Congratulations. You are seeking Baptism for your child, or perhaps even for yourself. This is a great moment, and we at St. Andrew’s hope to assist you in preparing to celebrate Baptism beautifully and meaningfully.
There are different instances in which Baptism is sought:
- For an infant or young child (up to age 6) please select the infant baptism section.
- For a child over the age of 6, or a teen, please select the child / teen baptism section.
- For an adult, please select the Adult RCIA section.
[wptabs color="green" effect="fade" rotate=""][wptabtitle] Infant Baptism[/wptabtitle]
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Congratulations on your desire to have your child baptized. It will be a joyous occasion for your family and for our parish.
From the earliest times, the Church… has baptized children as well as adults. Our Lord said, “Unless a man is reborn in water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) The Church has always understood these words to mean that children should not be deprived of baptism… the faith is proclaimed for them by their parents and godparents…
— Rite of Baptism, paragraph 3
We ask that families presenting their children for baptism be registered members of our parish. If you have not yet had the chance to register, you can do so by clicking here. After registering, or if you already are registered, then download the Baptism Information packet and complete the form.
Once the Baptism Information form is received, a member of our Baptism Team will contact you to provide more information about the process for preparation and celebration of the Sacrament.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start this process before my child is born?
YES, in fact we recommend doing so.
How long does the process take?
There is one preparation session that we ask parents to attend, on a Saturday morning, from 8:45-11:30am.
What if I work on Saturdays?
We would ask you to attempt to take the morning off in order to attend. We will work with you to find a solution.
When are Baptisms scheduled?
The Rite of Baptism recommends that Baptisms be celebrated on Sunday. Baptisms are normally scheduled after the 11:00am Mass so that families may attend Mass and then stay for the Baptism.
Can we Baptize in a place other than the Church?
The Rite of Baptism indicates that it should normally be celebrated in a Parish Church. We do not ordinarily do baptisms outside of Church.
Who can serve as godparents?
The Church asks that a child have two Catholic godparents who are Baptized, Confirmed, and living their faith. In some cases, one of the two godparents may be a “Christian witness” who need not be Catholic. It is possible that someone may “stand in” for a godparent who is not able to be present at the Baptism.
Who holds the child during Baptism?
The Rite of Baptism indicates that ordinarily the mother holds her child during Baptism.
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[wptabtitle] Children & Teens [/wptabtitle]
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We congratulate you on your decision to have your child or teen baptized. Because they have reached the “age of reason”, defined in Canon Law as age 7 or older, they are to have a period of instruction preceding their Baptism that gives them an understanding of the fundamentals of our faith. They also have a right to participate in the decision to be baptized. Children and teens will be Baptized, Confirmed, and celebrate their First Eucharist all at once.
We ask that families presenting their children for baptism be registered members of our parish. If you have not yet had the chance to register, you can do so by clicking here. After registering, or if you already are registered, then download the Baptism Information packet and complete the form.
Once the Baptism Information Form is received you will be contacted by a member of our Baptism Team to discuss with you the preparation process that lies ahead.
For children ages 7-13, there is a two-year process of preparation:
- Year One
- We ask all families to attend Mass weekly with their children to be baptized.
- We ask all families to enroll children to be baptized in a special Christian Initiation class held on Sunday mornings following the 9:00am Mass. This class presents an overview of our Catholic faith and familiar Catholic prayers and practices. There are two classes:
- One for grades 2-5
- One for grades 6-8
Contact Suzie Malloy for more information.
- Year Two
- We ask all families to attend Mass weekly with their children to be baptized.
- Enroll your child in the elementary religious education program (for children 2nd through 5th grades) or the junior high religious education program (for 6th through 8th grades). Contact Patrick Mooney at 480-899-1990, ext. 110 for elementary registration or Barbara Lishko at 480-899-1990, ext. 142 for junior high registration.
- In addition to their regular religious education program, a family program for Confirmation and First Eucharist will involve six additional sessions from January through Lent.
- Dates for Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist will vary from year to year, but will happen in the Easter season of YEAR TWO.
- Children who were in grade 8 in YEAR ONE, will move to the TEEN process for YEAR TWO.
For High School teens, ages 14-18, there will be a teen group that participates in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA process. Click here for more details.
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Suzie Malloy