Baptism

All sacraments are meant for the entire community of believers. There is no such thing as a "private" sacrament. Sacraments are where Christians encounter God in and with and through one another. That is as true of baptism as it is of Eucharist. At times, due to circumstances, (e.g. someone sick in the hospital and alone when the anointing of the sick is celebrated, only one baby registered for a baptism, the desire for privacy in reconciliation, etc.) some sacraments may appear to be private, but even then, the hope is that the wider community is somehow participating in the celebration of grace.

The joy and happiness of a family in welcoming a new baby into their family is not limited to them, but is a cause for celebration for the parish family as well. Ideally, whenever we celebrate a sacrament, the entire community is present. However, since it is rare for all the parishioners to fit into the church at one time, not to mention the great diversity of individual's schedules, we schedule services that accommodate people's schedules, even though only part of the entire community can be present. Nevertheless, the hope is always that representatives of the broader community participate as a sign of solidarity with the individual or family.

Your baby may be the only one baptized, or there may be up to 3 other families at a baptism service.  

As soon as possible, usually within the first 3- 6 months. 

If you have been a registered, active parishioner for at least 12 months, and for some extraordinary reason, you absolutely cannot make one of the regularly scheduled times, you may be granted permission, pending the church and presider's availability, to schedule a baptism on another Sunday following our 10am Mass. 

Arrive about 10-15 minutes before the service or mass. Introduce yourself and your baby to the priest or deacon. Parents and Godparents should sit with the baby in one of the front rows of the church.

There is no fee to have a child baptized. Donations to our church and/or presider for having your child baptized are at your discretion (and are greatly appreciated). These contributions are considered a "Stole Fee" and are not tax deductible per IRS tax code:

A “Stole Fee” refers to money given to a cleric for the performance of sacramental functions ie: baptisms, weddings, funerals. The IRS does not classify these payments as tax-free “gifts” because the rendering of a service motivated the payment. It does not matter that the cleric requires no payment for the service, nor does it matter that some people give nothing under similar circumstances. Stole Fees are considered earnings subject to Federal Income Tax and Social Security Tax.