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St. Joseph Catholic Church

Baptism

For Baptism of children 0 to 6 years of age please see requirements below.

  • If you have a child that is 7 years or older that is needing Baptism, please contact our RCIA Director, Dc. David French at dfrench@sjparish.org or 501-327-6568.

Parent requirements:

To get your child baptized at St. Joseph Church you must:

1.  Be registered in the Parish - To register please contact the parish office or go to "About Us" and click "Become a Member" on this website. Once you are registered you will start receiving tithing envelopes in the mail.

2.  Be actively attending Mass - Mass attendance is tracked through tithing envelopes (with or without contribution) placed in the offering basket at Mass. If you forget your envelopes any piece of paper with your name and date placed in the offering basket will work!

3.  Attend a baptism class (this can be done before or after the child is born) - Parents must attend a baptism class prior to the baptism of their child. The class must be repeated if it has been more than 5 years since the last attendance. You can register for the class when you call or email about the baptism. Parents AND godparents need to attend a class. 

4. A Baptismal Registration must be filled out. This form can be filled out in the parish office or can be emailed to you.

 

Godparent requirements: ***ALL these requirements must be met for a person to be able to be a godparent*** 

1. CODE OF CANON LAW: CHAPTER IV: SPONSORS (Godparents)

Can. 872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.

Can. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.

Can. 874 §1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:

1/ be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function;

2/ have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;

3/ be a Catholic who has been Confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;

4/ not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared (this means that if the intended sponsor/godparent is married, this marriage must be a recognized valid marriage in the Catholic Church);

5/ not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.

  • 2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism (also known as a Christian Witness).

From: https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann834-878_en.html

2. Must be in good standing with the Church.

3.  a. If the godparent is a member of St. Joseph:
          i.  He/she must be a registered member of the parish who is actively attending Mass
          ii. He/she must attend a baptism class. 
     b. If he/she is a registered member of another Catholic parish then he/she will need to attain a "Letter of Good Standing" from that parish stating that he/she is a registered member, he/she has permission to be a godparent at our parish, that he/she is in good standing with the church and has met any requirements the his/her parish has for Baptism (ex.: a baptism class, mass attendance). This letter must be received PRIOR to the baptism and stamped with the church's seal.

***PLEASE BE AWARE that all documentation has to be turned in (ex.: church and /or Baptismal reigstration forms, Letters of Good Standing, baptism class certificate, etc.) for the Baptism to be scheduled***

Please contact Susie Acosta at 501-513-6812 or at sacosta@sjparish.org for more information about baptisms, requirements and scheduling.