Baptisms

Baptisms take place on Saturdays at 12:00 pm. The first and third Saturday of the month, baptisms are in English. Every second and fourth Saturday the baptisms will be in Spanish. We DO NOT have baptisms during HOLY WEEK (the week of Easter). Schedule of Baptisms is subject to change. If you have a date in mind already, please ask to make sure there are scheduled baptisms that day. 

If you decide on having you child’s baptism here we encourage everyone to arrive 15 minutes early for the celebration, and plan on approximately 45-60 minutes for the ceremony itself.

 It is appropriate to make an offering of $50.00 or more to the church. This is non-refundable. This offering goes directly to the church and is not a gift for any priest or other minister. Your donation is used directly to support the baptismal ministry program at St. John of God Parish.

It is the responsibility of every Catholic to be actively involved in their parish community. Our infant baptisms are for children 7 years of age and younger. When baptizing infants, there are certain guidelines that we follow:

Parents

• Parents must have a meeting with the Priest /Deacon.
• In mixed marriages, the non-Catholic parent is encouraged to participate in the program of preparation for baptism and to be supportive of the Catholic parent in raising the child as a Catholic. 
• Single parents must fill out a single parent consent form/affidavit. 

Godparents

A God parent is one who lives a life of faith proper to a member of the church and befitting the role of godparent. Their role is to assist the parents (the primary teachers) in leading and helping the child in their walk with God and new spiritual life. 

The requirements to be a Catholic Godparent are as follows: 

• A godparent must be at least sixteen years of age, and have received all sacraments of initiation.(Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation).
• A godparent must be a Catholic
• A baptized member of a Christian church other than the Catholic church may serve as a Christian Witness when accompanied by a Catholic godparent.
• If they are married they must be married by the Roman Catholic Church. GOD PARENTS THAT ARE “LIVING IN” WITH A PARTNER ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE GOD PARENTS. 
• A parent of the child to be baptized may not be a godparent to that child. 
• Both parents and both godparent(s) must attend a pre-baptismal class before the date of the baptism.

At St. John of God, we provide a class usually on the second Thursdays of the month in Spanish and the third Thursdays of the month in English. The class is from 7pm to 9pm. You may sign up for this class as soon as you submit all required paper work and meet with the priest or deacon. If a parent or godparent cannot attend the class at St. John of God, they may attend a class at another parish. 

Those who attend class elsewhere must provide a letter or certificate confirming their completion of that class to St. John of God Parish Office. Note: Please make arrangements ahead of time for a babysitter, as adults only should attend the class.

• Birth Certificate of Child(ren)
• Picture ID of the parent (when they turn in the application)
• Parents Marriage Certificate by the Roman Catholic Church (if applicable) 
• Appointment with a Priest for the parents only. 
• Godparent(s) Certificate(s) of Sacraments; Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation. (Only if Single and not living with a partner)
• If God parent is married or living with a partner, we need their marriage certificate from the church and their confirmation certificate. 
• Certificate of Completion of Pre-Baptism Class from the Parents and the Godparents. 

The steps toward baptism must be completed in the following order: 

1. Fill Out Application For this you need the Child’s Birth Certificate. We will also need a copy of the ID of the child’s parent/guardian. 
2. Turn In Godparents Certificates If single: Baptismal, first Communion, and Confirmation Certificates. If married: Confirmation Certificate and Marriage Certificate from Church 
3. Turn in Single parent Affidavit (if applicable)
4. Meeting with a Priest or Deacon As soon as you turn in all your paper work please make an appointment with the priest or deacon. (parents only) 
5. Sign up for Baptismal Class This is for God Parents and Parents. This step should be the last one you complete before choosing a date for the baptism. 
6. Pay $50 fee The fee is due at least one week prior to the baptism, and may be paid at any moment from the day the application is filled out.

You may not sign up for a baptism date until ALL the above is completed.