Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism, the first of the three sacraments of initiation is also the first of the seven sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church. It removes the guilt and effects of original sin and incorporates the baptized into the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ on earth.
 

At St. Philomene:

As Catholics, baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of our faith commitment. Infant baptism is for all who are under the (age of 7). We celebrate Baptisms on the second Saturday of each month 11am in Spanish and 12pm in English. Prior to Baptism, parents and godparents are invited to attend Baptism Preparation Class on the second Saturday of the month at 10am, or the month before the baptism. (The class is bilingual). 

 For Parents
Preparation for your child's Baptism may be made before the birth.  Once the County issued Birth Certificate has been obtained and all preparation has been completed then a date may be set. A donation of $50 is given (cash or check payable to St. Philomene Parish).

For Godparents
The role of the Godparent is to help their Godchild lead a Christian Life. Also, If the parents are not able to fulfill their responsibility any longer, the Godparents will ensure the Christian upbringing  of the Child.

Requirements for Being a Godparent

•  Godparents must be Catholic,
•  must have received all 3 sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist & Confirmation),
• be in good standing with the Catholic Church,
• faithfully practice his /her faith actively,
• if married, must be married in the Catholic Church. (Present copy of marriage certificate). 
• Only two godparents are allowed per child (man & woman), but only one is required. 
• If the Godparent is single must present a copy of the sacraments (Baptism, Eucharist & Confirmation).

If the God parent is not married and has a live-in-partner, such a person is not acceptable for the role of a Godparent! If the person is a Christian, but not a Catholic, he/she can only be a Christian Witness to the Baptism, but not a Godparent! (Please note that a Baptized Catholic, not practicing the Catholic Faith does not qualify as a Christian Witness).Non baptized persons cannot be either a Godparent or a Christian Witness. None the less, there must be at least one Catholic Godparent.

Day of Baptism Reminders

• Arrive 15 minutes before scheduled time.
• The parking lot entrance is on Bell Street, the entrance to the church will be through the side door next to the plazita.
• Parents (with the child) sit on the center aisle of the bench. Godparents sit next to them.
• Other family members and friends are to sit behind the reserved signs.
• Please make sure cell phones are turned off.

  
Out of respect for the sanctity of the sacrament and the church, we ask that you please tell your guests not to move around the church to take pictures. However, they may move to take a picture of the actual baptism. Additional pictures may be taken at the end. 






The 



Sacrament of Baptism, the first of the three sacraments of Christian initiation, is also the first of the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. It removes the guilt and effects of original sin and incorporates the baptized person into the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ on earth.

At St. Philomene:

At St. Philomena Parish: As Catholics, baptism is the first step on a lifelong journey of faith. Infant baptism is for all children under  7 years old . We celebrate baptisms on the second Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. in Spanish and at 12:00 p.m. in English. Before the baptism, we invite parents and godparents to attend the Baptismal Preparation class on the second Saturday of the month at 10:00 a.m., or the month prior to the baptism. (The class is bilingual.) 


For Parents:
 Preparation for your child's baptism can begin before birth. Once the county birth certificate has been obtained and all preparations are complete, a date can be set. A donation of $50 (cash or check payable to  St. Philomene Parish ) is requested. 

 For Godparents:
 The role of a godparent is to help their godchild live a Christian life. Furthermore, if the parents are no longer able to fulfill this responsibility, the godparents will take charge of the child's Christian upbringing. 

Requirements to be a Godparent:

• The godparents must be Catholic.
•  having received the three sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation),
•   to be in full communion with the Catholic Church,
• actively practice your faith,
• If they are married, they must be married in the Catholic Church (submit a copy of the marriage certificate). 
• Two godparents are allowed per child (male and female), but only one is required. 
• If the godfather/godmother is single, they must present a copy of their sacraments (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation).

If the godparent is not married and lives with their partner, they cannot be a godparent.  
If the person is Christian but not Catholic, they can only be a Christian witness to the baptism, not a godparent. (Note that a baptized Catholic who does not practice the Catholic faith cannot be a Christian witness.) Unbaptized individuals cannot be godparents or Christian witnesses. There must be at least one Catholic godparent. 

Reminders for the Day of Baptism

• Arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
• The entrance to the parking lot is on Bell Street, the entrance to the church will be through the side door next to the small square.
• The parents (with the child) sit in the central aisle of the bank. The godparents sit next to them.
• Other family members and friends should sit behind the reserved signs.
• Please make sure your cell phones are turned off.

Out of respect for the sanctity of the sacrament and the church, we ask that you instruct your guests not to move around the church to take photographs. However, they may move around to take a photo of the baptism. Additional photos may be taken afterward.