Baptism: Age 0-4

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” – Matthew 28:19-20

Congratulations on the birth of your child! We at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church are so pleased that you are desirous of having your baby Baptized. The Baptism of your child provides an opportunity to examine your own Christian life and spirituality. You are saying that you want to share your living Catholic Christian faith with your child. This is a serious commitment to raise your child within the community of believers and to educate them in the truths of the Catholic faith, and we are happy to help you on this journey.

It is presumed that a central part of this commitment be weekly Mass attendance, as your child's presence at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be an essential element of their own faith journey. 

Welcome! Thank you for inquiring about Baptism here at Our Lady of the Lakes. We are excited for you and look forward to journeying with you as you prepare for this exciting time in your family’s life.

Here is a step by guide to walk you through the process for Baptism.

 Step 1 – PARISH REGISTRATION

Families wishing to baptize a child must be registered as members of the parish. If your family is not yet registered, please click the "Register" button below to complete the first step. Once you have completed the form, please return to this page and continue to Step 2 - Baptism Request Form. If your family is already registered, please continue on to Step 2 - Baptism Request Form.

                       Register

Step 2 – BAPTISM REQUEST FORM

This form gives basic information regarding the name of the child to be baptized as well as information on godparents.  Once your family is regsitered as parishioners, please click the "Baptism Request Form" button below to fill out the form. Once you fill out the Baptism Request Form, please return to this page to continue with Step 3 - Meeting with the Pastor.
                       BAPTISM REQUEST FORM

Step 3 – MEETING WITH THE PASTOR

This meeting is for the parents and the Pastor to discuss the baptismal process, answer any questions, and to get to know each other.  This meeting can be scheduled by emailing the Pastor. Once you have registered your family as parishioners, and once you have submitted the Baptismal Request Form, click the link below to email the pastor to set up a meeting regarding baptizing your child(ren). 
                       EMAIL THE PASTOR

Step 4 - Baptism class completion

Prior to setting a date for the child's baptism, parents and godparents are required to complete an online baptism preparation class. The sessions are meant to be educational and inspiring. Once the class is complete, another meeting with the pastor will be scheduled to discuss what was learned in the class, to answer any questions, and to finally schedule the date for the baptism ceremony.

Those parents who have completed a baptism class at Our Lady of the Lakes Church are not required to repeat the class for subsequent baptisms of future children as long as they are attending Mass regularly.

Parents and Godparents also have the option of attending a Baptism Class at another parish. Parents and Godparents who choose this option would need to return a certificate or letter of completion from the other parish to the Our Lady of the Lakes email address. In order to schedule the baptism preparation class, or to turn in a certificate/letter of completion from another parish, click the link below to send an email.
                         SCHEDULE BAPTISM CLASS OR TURN IN CERTIFICATE/LETTER OF COMPLETION FROM ANOTHER PARISH

 
STEP 5 - GODPARENT ELIGIBILITY FORM

A separate Godparent Eligibility Form is needed for each Godparent. You can download the form by clicking the link at the end of this section.
The top of this form can be filled out by each Godparent. The form can then be brought to the Godparent’s parish of registration to complete the bottom of the form. This form can then be mailed or emailed back to Our Lady of the Lakes at the addresses at the bottom of the form. Each family has a few options when it comes to godparents and Christian Witnesses:

• Godparent/Christian Witness Options
  • A child may be baptized with:
    • A Godfather and a Godmother and no Christian Witness (Preferable) 
    • Only one Godparent and a Christian Witness of the opposite gender of the Godparent
    • Only one Godparent and no Christian Witness
    • No Godparents and no Christian Witness

• Notes about Godparents
  • Godparents need to be fully initiated Catholic Christians who meet the minimum standards listed on our Godparent Eligibility Form (same form as listed above)
  • Those who have been baptized Catholic and are practicing another Christian tradition are not eligible to be a Godparents

• Notes about Christian Witnesses
  • A Christian Witness is someone baptized in another Christian denomination besides Catholicism and simply serves as a Cristian Witness of the baptism.
  • If a family chooses to have a Christian Witness, the Christian witness does not need to complete a Baptism Class, but will need to submit a Proof of Baptism from their own church. This can be a baptismal certificate or a letter from the church of baptism.
  • Those who have been baptized Catholic and are practicing another Christian tradition are not eligible to be a Christian Witness.

STEP 6 - REQUEST A DATE FOR BAPTISM

Once all paperwork has been returned and all Baptism Classes have been completed, the parents can request a date of baptism what works best for their schedule. Saturday mornings tend to be the most available days. Final date and time will be contingent on the Pastor's schedule. Therefore, parents are encouraged to have alternate days on hand in case the Pastor is not available for their first choice. Also, please do not schedule parties or send invitations to family members and friends until you have confirmed a date and time for the baptism with the Pastor.
                       REQUEST A DATE FOR BAPTISM

CHECKLIST
Below is a checklist that can be downloaded to make sure all steps have been completed.
                        BAPTISM REQUEST CHECKLIST