Baptism
Baptism is the first Sacrament of Christian Initiation. In Baptism, we are cleansed of Original Sin, adopted as sons and daughters of God, and made members of his One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
The Church has two different processes for receiving new members through Baptism based on whether or not an individual has reached the age of reason. Anyone age 7 or older prepares for Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation at the same time through the RCIA. Click here to learn about the RCIA process.
The process for children age 6 and under is different because these children are not old enough to make their baptismal promises for themselves--instead, their parents and godparents make these promises on their behalf and commit to raising them child in the Catholic faith. Instead of asking the child to attend religious education classes to prepare for baptism, we ask their parents to attend a baptism preparation class where we talk about things you can do to fulfill the promise you are making to raise your child in the Catholic faith. When your child reaches the age of 7, he/she will begin attending his/her own sacrament preparation classes before receiving First Holy Communion. Scroll down to learn about the process for baptizing a child under the age of 7.
Baptizing a Child Ages 0-6
There are four things you will need to do before your child is baptized:
Step #1: Ensure that your family is registered in the parish
If you are not registered in our parish, you can register here. Please use the comments box to let us know that you would like to baptize your child, and we will be in touch!
If you are already registered at St. Ann, please email Elise Flick at pastoralassistant@ksaschool.org to let her know that you would like to baptize your child. She will pull your membership file and let you know if we need any additional information.
Step #2: Provide a copy of your child's birth certificate
We are required to collect a copy of your child's birth certificate to make sure that the information we print on the baptismal certificate matches perfectly. Your child will need to present this document before receiving additional sacraments or serving as a godparent/sponsor for someone else--matching up your child's birth certificate with our baptismal records ensures we can always prove that he/she is the same person our records refer to if his/her future parish calls us to verify. We are happy to make a copy for you if you bring your child's birth certificate by the parish office.
Step #3: Choose 1-2 godparents for your child
These should be people you believe will be good Christian role models for your child. Once you have chosen godparents, they will each need to get a letter from their current parish(es) stating that they are in good standing with the Church and meet the requirements to serve as a godparents. Please let us know if you need assistance with this process. In many cases, we can work with a godparent's home parish to help them meet the requirements if there are obstacles, but that must be completed before the child is baptized.
Here are the guidelines for choosing godparents/sponsors:
a) They must be at least 16 years of age.
b) The parents of the child to be baptized may not be the child's godparents.
c) A child only needs one godparent, but if you would like to have two, one must be male and the other female.
d) As long as the child has one godparent who is a Catholic in good standing, the second "sponsor" may be any
baptized person who is actively practicing their Christian faith.
e) Godparents/sponsors must visibly practice their Catholic faith, or give a strong Christian witness.
f) The Catholic godparent(s) must have received all three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, First Communion, and
Confirmation.
g) If a Catholic godparent is married, the marriage must be recognized by the Catholic Church.
Step #4: Schedule your Baptism prep class
Parents and godparents participate in a Baptism prep class (often by Zoom) before a child is baptized so that we can help you prepare to live out the promise you are making to raise your child in the Catholic faith. Once you have completed the steps above, email Elise Flick at pastoralassistant@ksaschool.org to schedule your Baptism prep class and set the date for your child's Baptism.
Step #5: Making Your Donation
While we do not ever want this to be an obstacle to a baptism, preparing for a sacrament and doing the paperwork takes many staff hours, and we ask that you help us offset the associated costs if you are able. The suggested donation amount to meet that costs of a baptism is $60. You can make that donation online or by check - either way, please be sure to note that it is a baptism donation in the memo line so that we know where to apply the funds.
Questions about Sacraments?
Contact Elise Flick to get started! She can help you with sacrament paperwork and connect you with the appropriate parish leader for the Sacrament you need.