Baptism

Please review the following checklist for the Baptism of children at St. Pius X. If you are an unbaptized adult and would like to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, please go HERE for more information about the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.  Before your child can be baptized at St. Pius X Catholic Church, please complete the following checklist:

• The family must be registered and active members of St. Pius X Catholic Church.
• Fill out the Baptism Registration Form. This form must be completed before a baptism can be scheduled. All information MUST be typed (not handwritten) using the fillable form. 
  • Please click here to fill out the form: Baptism Registration Form. Then email the form to Fr. Mahoney: [email protected]
• Find a date for the Baptism. [ Once you send in the form, we can finalize a date.]
  • Baptisms at St. Pius X take place on the third Sunday of the month immediately following the 10:30AM Mass. (except during the Season of Lent)
• Find a Godparent(s) and obtain Sponsor Forms from the Parish they attend. Godparent requirements can be found below. Please ensure that sponsor forms are turned into St. Pius X at least two weeks prior to the Baptism.
• Attend the Baptism Preparation Class, if needed. Parents are required to attend the Baptism Preparation Class if this is their first child to be baptized, or it has been longer than three years since the last Baptism. Godparent(s) are not required to attend but are encouraged. The preparation class is to be taken prior to the ceremony, but they do not have to be in the same month. The class takes place in the All-Saints Room inside the church. Please notify the parish if you will attend.
  • Baptism Preparation Classes are held the first Sunday of the Month immediately following the 10:30 AM Mass. 
    • Please let the Fr. Mahoney know if you plan on attending a Baptism prep class at least one week prior to the class meeting.

 
The Choice of Godparents

• Most people do not know the Church’s requirements for a person who is to undertake the role of godmother or godfather. In the Code of Canon Law, a book with the laws that govern and guide the life of the Catholic Church, there are specific regulations regarding sponsors (godparents) for the Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation. (see below)
• At least one godparent is required. There may be two, but they must be one man and one woman. The primary reason for your choice of godparent is that he or she is a committed and practicing Catholic. Family relationships and friendships are important. However, a witness to living the Catholic Faith is more important in the spiritual role of godparents. 
• Most people have a false understanding of what a godparent truly is. I am sure you have heard it said that if anything happens to the parents, the godparents will raise the child. But is that what being a godparent is all about? No, in fact, the role of the godparent is to be much more than someone to take care of the children if something happens. In fact, that may not even be their role.
• So, what is a Godparent? 
  • A godparent is to be a witness, an inspiration, and a rock-solid example of what it means to be a Roman Catholic in today’s world. That means that the person must be a Catholic not only in name but also by the life they lead each and every day. 
  • Think about it this way: if you were going to send your child to football camp in the summer, who would you want to teach him/her: Tom Brady or someone who only played youth football as a child? You would choose Tom Brady, who not only knows the game, but is excellent and can pass on his knowledge of the game to your child.
  • In just the same way, you should desire to choose a person as a godparent who is mature in their Catholic Faith. A godparent is not simply a good friend or a family relation but a man or woman who regularly practices their Catholic Faith, attends Mass faithfully and can impart spiritual wisdom to your child through their own witness to Christ and His Church.

The Requirements for Godparents are:

• Be not less than sixteen years of age.
• Be a Catholic who has received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation.
• If married, they must have been married in the Catholic Church. 
• Be registered and active members of their parish.
• Be living in conformity with Catholic morals and in good standing with the Catholic Church.
• May not be the mother or father of the child to be baptized.
• Godparents are required to obtain a Sponsor Certificate from the parish in which they are registered members, attesting to their fulfilling the stated requirements above. This must be obtained at least two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the Baptism. Please ensure the necessary Sponsor Certificates are received before the Baptism and that your child’s name is listed on the form. 
  • Please note: Sponsor Certificates are not Baptism or Confirmation certificates. They must come from the parish the Godparent currently attends.

Before asking someone to serve as a godparent for your child, please be sure they are able to fulfill the requirements of the Catholic Church. This will save the person from any embarrassment and the family from disappointment. The Priest, on behalf of the Church, has a responsibility before God and in justice to ensure these requirements are fulfilled.