Member Requirements for Parents:
- Be a registered member of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
- If you would like to join St. Joseph Catholic Church, complete our Registration Form.
- The norm for parents presenting children for baptism is that they give their consent for the child to be baptized in the faith.
Parent Baptism Class:
- It is strongly encouraged that parents requesting Baptism for their child to both attend a Baptism Preparation Class prior to scheduling and celebrating the baptism of each child.
- We highly recommend you attend a class while still pregnant, so your child can be baptized as soon as possible.
- This class is required if this is your first child baptized in our parish or if your last class attended in our parish was more than 5 years ago.
Birth Certificate:
- A copy of a state issued birth certificate (issued through a county) or the birth record for children must be in the parish office prior to scheduling the baptism.
- It is important that the parish be able to properly identify and verify the child’s birth information (i.e. parent’s names, legal name of child, etc.) when preparing the Baptism Certificate.
Sponsors (Godparents):
You must choose one or two sponsors (Godparents) for your child. If you choose two, it must be a man and a women. A sponsor must be an active, practicing Catholic. The sponsor must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 16 years of age.
- Be a fully initiated Catholic (one who has received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation).
- Leads a life of faith and in good standing with the Catholic Church (i.e. actively practicing the faith, attending Mass regularly).
- If married, his/her marriage was celebrated by a Catholic Priest or Deacon in a Catholic Church (unless otherwise dispensed).
- If not married, he/she is not living in a relationship of cohabitation.
- If he/she has children, the children are being raised in and actively practicing their Catholic Faith.
- Your Sponsor(s), must complete a Sponsor Certificate of Eligibility Form (provided at the baptism class or from the parish office).
- Sponsors are often from out-of-town. If they are unable to be present on the day of the Baptism, they can be represented by proxy. A proxy can be a family member, a friend or a parishioner who will stand in for your official Sponsor on the day of the baptism.
- Along with one Catholic sponsor, a baptized non-Catholic can be a Christian witness to the baptism. (Families will often call the Christian witness a “Godparent”.)
If you wish to have your child baptized, please call the office at 269-962-0165 for next steps.