Baptism

Catholic Sacraments are milestones in our lives, where God reveals to us His great love and especially who He is. 

Baptism is the First of the Three Sacraments of Initiation in the Roman Catholic Tradition. Confirmation and Holy Eucharist are the other two.

The word baptism in its origins is Greek and means "immersion" and "bath." Immersion in water is a sign of death and emersion out of the water means new life. To bathe in water is also to undergo cleansing. Saint Paul sums up this truth when he says, "You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col 2:12). USCCB

For Solemn Baptism, the minister is either a deacon, priest or bishop. Roman Catholics use the Trinity formula “ ___ I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” . You only can be baptized once and it is permanent.  In danger of death, anyone can baptize. You must pour plain water over the persons head and use the formula above.
Checklist for Baptism:

Please use the following checklist to ensure that you have completed the necessary steps for Baptism at St. Therese.

• Are you a registered member at St. Therese?
• Have you completed and submitted the Baptism Questionnaire?
• Have you reviewed the “Guidelines for choosing a sponsor for Baptism”?
• Has your sponsor obtained his/her sponsor letter from their parish?
• Has your sponsor submitted his/her sponsor letter? Sponsor letters can be emailed to ebueno@sainttherese.net 
• Once you have completed the above steps and the office has received the sponsor letter, you (parents) are now ready to sign up for a Pre Baptismal Prep class.
• Once the office receives the sponsor letter and confirmation that parents have attended the Pre Baptismal class, you may schedule your child’s baptism date.

To schedule your child’s baptism you must first ensure you are registered with the Church.  It is also required that you (the parents) have attended a Baptismal Preparation Class.  It is offered at St. Therese once a month.  You can call the Faith Formation office to sign up for the class.  There is also a Baptism Questionnaire that must be filled out and returned to the office prior to taking the class.  You will also need to review the Sponsorship Guidelines for picking a godparent.  Baptisms are held on one Saturday and one Sunday each month.  Please contact Emely Bueno to schedule your baptism and to receive a Baptismal Questionnaire.  Expect the process to take approximately two months depending on parish registration status, preparation class schedule and receiving the godparent letters.