Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism

The Sacraments of Christian Initiation lay the foundation for the entire Christian life. The first of these is Baptism, which is the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the life of grace. Through Baptism, we are freed from all sin and born again of water and the Holy Spirit as adopted sons and daughters of God. Through Baptism, we are made a new creation, and we become members of Christ and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
 

Prior to presenting their child for Baptism, parents and godparents are required to attend a baptismal preparation class. Requirements for godparents are listed in the "Godparents/Sponsors" section below. Baptismal preparation class at St. Michael is valid for 4 years starting in March of 2019. Mothers, we recommend that you and your party attend the preparation session in your 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy so that there is plenty of time to get everything in order.

We offer the classes on the 2^nd Tuesday evening of each month (except in December) from 6:30 – 9:00 pm in Activity Building Room 1. Child care is available next door in the nursery. If you have any children under 1 year old, you may bring them into class with you. The next opportunity for this class is April 9, 2019. After that, we will offer the class on May 14, 2019.

Registration is required prior to attending a session. Please fill out the Infant Baptism Inquiry Form below to register. 

In order to baptize your child at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, you must be registered parishioners or live within the parish boundaries.

Baptisms are conducted during the weekend Masses. Space is limited. Parents may register for a Baptism Liturgy upon completion of the Baptism Preparation Session, paperwork, and the birth of the child. Baptism dates are available on a first come, first serve basis. You cannot schedule the Baptism until all preparation requirements are met and we have all required documents: 1. A copy of your child's birth certificate. 2. Baptism Information Form. 3. Proof of attendance at a Baptism Preparation Session. 4. Signed copies of the Commitment to Serve as Godparents affidavits. You can access all of the documents you need to fill out in the "Documents" section below.

A sponsor (more commonly referred to as a godparent) has a special relationship to the person who is to be baptized. A godparent serves as a model of Catholic Christian living for the individual he/she is serving, as that person is renewed and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A child must have one godparent, but may have up to one godmother and one godfather. Any godparent must be 16 years of age or older and be a practicing Catholic, and cannot be the parent of the child. Inspired by the Gospel and sustained by God’s grace, a practicing Catholic gives sincere external expression to their interior faith through specific religious, moral, and ethical behavior, which is in accordance with the teaching of Christ and the Catholic Church. Despite weaknesses and personal sinfulness, a practicing Catholic decides to make only those substantive life choices which follow the “Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6) of Christ. For example, a practicing Catholic:
- has received all three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation
- lives a sacramental life, i.e. attending Mass at least every Sunday, receiving Communion, 
  making use of the sacrament of Reconciliation frequently
- is a registered member of a Catholic parish
- may not be living a life of habitual sin
- (if married) must either be in a valid Catholic marriage or be convalidated by the Catholic Church
- (if single) cannot be cohabitating

The person you are considering to be the godparent of your child should be leading a life of faith in harmony with the ministry they are undertaking. He/she must have the intention of undertaking the ministry of a sponsor.

A non-Catholic Christian may serve as a Christian Witness along with one Catholic godparent only. A Christian Witness must have received a Trinitarian Baptism (Baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit) and be practicing their faith in a non-Catholic, Christian denomination. A Christian Witness needs to understand his/her responsibility in being a faithful Christian example for his/her godchild. If a parent or godparent fails in his/her responsibility to raise the child Catholic, the Christian Witness is required to attend Mass every Sunday with his/her godchild, take his/her godchild to faith formation programs and classes, pray with his/her godchild, etc.

We ask the godparents and Christian Witnesses to attend the baptism session with the parents so that they are fully formed to undertake the task ahead of them. Being a Godparent is a lifelong committment, so this class will help you prepare you to do the best job you can. The salvation of the godchild is (partially) the Godparent's responsibility, so we want to make sure you are fully formed for the job.

If you have questions or would like to know more, please contact our office.

The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus.  Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist.  The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters.  . . .  Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin.  However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | en español

Pray

• Thanksgiving for a Newborn or a Newly Adopted Young Child 
• Parent's Thanksgiving 
• Blessing on a Child's Birthday 

Learn

• Explore the USCCA to learn about the liturgy of Baptism and the effects of the sacrament. | en español
• A Mother's Reflection on Liturgy: Word, Sign, Symbol, Ritual 

Act

• Baptism: Incorporated into Christ's Body, Sent on Christ's Mission | en español
• What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?: Teaching our Children about the Saints | en español

The paperwork process will begin after you take the Baptism class. If you are planning to have your child baptized at St. Michael, you will need to complete all of the forms listed in the "Documents" section below. 

1)  You will also need to email the Baptism Office a copy of your child's government-issued certified birth certificate. Send it to the email address listed inthe "Contact Us" section below. If you do not already have your child's certified birth certificate, you will need to request it from the county. You can most likely receive it short-notice if you go pick it up in person.

2)  Please fill out the first part of the Baptismal Information form exactly as the information is listed in your child’s certified birth certificate. This means that the full name of the child, mother, and father must be written on the form exactly as they are written on the birth certificate. The same rule applies for the birth date, city, country. For example, if the birth certificate only lists your child being born in Harris County and doesn’t mention a city, do not write “Houston” in the city line. Leave the city line blank. Please fill the second part of the form out based upon your current information. This includes your contact information, your religion, your parishioner status, the date you took the baptism class, and the godparent information. .
 
3)  I have also attached a Sponsor Commitment for each Godparent to sign. If a non-Catholic Christian will be Witnessing to the Baptism, he/she does not need to sign the form.
 
Once the office receives the required documents, we can reserve a baptism date.  Expecting parents, please note that we do not schedule dates until your baby is born.
 
Please also register for St. Michael’s resource called FORMED. The PDF below talks more about FORMED and how to register.  You will see that you can tune-in at home, on your lunch break, in the car, etc.  Once you create an account, browse through the website and become familiar with how it works.  You can also download the free app on your phone or tablet.  We use FORMED in baptism class.  I hope you become excited about FORMED and take advantage of its resources to assist your whole family in its ongoing faith formation.