Baptism
Baptism joins us with Christ in his saving death and resurrection. It not only washes us free of original sin, it incorporates us as members of His body, the Church. It gives us a share in his mission to share the good news and co-build the Kingdom of God.
Infant Baptism
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We typically hold the Baptism of Infants on one Sunday of each month immediately following the 1:00 p.m. Mass. However, the day and time is flexible. We do not hold baptisms during Lent.
Parents are responsible for bringing their child to the Sacrament of Baptism as soon as possible after their birth. In order that a child be baptized, it is necessary that the parents consent to baptism - or at least one of them - and that there is reasonable hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith. To that end, we ask that parents/families regularly practice their faith - attend Mass regularly; partake in the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly; and be formally registered in our parish for at least two (2) months prior to presenting their child for baptism.
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In conjunction with Baptism, a Baptism class is required. It is a one time meeting prior to the celebration of Infant Baptism. We require that both parents attend the Baptism class. If you have attended a Baptism class within the last two years then you are exempt from retaking the class. We also offer class via zoom so that is an option for families.
Please look over the documents linked below ~ the Godparent/Sponsor requirements list and the baptism information sheet where we collect the information about the child that is needed for the baptism.
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Please contact Kammie Richardson, our Director of Religious Education, with all baptism inquiries. Her email address is kammie@sfparish.org & phone number is (231) 947-4620 ext. 222. She will be happy to walk with you through the process.​
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Children, Ages 7-17
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For children, youth and teens, ages 7 -17 seeking to be Baptized into the Catholic Faith, please go to the FAITH FORMATION heading above and go to Becoming Catholic. The preparation process will be described there and, in addition, contact information for the Coordinator of this program is listed there. Please be aware that this program begins in the Fall and continues until Easter.
Adults
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For Adults, age 18 and up, seeking Baptism into the Catholic Faith through Full Initiation in our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program, please visit the FAITH FORMATION heading above and click on Becoming Catholic for information on this program.
Contact information is also found there.
Who can serve as a Godparent or Sponsor?
The persons you choose to be godparents or sponsors are very important! They should be good, patient, knowledgeable and a good witness of the faith. You can choose one, male or female, as is usual for adults, or, two godparents, one male, one female, for an infant or child. They should be Catholic and fully-initiated - received Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist - and, if married, they should have been married or convalidated by the Catholic Church. If single, they cannot be cohabiting outside of marriage. Lastly, they must be regularly practicing the Catholic faith.
Why are these conditions so important? As a Godparent/Sponsor, you are promising to assist the parents of the child (or promising the adult) and to take an active role in the godchild's/sponsee's growth in the Catholic faith. Not meeting these conditions would be like applying for a job that you were not qualified to do. A Godparent is a godparent IN THE CATHOLIC FAITH! A very important and critical role!
If you have ANY questions about this information, contact Kammie Richardson at the Parish Office!