Infant Baptism
Our Lady of Lourdes + Saint Anne Church Cluster

Congratulations on the birth of your child and your desire to raise your child in the Roman Catholic faith by having him or her baptized.

We look forward to working with you with preparing for this sacrament and to begin the journey of teaching them the faith through worship, prayer, and service.

We will help you as you guide your child to be reborn into the risen life of Jesus Christ and become a member of His Body, the Church.

Registering your child for baptism
Please contact Deacon Bill when you’re ready to prepare for your child’s baptism. He will send you an online registration form for baptism. Once your child is registered for baptism, we’ll begin to schedule meetings.

Is there a fee for registering?
Universally, the Church does not charge a fee for baptism. Everyone is welcome to enter the Church and receive the sacramental grace without cost. However, the local church cannot exist without steady financial support from parishioners. We invite parents to prayerfully consider how they will participate in the stewardship of Our Lady of Lourdes + Saint Anne Church.

What age should my infant receive baptism?
The Church teaches that baptism should occur as soon as the family is ready. Each family is a little different; so there’s no set age that an infant should receive baptism. The ideal time is when the parents and godparents are ready to commit to raising the child in the Catholic faith by participating in the life of the Church regularly themselves.

Baptism of infants extends up to the age of seven years old. This is a period of time when the parents make vows to raise their child in the faith. Around seven years old, children are able to make moral decisions independently. The Church honors the child’s own conscience by taking the child through a more lengthy process of preparation so that the child can choose baptism for themselves, but of course, with the parent’s guidance and assistance.

Preparations for Infant Baptism

Preparation for your child’s baptism consists of two steps:

● A pastoral meeting with family
● Attending a Baptismal Preparation Class

Pastoral Meeting
Parents meet with Fr. Gary Tyman or Dcn. Bill Rabjohn to chat about your faith life and your desires for your child. It’s an opportunity for us to get to know your family and for you to ask specific questions that relate to your child’s baptism.

Baptismal Preparation Class
Parents (and godparents) are invited to attend one of our quarterly classes to deepen their understanding of baptism, the church, and God. Also, it is a time to meet with other couples that are having the same experiences as you. They typically occur on a Saturday from 10 AM until Noon in January, March, June/July, and September.

The gathering will consist of:
● Discussion on parenting and sponsorship
● Reflecting on our relationship with God
● Discussion on being Catholic
● Enrichment of our understanding of Baptism
● Rehearsal of the Rite of Baptism

Scheduling Baptisms

The Rite of baptism can occur within or outside of Mass. If the family chooses to schedule a baptism outside of a Mass, we encourage families to celebrate the sacrament on Sundays after the Mass.

Baptisms during a Mass may take place at any Saturday (4:00 PM or 5:30 PM) or Sunday service (9:30 AM or 11:00 AM) provided that another special event is not scheduled for that Mass.

Sponsors/Godparents

Parents have the primary responsibility for raising their child as a Catholic. To help them carry out this responsibility, they choose one or two persons to serve as sponsors.

The two-fold role of the sponsor is to help the parents raise their child as a Catholic and to represent the Catholic Church community into which the child is to be baptized.

The Catholic Church requires that at least one sponsor be a practicing Roman Catholic, who is:

● At least sixteen years of age.
● A fully initiated Catholic. (Has received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.)
● Someone who actively practices the Catholic faith. (Lives their faith in everyday life and attends Mass regularly.)

If desired for pastoral reasons, one sponsor can also be a Christian witness who is:
● At least sixteen years of age.
● A baptized Christian by the trinitarian formula from a Christian denomination (i.e. Anglican, Orthodox, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.)
● Someone who practices the Christian faith. (Lives their faith in everyday life.)