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Baptismal Classes
- December 3, 2024
- February 4, 2025
- April 8, 2025
- June 3, 2025
- August 5, 2025
- October 7, 2025
- December 2, 2025
Classes are held in Activity Room A from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
All parents seeking baptism for their children (under 7 years of age) must attend this class. Pre-registration is required, so please contact the parish office to register at 757.426.2180. Baptisms cannot be scheduled until after the class has been attended.
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Baptism
Children over 7 years of age and Adults:
Canon Law, the universal law of the Church requires that a person over the age of 7 must, at their baptism, also receive First Communion and Confirmation. In other words, they will be fully initiated into the life of the Church in one Mass. For these sacraments to be meaningful, a great deal of preparation is required. We do our best to work with individual situations to provide quality preparation for everyone. Because circumstances and backgrounds vary widely, we ask for an initial face-to-face meeting to learn about the person to be baptized and to determine the best option. Please contact John Domingo, our Director of Religious Education at 757.426.2180 or [email protected] to schedule an appointment.Children under 7 years of age:
We welcome and congratulate families who wish to pass on their faith through the Sacrament of Baptism! Baptism is the basis of our entire Christian life. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God. The Apostle Paul expressed it this way, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body (1 Cor. 12:12-13a).
Baptism can also be meaningful experience for parents or guardians – something more than just a gathering of family members. We hope that the preparation class you attend and the few additional things that need to be done will help make the baptism of your child a significant moment in their life and yours. Please contact the Parish office at 757.426.2180 or [email protected] to reserve your spot at a Baptism preparation class. We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to the celebration of this sacrament.
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The birth of a child is often a time when parents reexamine their values and hopes in terms of the children entrusted to them.
For a child to be baptized in the Catholic Faith, there must be a basis for hope that the child will be raised in the Catholic faith. In practice, this means that at least one parent is Catholic. It is the hope of the Church that presenting their children for Baptism will call parents to a greater commitment to Jesus Christ and the practice of the Catholic faith. Parents are encouraged to reflect spiritually on the meaning of parenthood and to recognize that baptism is the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Infant baptism is bestowed on children from birth until just before the seventh birthday.
What needs to be done:
Baptism Preparation Class
Parents must attend a Baptism Preparation Class prior to scheduling the baptism. We host classes every other month on the first Tuesday from 7:00-9:00 PM in the parish activity rooms. See dates below. The class will help you deepen your understanding of the sacrament as well as review what you’ll need to do on the day of the baptism. We highly recommend you attend a class prior to the birth of your child, so your child can be baptized as soon as possible. RSVP by contacting the Parish Office at 757.426.2180.If you have attended the Baptism class within the last 3 years at St. John, you are not required to attend the Baptism class again.
Baptism Registration Form
After you've attended the Baptism preparation class, please fill in the Baptism Inquiry Form (link above) to begin the process of reserving a date for your child's baptism. This gives us the information we need to create the Baptism certificate and record the sacrament in the parish records. If you are not already registered here at St. John, and would like to do so, you can complete our parish registration. We will happily welcome you to our parish family!An additional (and important) note about parish registration: If you live within the boundaries of our parish, you do not need to formally register to have your child baptized. We would very much like you to register, but we leave that choice to you. If, on the other hand, you live closer to another parish, you should request baptism there. If you are a registered member of a parish other than St. John, but wish to have your child baptized here, you will need to provide us with a Permission Letter from the pastor of the Catholic Church in which you are registered.
Permission to Baptize the Child in the Catholic Faith
We need the permission of both parents (or legal guardians) to baptize the child but realize that this is complicated by divorce and other custody situations. If both parents will not be at the baptism, we can assess your circumstances and decide how best to proceed. In some cases, we’ll need additional documentation.St. John the Apostle Church welcomes every parent to bring your child forth for baptism, regardless what your circumstances might be. This is to include single parents or parents not married in the Catholic Church.
