ himself established - the Catholic Church. As a Catholic your child will experience the 2000-year-deep faith rooted in the very life of Christ himself. Christ himself instituted the Church’s sacraments: “Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
2. Infant Baptism
The practice of infant Baptism has always existed in the Catholic Church.
- St. Peter said: “Repent, and be baptized…For the promise is to you and to your children…” 4
- Christ said: “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
Origen, an early leader in the Church, observed this historically in 244 when he wrote that “Baptism is given even to infants.”
3. Baptismal Commitment
Though the sacrament of Baptism is soul-changing and powerful, it is not magic. It is like a seed. Baptism is an event, but it is also a beginning. The divine seed of Baptism will yield little without the benefit of soil, water, and sunlight.
- Soil: Attending Mass as a family every Sunday and praying together as a family.
- Water: Teaching the Catholic faith with your words.
- Sunlight: Teaching the Catholic faith with your actions.
Mom and Dad, Godfather and Godmother - commit yourselves today to providing soil, water, and sunlight! Children learn what they see. They depend on you to know how to live as faithful Catholics.
And so, Baptism asks you the question:
How well are YOU living YOUR Catholic faith?
4. Your Faith

It is very possible that you and/or your spouse have drifted from the practice of your Catholic faith. That’s okay – welcome back! We are so grateful when people return to the Church! It is often little children who can help us as adults to see things in a new way! As parents, the birth of your child causes you to consider again the importance of God and the Church. Know this – St. Vincent Ferrer is your spiritual family! You and your child(ren) can count yourself at home here.

If you’re one of the many adults who are returning to the practice of your Catholic faith, you will love reading Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. (Check it out - it’s for Catholics!) You can also reach out to one of our many prayer ministries led by our lay ministers. They are specially trained to guide those in need on your spiritual journey!
5. The Sacrament of Matrimony

If you and your spouse did not get married in the Catholic Church, then this is a great time for you! Being married in the Church is not a prerequisite for having your child baptized, however, it is necessary! It's important to meet with one of our priests or deacons to learn more about how the Sacrament of Matrimony will nourish your marriage and provide the fertile soil necessary to build and grow your child's spiritual life. Everyone's situation is unique, and our clergy wants to listen and appreciate your life journey. You can schedule an appointment with a priest or deacon by calling the parish office, or if you would like more information first, ask to speak with one of our trained Marriage lay ministers.
6. Selecting Godparents
Choosing a godparent is exciting and difficult! “Which uncle or aunt or cousin or brother or sister or friend should I choose?” It's so important to remember that becoming or being a godparent in the Catholic Church is NOTan honorary title! It is a role of responsibility and commitment. Think ahead because your child needs a godparent:

Being a godparent is not an honorary title – it is a role of responsibility and commitment. Think ahead!!! Your child needs a godparent who:
- Can attend your child's First Holy Communion and receive that Sacrament
- Can answer your teenager's questions about the Catholic faith
- Has received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation
- Is at least 16 years old
- If married, is married in the Catholic Church
- Attends Mass each Sunday and receives the sacrament of confession regularly
If your child could talk now, he/she would tell you how important each of these is! It is possible that your closest friends and relatives are not practicing Catholics. We know how this might be disappointing to you to realize that they cannot be your child's godparents, but it's even more important for you to embrace the great responsibility you are asking a potential godparent to assume - the trust you are imparting on the people you choose to raise your child as a Catholic. Trust and take heart knowing that your choice of two practicing Catholics as godparents will indicate to all your family and friends that you are putting your Catholic faith first when it comes to your child. This will inspire them! (And your child will thank you later!)

Each godparent must turn in the following paperwork. (If the godparent has a spouse, they must turn in the Catholic Marriage certificate. If the godparent is single, the Confirmation certificate must be submitted.) All godparents will be asked to sign a testimony form stating that they are a Catholic in good standing.

While it is customary to have both a godfather and a godmother, the sacrament of Baptism requires a minimum of one godparent, but it is not possible to have either two males or two females as godparents, as noted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 873 “There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.” We highly encourage you to select two godparents, one male and one female, so that your child will benefit from the faith perspectives of each.

Your chosen godparents will need to attend the Baptism preparation class with you. They will be your child's godparents forever, so the class is the first step of their commitment from the very beginning! If they cannot attend the class here at St. Vincent Ferrer, they must attend an equivalent class offered at their own parish.

WHY SO MANY RULES?

