The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist). In Baptism, God cleanses a person from all sin and welcomes that person into the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, so that, through active participation in the life of the Church, the baptized comes to experience the fullness of God’s grace and love.

1. Parents are the most important people taking part in the baptism rite. It is their “yes” that makes it possible for the sacrament to be conferred and for the child to begin life as a member of Christ’s church. Since a child can only know what being a member of the church is all about by imitating his or her parents, parents must give indication that they can offer this example to their child. This is usually done by being registered members of a parish. Parents can register as members of our parish by visiting the parish office during office hours, or by registering in the church after Mass during one of the Welcoming Weekends. Please see Joining the Parish for more information. New parishioners should introduce themselves to one of the friars after Sunday Mass.
2. Parents must also attend a baptismal preparation session. This is required of all parents who have not attended such a preparation within the last two years. The parents must complete the information form distributed at the baptism preparation session.
3. The godparents must submit the Godparent Testimony distributed at the preparation session (or downloaded here).
4. Because baptism is the sacrament of bringing a person into the life of the church, a family of faith centered on the Eucharist, all baptisms are normally celebrated at a Sunday Mass on designated Sundays: usually the first and third Sundays of the month, except during the season of Lent (Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday). Parents may choose any Mass on those Sundays.
5. Scheduling a baptism is done only when the parish office informs them that the necessary information form and godparent testimony have been received.
6. Baptism may be celebrated by “immersion” (placing your child into the warmed baptismal font up to his/her neck) or by “pouring,” (pouring water over the child’s head as he/she is held over the font). Please advise the friar of your choice prior to coming to church for the ceremony.
7. Godparents are important. Together with the parents, they are people whom the child can look to in order to learn how it is that he or she ought to live as a Christian. Godparents must be fully initiated Catholics (i.e., they are baptized, confirmed and have received Communion) no younger than sixteen who are members of a parish. (The child is to have only one male or one female sponsor or one of each sex.) If a child’s prospective godparents are not members of Immaculate Conception Parish, they need to provide us with a letter of recommendation from their pastor. To avoid the necessity of re-scheduling the baptism, this letter should arrive in the parish office two weeks before the baptism.
   
   A baptized person of a different Christian tradition may serve as a ‘witness’ along with a Catholic godparent.
   
   Please click here for a printable list of requirements for the
   Baptism of Children in the Catholic Church at at ICC