St Pius the Tenth welcomes the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of Baptism. “Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ: “therefore…we are members one of another”. Baptism incorporates us into the Church.” (CCC 1267)
- Baptism of Infants and Children/Requirements
- Baptism Covenant
- Baptism of Older Children
- Information about choosing Godparents/Requirement
- For Godparents
Baptism of Infants and Children
The Sacrament of Baptism is not merely a social formality, but a solemn initiation into the Catholic Community of believing Christians. Parents promise that they will raise their child in the Roman Catholic faith. This includes bringing the child to Mass and enrolling them, at the proper time, for Religious Education in order for them to be instructed and to receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Requirements for Baptism
Parents/ Guardians need to be registered and active member at St. Pius the Tenth Church. If the parents are registered in another church, they must present a letter of permission from their home parish to have their child baptized here. Baptisms are held on the 2nd and 4th Sunday each month (with the exception of Advent & Lent) after the 12 noon Mass at 1:00pm
Parents/ Guardians must attend a Baptismal Preparation Class. The class is held on the Second Thursday of each Month virtually. The suggested donation to the Church is $100.00, and payable when the paperwork is completed.
For information on Baptism of older children see OCIA.
Information about choosing Godparents & Requirements
- Catholic policy regarding sponsors is found in Canon Law (874) The Rite of Baptism
Godparents must be at least 16 year of age and Confirmed. - A Godparent must be a practicing Catholic, register in a parish, attend Mass regularly, and contribute to the support of their parish as best they can, and received the Sacraments according to the Laws of the Church. Godparents will need a certificate of eligibility from their parish.
- Godparents should not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared: For example: if they are married they must be in a sacramental Catholic marriage.
- If you are in a mixed religion marriage one Godparent must be Catholic. Along with a qualified Catholic, a baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic community may be admitted as a Christian witness to the Baptism. The Christian witness must provide a copy of his/her Baptismal Certificate.
- Choosing Godparents for your child is important for many reasons. You should consider those who practice his/her faith by regularly attending Mass and living a good Catholic Christian life. A Godparent serves as a role model to the child. You would want someone who will encourage and support your child throughout their faith journey.
For Godparents
Congratulations! Being chosen a Godparent is both an honor and a privilege. We urge you to take this opportunity to enrich your own faith, to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ and to deepen your commitment to the mission of the Catholic Church. We hope the following will help.
Godparents, are first and foremost, disciples of Jesus Christ. Disciples are followers of and learners of Christ. Your role as Godparent is to share your Christian Faith with your Godchild, to support and encourage your Godchild’s faith in Christ and to help the parents with their responsibility to raise their child in the Catholic faith.
Godparents are active members of the Catholic Church. We hope you belong to a local parish community. Being registered in a local parish community is the first step to belonging. As an active Catholic and disciple of Christ, it is important to participate weekly in mass, to celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments, to take seriously one’s spiritual life, to be involved in efforts to help the needy and poor. The process of registering in a parish is simple. We invite you to register as soon as possible.
Godparents represent the Church and are role models of Christian living and discipleship. If you honestly feel at this time you are not such a model, two options are available. One, perhaps the authentic thing to do would be to graciously turn down such an invitation, two, take this unique opportunity to renew and reinvigorate your faith and involvement in the Church. Please contact your local Parish to register and get involved.
The Church wants mature, active Catholics to serve as this role model. Godparents must be at least 16 years old and fully initiated in the church (this includes having celebrated the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) they should also live in harmony with Christ’s teachings, including its teaching on the Sacraments of Marriage. If you are missing one of these Sacraments, we encourage you to call us and find out about fulfilling the rest of your sacraments.
The Church asks that at least one Godparent be Roman Catholic, a baptized, faith-filled non-Catholic Christian may serve as a Christian Witness.
