We are excited to prepare with you for the baptism of your child! As the Catechism proclaims, “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1213)
Baptisms at St. Thomas the Apostle are celebrated three times a month for infants and children under the age of seven years old. No Baptisms are performed during Lent or on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
To schedule baptism, please contact baptism@sta2.org. Parents must attend two baptism workshops.
Adults and Children over 7 seeking Baptism must go through RCIA. To Learn more, Click Here or give us a call at 734-761-8606.
More on Baptism:
Baptism—and all sacraments, for that matter—are much more than the moment of celebration. They neither begin nor end with the liturgical ritual. They are celebrations of lived experiences. They exist before, during and after the celebration.
The ritual of Baptism does not bring God’s love into being as if that love did not exist before the ceremony. Rather, Baptism is the Church’s way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God who first loved us from the moment of our conception. Baptism is a ritualization and manifestation of something real—of the outpouring of God’s Spirit and of our acceptance of that transforming love. It remains for us to grow into what we already are: daughters and sons of God. Baptism celebrates a family’s and a community’s experience of that love in the baptized.
The Role of the Godparent:
Being a Godparent is not just an honor to be given to a good friend or relative, but someone who will have a personal and lasting influence on the child’s religious development. Godparents are present with parents to profess the Church’s faith in which the child is being baptized and proclaim that they will help the parents to exemplify to the child how to live that faith.
It is a serious responsibility for the parents to choose well who will be the Godparent(s) of their child. Parents need to ensure that the Godparent(s) understand the time, willingness and faith required of them. God parenting is more than an honor; it is a ministry and sacred vocation in the Catholic Church. Godparent(s) must meet the following requirements:
- Mature enough to undertake this responsibility (at least 16 years old)
- Catholic: One Catholic Godparent is required, although both a Catholic Godmother and a Godfather are preferred:
- Catholic person(s) who themselves have been baptized, confirmed and sharing in the Eucharist, and
active, practicing, registered member(s) of a Catholic parish, whom are able to share their faith with
the child - Of different genders: If there is only one Godparent, that Godparent may be of either gender. If there are two Godparents or one Godparent and one Christian witness, they must be one of different genders.
- A Baptized, believing and actively participating Christian who is not a Catholic may act as a Christian witness, along with a Catholic Godparent.