Baptism (Children From Birth through 1st Grade)

*For Baptism of children 2nd Grade and above, please see information RCIA for Children here: 
http://smgparish.org/rcic-ssp

*For Baptism of adults 18 years of age and older, learn more about RCIA here:
http://smgparish.org/rcia

What is the Sacrament of Baptism?

Baptism is the sacrament of entry into the life and faith of the Church, and begins the child's journey of faith. Baptism is an indelible (permanent) spiritual mark which makes us members of the Family of Christ & His Church.

When are Baptisms celebrated at St. Maria Goretti?

Baptisms are celebrated the 2nd & 3rd Sundays of every month at 2:30pm in the Church.

What information do I need to know before scheduling my child's Baptism?

For Baptism in the Catholic faith, there a few important details:

• At least one parent or legal guardian must be Catholic and request the Baptism of the child.

• A godparent, together with the parent(s), presents a child for Baptism. Parents may choose only one godparent, or may have 2 - one male and one female. If a parent wishes, a child can have one Catholic godparent, and one Christian witness, a non-Catholic, baptized Christian of another faith tradition. The godparent cannot be the parent or step-parent of the child to be baptized.

• A godparent must be age 16 years or older, have received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation, be a practicing Catholic (should regularly attend Sunday Mass and be a faithful Catholic), and if the godparent is married, he/she must be married in the Catholic Church.
   

How do I schedule a Baptism for my child?

We are excited to walk with you and your child for this joyous occasion!

There are a few things we need BEFORE scheduling a baptism at SMG:

1. Baptism Registration Form - To be filled out by the parent(s)/legal guardian requesting the Baptism; this form gives us some key information and also allows you to register for our Baptism preparation sessions.

   Complete and submit this form here: 
   Baptism Registration Form

2. Godparent Information Form - To be filled out by the godparent(s) and Christian witness (if applicable) of your choice; please follow up with your godparent(s) to make sure that this form gets completed promptly

   Share this form with your godparent(s): 
   https://form.jotform.com/smgparish/godparentform

3. "Letter of Goodstanding" - if your child's godparents are not members of St. Maria Goretti, the Diocese requires a "letter of goodstanding" from pastor of the parish in which they are registered. "Letters of Goodstanding" may be turned into Brenda Hawley in the Faith Formation Office or emailed to bhawley@smgparish.org.

4. Baptism Preparation Session - your child's Baptism is a significant and powerful spiritual moment of entry into the family of God. In order to be prepared to present your child for Baptism and to guide him/her on the road of Christian life, we ask that parents (if Catholic) attend a baptismal preparation session. Parents baptizing their child at St. Maria Goretti may register for a preparation session via the "Baptism Preparation Registration Form." If a parent has attended this class at SMG within the last 10 years (or another parish and has a valid certificate of attendance), the preparation session is not required. Godparents are encouraged and welcome to attend and may register via the Godparent Information Form.

After all 4 requirements have been met, parents may contact Brenda Hawley (bhawley@smgparish.org, 817-274-0643 ext. 227), Faith Formation Secretary, to schedule their child's Baptism. 

Not baptizing your child at St. Maria Goretti, but need to attend the Baptism prep session? Go here to register online:  https://smgparish.org/baptismprep