These requirements are not meant to impede your child's Baptism. They are meant to lovingly support YOU in providing an honest, intentional choice of godparents for your child's faith formation.
7. Christian Witnesses

In rare and appropriate situations, parents might select a person to act as a Christian Witness to their child’s Baptism. This person is not a godparent, since a godparent has the mission to hand on and teach the Catholic faith by word and example. In permitting a baptized non-Catholic to act as a Christian Witness, the Catholic Church gives due recognition to that person’s love for the child and the common Baptism that is shared by all followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, however, please note that the Christian Witness is not equal to a godparent. For example, in the ceremony the godparent(s) will be promising to support the parents in raising their child in the Catholic faith, not the Christian Witness. These are specifically Catholic gestures which a non-Catholic could not sincerely make.

Consider the future spiritual life of your child, as only Catholic godparents will continue to play a role in the other sacraments later on in life. For example, when your son or daughter receives his or her First Holy Communion, only a Catholic godparent will be able to participate fully with your child at that Holy Mass. When your child is ready to be confirmed, only a Catholic godparent will be able to stand as his or her sponsor.

A Christian Witness may be chosen only if a Catholic godparent has already been chosen for your child; a Christian Witness is chosen in addition to a Catholic godparent not in place of a Catholic godparent.
8. Attending Baptism Preparation Class and Scheduling the Baptism

The Baptism class might be a refresher for some, and it might be new for others. The purpose of the class is to ensure that both the parents and godparents understand the Sacrament and the roles to which they are making for and on behalf of the child. Most importantly, the class offers both parents and godparents to ask questions, learn more, and better prepare for the beginning of the child's faith formation and journey!

The Baptism class can only be taken the same month of the actual date of the Baptism. Both the parents and the godparents must attend this 1-session class. If for some reason a godparent cannot attend, arrangements can be made for godparents to attend a class at their own home parish. The class is valid for two years.

The Baptism class is offered on parish grounds in-person on most but not all second Tuesdays of the month from 7:00pm-9:00pm. See below for a schedule of classes.

PLEASE NOTE: The date of the Baptism will not be scheduled until the parish secretary has received and reviewed all paperwork and approves the baptism date.

Baptisms in English can be scheduled most but not all third Saturdays of the month at 10:00am, while Baptisms in Spanish can be scheduled most but not all fourth Saturdays of the month at 10:00am.

The role of parents and godparents for Baptism is one of the most important in the Rite of Baptism. It is so important that each parent and godparent personally prepare for Baptism by first receiving God's grace through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession). If it has been a long while since your last confession, share this with a lay minister ahead of time or the parish office, and we will be happy to help remind you how to prepare for confession through a thorough examination of conscience. It is beautiful feeling to let go of the guilt sins we have carried for far too long and to rejoice at receiving God's loving mercy!
10. Baptism Calendar and Checklist
Preparation Class in English Dates
January 14
February 11
April 8
May 13
June 10
July 8
August 12
September 9
October 14
November 11

Classes are Tuesdays 7:00pm-9:00pm, but please be ready to say until 10:00pm if the need arises.
Baptism in English Dates
January 18
February 15
April 26 * 12PM
May 17
June 21
July 19
August 16
September 20
October 18
November 15
Baptisms are Saturdays at 10:00am in the Church, but please arrive 30 minutes early.

Checklist

For Parents:
- Complete Baptism Registration form
- Birth Certificate of the child
- Both parents will need to attend classes of baptismal preparation
- If not St. Vincent Ferrer Parishioners, please register
- If you are a parishioner from another church, bring a letter of permission from your Church
- A suggested offering for Baptism is $75.00, (it is not a fee, and you are encouraged to give more if able)
- If you are only registering for a baptism preparation class, a suggested offering is $40.00 per person
- Read and sign the Baptism Preparation Booklet in the Parish Office
- If your child is 7 or older, please speak with our Child Faith Formation staff or ministry, or e-mail [email protected]
For Godparents:
- If either of your selected godparents are married in the Catholic Church, they will need to send a copy of their marriage certificate
- Both godparents will need to attend preparation classes
- If you decide for only one Godparent, you must complete and sign the Compromise Letter of Godparents, provided by the Parish Office
- Godparents must complete and sign the “Good Faith Statement for Godparents”
- If they are not yet a parishioner of any Catholic parish, please have them register

Saint Vincent Ferrer

Catholic Church
Vallejo, CA

Baptism

Baptism Preparation for Newborns and Young Children under 7 Years Old

1. Your Catholic Faith

2. Infant Baptism

3. Baptismal Commitment

4. Your Faith

5. The Sacrament of Matrimony

6. Selecting Godparents

7. Christian Witnesses

8. Attending Baptism Preparation Class and Scheduling the Baptism

10. Baptism Calendar and Checklist