The Sacrament of Baptism

Dear Parents:

With great joy we celebrate with you the birth of your child, and are looking forward to journeying with you towards having your child baptized here at St. John Vianney. We would like you to take a minute to reflect upon this decision.

As The Rite of Baptism of The Church reminds us, in requesting to have your child baptized: 

“[...] you are accepting the responsibility of training your child in the practice of the Faith. It will be your duty to bring your child up to keep God’s Commandments as Christ has taught us... Do you clearly understand what it is you are undertaking?”

The Rite of Baptism reminds parents of the responsibilities and duties that they assume for their child. There are also, however, rights of the child which The Catechism of The Church speaks about – rights that should not be violated even by parents:

“Just as Baptism is the source of responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within The Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God, and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church.”

#1269 Catechism Catholic Church

Considering these responsibilities and the sanctity of the Sacrament of Baptism we ask all parents (along with their godparents) to work with our Baptism Team and the process we have in place, in order to best serve the needs of your child and provide them the necessary guidance and support, to properly form and prepare parents and godparents in their responsibilities, and to ensure that the sacrament is celebrated validly and licitly. We thank you for your cooperation.

In Christ,

Fr. Antonio Gutierrez, FM

Pastor

The Sacrament of Baptism opens the door to a new life in Jesus Christ... a life that goes beyond our death and into the life of heaven after our death.

Baptism is the sacrament of salvation: an encounter with God that cleanses us from sin and makes us true children of God, sharing in his very own divine life.

This great gift is offered to all who believe and to the children of families of faith.  Since her earliest days, the Church has baptized adults and children because it is the only ordinary way God has revealed that we may receive the grace of salvation through this sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as St. Paul teaches in Romans chapter 6:

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life… if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him… So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 6:3, 8, 11)

Baptism is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation.  The other two are Confirmation and Holy Communion (Eucharist).  Children typically receive the other Sacraments of Initiation after reaching age 7 and before age 16.

Godparents

It is an ancient custom and also a requirement of Church law that each new Christian have at least one sponsor, traditionally called a Godparent, who “together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A Godparent/sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations” of this new life. (Code of Canon Law, 872)

Church law and our diocese provide guidelines for the qualifications to serve as a Godparent/sponsor.  The reason for these requirements is to ensure that the new Christian will have the support they need from their sponsor who will promise to pray for them and help them as they prepare for other sacraments and seek to live out their baptism throughout their lifetime.