“It is in the womb of the Church where he is transformed from a child of Adam into a child of God.” -Saint Vincent Ferrer
Dear Parents & Godparents,
St. Mary’s shares in your joy at the gift of new life from the Lord! We are delighted that you are planning to present your child for Christian baptism. This page outlines the procedure we follow in order to prepare for and celebrate the baptism of your child. This information is designed to assist you in the process of welcoming your child into the Catholic Faith.
At St. Mary’s, we believe that true conversion and growth happens best in the context of relationship, so we use a mentor model for Baptism preparation. By personally connecting you with a welcoming, faithful couple or individual from St. Mary’s, our hope is that you not only find information, but also friendship and a sense of belonging in our church community.
Keep reading to find more about how the process works. I think you’ll really love meeting your mentor! If you have any questions or concerns about the process of preparation or the celebration of the Sacrament, please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time at (715) 855-1294 ext. 140. You can also download our Baptism Handbook/FAQs!
In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Peter Kieffer
Parochial Vicar
Process for Baptism Preparation
- Complete the Inquiry Form. First, let us know you’re interested in having a child baptized in the Catholic Church with a few pieces of basic information.
- Interview. Once you submit the inquiry form, a member of our team will contact you to talk through the next steps. This is a great chance to ask questions and get to know our parish community.
- Select Godparents. If you’d like help or guidance in choosing the right Godparents, click to read the Baptism Handbook section on Choosing Godparents.
- Meet your Mentor! At St. Mary’s, we use a customized mentoring model in helping you prepare for baptism. You’ll be assigned to a family who will get to know you personally and walk with you on your unique journey of faith and discovery.
- Complete 3 Prep Sessions with your Baptism Mentor. Using the Reborn series through Formed.org, you will learn about the sacrament of Baptism and the important mission of Christian parenting. Once these sessions are scheduled, you may select your baptism date. Godparents are strongly encouraged to attend these sessions with you.
- Schedule the Baptism! Barring any conflicts, you are welcome to choose any regularly scheduled Mass for your ceremony. Private baptisms are permitted in rare cases.
Helpful Forms & Documents
Refer to these items as needed!
- Inquiry Form. This gets the baptism process started! Once submitted, a member of our team will contact you to talk through the next steps.
- Baptism Handbook. This contains an overview of Baptism and the preparation process we follow at St. Mary’s, along with the most commonly asked questions!
- Godparent Affirmation Form Before the baptism date can be confirmed, we need to receive the Affirmation Forms for the Godparents. By means of these forms, the Godparents certify that they fulfill all the requirements for their role as Sponsor for the Catholic Sacrament of Baptism. Godparents who are current, active parishioners of St. Mary’s do not need to complete these forms.
- Christian Witness Affirmation Form If there is already one qualified Catholic Godparent, the second sponsor may be non-Catholic Christian. This sponsor is called a Christian Witness, because they cannot really promise to help the parents raise their godchild in the Catholic faith if they themselves are not Catholic. By means of this form, the Christian Witness attests to their own Christian faith and their willingness to support the parents and child in the Catholic faith.
Baptism Prep Sessions: An Overview
Session 1: A New Creation
Meet your Mentor and explore the biblical significance of Baptism as part of God’s plan for salvation! This session takes place at the Baptism Mentor’s home or at the parish, and is personally scheduled at a time that works with your schedule.
Session 2: The Rite Explained
Walk through the signs and symbols of Baptism during a Church Tour and a special teaching from Father. This session takes place at the parish, with a priest. Choose one of several pre-scheduled sessions at either St. Mary’s or St. Raymond’s.
RSVP is required. Please RSVP to our Parish Receptionist Shelli Julson at SJulson@SMSRCatholic.com Upcoming sessions:
St. Mary:
- Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 9:30am (Conference Rm/Library)
- Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 9:30am (Conference Room/Library)
En Español: St. Mary
- El domingo, 22 de febrero a las 9:30am (Conference Rm/Library)
St. Raymond:
- Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 4:30pm (Library)
- Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 4:30pm (Library)
Session 3: Nurturing the Life of Grace
Learn how your own baptism commissions you to share in Christ’s work as Priest, Prophet and King. This final session takes place at the Baptism Mentor’s home, or at the parish, and is personally scheduled at a time that works with your schedule.
Baptism for Adults or Older Children
Adults or older children seeking baptism should contact our Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation, Jacqueline Van Hemert, at 715-855-1294 x106 or JacquelineEVanHemert@gmail.com.
Questions?
Please contact our Director of Evangelization & Faith Formation
Jacquelien Van Hemert
(715) 855-1294 x106
JVanHemert@SMSRCatholic.com