| Sacrament of Baptism at St. Bernard's
Baptism of Children
Children or infants are those who have not yet reached the age of
discernment (8 Years of age) and therefore cannot have or profess
personal faith. From the earliest times, the Church, to which the
mission of preaching the Gospel and of baptizing was entrusted, 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).
This faith is proclaimed for them by their parents and godparents,
who represent both the local Church and the whole society of saints and
believers: "The Church is at once the mother of all and the mother of
each." (St. Augustine)
Because of the natural relationship, parents have a more important
ministry and role in the Baptism of infants than the godparents. Each
child may have a godfather and a godmother (but must have at least one
who is a practicing, fully initiated catholic).
Practical Things
Information needed for the interview:
A copy of the child’s birth certificate from the county; parent’s
address, phone number and status (married, married in Church or civilly
only, single); names of godparents.
For Parents:
Contact the Parish Office between 8AM and 8PM on Mondays, between
8 AM and 5 PM, Tuesday through Friday or between 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM on
Saturdays. You will be given a date for an appointment and the time of
the interview.
For the interview you must have a copy of the child's County
Issued Birth Certificate in your possession. If appropriate, you will be
signed up for the Baptismal Preparation Class (these are held one
evening a month in the Ministry Center). Both the father and the
mother of the baby are required to attend these classes; if the
godparents live in this Parish, they must attend these classes also. If
they do not live in this Parish, they must attend the Baptismal
Preparation Classes at their Parish.
If you would like to have your child Baptized within
a few weeks after birth, you should get all of your preparation done
before the child is born. Once the County issued Birth Certificate
is available and all preparation has been completed, then a date can be
set.
Godparents who are from another Parish must complete a "Sponsor for Baptism Form". This form
will need to be filled out, signed by the Pastor, have the Parish Seal,
and then returned to us. If the interview and Baptismal Preparation
Class take place before the birth of the child, a copy of the County
issued Birth Certificate must be obtained and submitted to the Parish
Office before the date of the Baptism can be set.
For Godparents:
The role of the godparent is to help their godchild lead a Christian
life. Also, if the parents would not be able to fulfill their
responsibility any longer, the godparents will ensure the Christian
upbringing of the child. The godparent must be Catholic, must have
received all 3 Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist,
Confirmation), be in good standing with the Catholic Church, must
practice his/her faith actively, and if married, they must be married in the
Catholic Church.
If the godparent is not married and has a live-in partner, such a person
is not acceptable for the role of a godparent! If a person is a
Christian but not a Catholic, he/she can only be a witness to the
Baptism, but not a godparent! Non-baptized persons cannot be either a
godparent or a witness. None the less, there must be at least one
Catholic Godparent.
Once the requirements are met, the date for Baptism will be scheduled.
Baptism are community affairs - there are no
private Baptisms!
Registered parishioners of St. Bernard’s who wish to have a
baptism or be a godparent in another parish, must call the Office to
schedule an interview appointment.
For further information you may contact the Parish Office at
209-835-4560 |