Baptism

Dear Parents:
Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby!

Our Catholic Community joins you in thanking God for the gift of new life. As you are seeking the baptism of your child in the Roman Catholic Church, the following guidelines are presented to help you embark upon this journey of faith with Christ and his Church.
 
A. The Sanctifying Role of the Church
Through Baptism, God enables us to participate in his life in Jesus Christ and makes us his children. It is through this sacrament that we receive the Holy Spirit and become members of the People of God, of the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Baptism becomes our commitment to grow in this new life and to strive to acquire spiritual maturity. By baptism, God purifies us from sin.

Baptism is the sacrament of faith which has the Risen Christ as its source, and it is the offer of salvation for all people.  Intimately linked to Confirmation and to Eucharist, Baptism is, with these two sacraments, Christian Initiation. The child is baptized in the faith of his/her parents, of his/her godparents and of the Church.
 
B. Basic Guidelines and Information for Infant Baptism
Parents are responsible for bringing their child to the Sacrament of Baptism as soon after birth as possible. Except in case of necessity, the church is the usual place of baptism.
 
In order that a child be baptized, it is necessary that…

• the parents consent, or at least one of them, or someone legally standing in their place,
• and that there is reasonable hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith.

 
GODPARENTS: A person may only have one or two godparents (also called sponsors); if two are chosen, they must be male and female.
In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent, these are the requirements…

• they be chosen by the parents,
• have the ability and the intention to fulfill the role,
• be at least 16 years of age, and…
• be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist, is leading a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith (including Marriage) and will be a good role model for the one being baptized,
• and be neither the father nor the mother of the child.
• A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a “Christian witness” (not a godparent) provided that there is at least one Roman Catholic godparent who fulfills the above criteria. A non-baptized person cannot be a witness.

 
C. Baptismal Preparation 
In order to respect your request for the baptism of your child, you are invited to follow closely the stages of preparation offered below...

• Contact the parish office and express your desire to have your child baptized. Please bring birth certificate or hospital certificate of your child, and the correct information of the godparents. 
• Open yourself to the invitation to actively join the faith community of your parish.  If you are not registered parishioners, please consider becoming involved in the prayer and celebration of the Sunday Eucharistic community.
• Parents and grandparents need to attend a baptismal preparation session before the baptism. Contact the office for days and time. 
• If the Godparents do not live locally and cannot attend the baptismal preparation sessions they are welcome to attend any of these sessions at their local Roman Catholic Church, and mail or bring their certificate/letter of attendance to Christ the King parish office. 

It is extremely important to take your faith-life seriously because, before God, you have taken on an awesome responsibility for the salvation of another—your own child!  Your commitment and openness to baptismal preparation will help develop the faith-life of your child as he/she matures.
 
D. Day of Baptism 
Please arrive to the church 15 minutes before the baptisms. 
It is highly recommended to bring a candle, a shell, a towel to dry your child’s head, and the child to be dressed in white. 
 
Marital Status
Baptism is not denied if the parents are unmarried or not married in the Roman Catholic Church. If your status is not in harmony with the Roman Catholic understanding of sacramental marriage, please inquire as to how we may help you enter into proper sacramental marriage or, if need be, seek a declaration of nullity by the Church.                                                   
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All of the above information applies to INFANT Baptism only.  If you have a child to be baptized who has reached catechetical age/the age of reason (Grade 2 or 7 years), you and they will receive different preparation.  Having sufficient understanding, the preparation will now be for the full complement of the Sacraments of Initiation, ie. baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.
 
May God richly bless and guide you in your journey of faith!
Baptisms are scheduled on the second Sunday of each month in Spanish and on the third Sunday of the month in English, at 2:00 pm, by appointment only.

Baptisms are also celebrated on some Saturdays. Please contact the office for information. 

Additional Information
Please contact the Parish Office to check for availability or to make arrangements at  (323) 465-7605.

Baptismal Preparation (for Adults)
If you want to learn more about the Catholic Church, prepare for initiation into the Catholic Church through Baptism, or receive the First Communion as an adult, RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is the process to initiate.

For More information please contact:

• Director of Religious Education Sr. Alicia Hernandez, CVD at (323) 465 7605.
• Coordinator Vilma Santos (English)
• Coordinator Dn. Felix Rac