Godparents
Please see "The Role of Godparents" below. Godparent Attestation Form
Schedule the BaptismOnce we receive your Inquiry Form, our Office Manager, Carole Romanini will reach out to you to schedule your child's Baptism. We celebrate baptisms during one of our four weekend Masses, generally rotating from week to week through the different Mass times. For example:
The first weekend of the month, baptisms are celebrated at the 5:00 PM Vigil Mass;
The second weekend, baptisms are at the 7:30 AM Sunday Mass;
The third weekend, baptisms are at the 9:15 AM Sunday Mass;
The fourth weekend, baptism are at the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass.
Baptisms are not celebrated on the fifth Sunday of the month. Please contact the Parish Office for a list of specific dates and times at 757.426.2180. Note that the Catholic Church does not permit baptisms during the season of Lent.
The following items must be completed prior to scheduling a Baptism date:
- Baptism preparation class
- Baptismal Inquiry form
- Letter from Godparent’s church (if Catholic)
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There is no fee for the baptism. However, please know that any gift of thanksgiving you provide will be greatly appreciated.
Questions?
Please direct any questions you may have to our Office Manager, Carole Romanini at 757.426.2180 or [email protected].
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The Role of Godparents
The primary role of a Catholic godparent is to support the parents in the upbringing of the child as Catholic Christians and to be an example of lived Catholic faith for the child.
Culturally, godparents are often picked because of family connections or as a way of honoring the person chosen. The Church, however, requires that at least one godparent be a Catholic, who has received the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation and is striving to live out their faith. The Church recognizes and allows one male and one female godparent for each child. A godparent and a "Christian Witness" - a person who is baptized in another Christian tradition - is also acceptable.
We ask each of the Catholic godparents for a letter from their parish stating that they are a member of that parish and eligible to be a godparent.
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- Be registered members of a Catholic parish.
- Be at least 16 years old.
- Must be a practicing Roman Catholic; i.e., one who attends Mass and receives the Sacraments regularly. Also, has received all three Sacraments of Initiation themselves: Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.
- The reason a Godparent must be a practicing Roman Catholic is that a Godparent is expected to pay special attention to the efforts of the person who is being baptized to live a Christian life in keeping with the teachings of the Roman Catholic faith. Godparents (sponsors) are also expected to assist the parents (of the child) in their Christian duty as parents, by offering them support through good-example living, encouragement, and prayer.
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- Choose a baptismal Godparent who is practicing their faith.
- Choose a Godparent who will take an active role in the faith formation of the child.
- The Church requires at least one Godparent be a practicing Catholic.
- People who are not baptized Christians cannot be Godparents or Christian Witnesses for baptism, since they themselves are not baptized.
- In some cases, there may be a non-Catholic witness in addition to one Catholic Godparent, but this must be someone who is baptized in a non-Catholic Christian community and NOT someone who has left the Catholic Church.
- Baptized non-Catholic practicing Christians may not be Godparents; however, they may be Christian Witnesses for your child. Keep in mind that you must have one Godparent along with one Christian Witness. Again, one of the two must be a practicing Catholic.
- Parents of the child may not be Godparents.
- Grandparents of the child may serve at Godparents.
- Choose people who are married under the guides of the Church.
- Divorced individuals may be Godparents; however, if they have remarried outside of the Catholic Church, they may not be Godparents.
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Catholics who desire to serve as Godparents must provide St. John’s with a Godparent Eligibility Form or Letter from their home parish stating that they are registered members in good standing and are qualified to serve in this role.
If you are a registered member of St. John the Apostle and have been asked to be a Godparent at another parish, you will need to provide them with a Godparent Attestation Form for Infant Baptisms. Complete the downloaded form; submit it to our parish office for our priest's or priest delegate's signature and we will be happy to send it to the baptizing church for you.
Use of Godparent Attestation Form for Infant Baptisms
Godparent Attestation Form for Infant Baptisms
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Carole Romaniniparishsjavb.orgOffice Manager, Bulletin, Sacramental Records, Baptisms, Wedding Coordinator
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