Baptism

Infant English baptisms are celebrated on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at 10:00 AM.

Infant Spanish baptisms are celebrated on the first and third Saturdays of the month at 10:00 AM.

Our parish rejoices when a new member is added to our Catholic Family through the sacrament of Baptism.

Adults considering baptism in the Catholic Church can learn more about the process on our Adult Programs page.

Here are the steps to take before your child's Baptism date can be scheduled:

• If you do not live within our parish boundaries, you will need to obtain a letter of permission from your current parish or the parish in your boundary.
• Parent(s) and godparent(s) must attend an entire Baptism Preparation class. Written proof of attendance at a Baptism Preparation class at Saint William or another Catholic Church within the last two years must be provided with other paperwork.
• Parents must provide a copy of the child's state-issued birth certificate or the Verification of Live Birth from the hospital where the child was born.
• When all required documents are ready, parents should bring them to the front desk. Doing so provides parents with the opportunity to ask questions and gives us the chance to review qualifications for godparents as well as the necessary documents.

A Baptism preparation course for parents and godparents can be taken online, while every 3rd Saturday of the month there is a live class in Spanish at 8:30 AM.

If anyone needs to take a baptism course, they can take the online course below ($9.99 fee) and print out a certificate (couples can take it together but must register their names together in order to appear on one certificate).  

https://ascensionpress.com/products/belonging-baptism-in-the-family-of-god-certification-course

 

Consent of at least one of the parents is required for a child to be baptized and there must be a “well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the catholic religion” (Code of Canon Law 868).

The one to be baptized is required to have a godparent. One godparent is sufficient; but there may be two godparents, one of each gender. Requirements to be a godparent include:

• A godparent for a Catholic baptism must be a fully initiated, practicing Catholic. A “fully initiated, practicing Catholic” must have received all of the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist (First Communion) and Confirmation, and must attend Mass regularly.
• Godparents must be 16 years of age or older. Parents of the child cannot be his or her godparents.
• Godparents must live lives of faith befitting the role of godparents.
• If godparents are married, their marriage(s) must be recognized by the Catholic Church as valid.
• Godparents must complete and sign the Baptism Sponsor Covenant Form.
• Godparents must participate in a Baptism Preparation class at Saint William, or provide written proof of attendance at a Baptism Preparation class at another Catholic parish within the last two years.

The Sacrament of Baptism will be scheduled after all requirements are fulfilled by the parent(s) and godparent(s). If the person selected as a godparent is not fully initiated into the Catholic Church, and/or is not in a Catholic marriage, he/she may be eligible to be a Christian witness, but not a godparent.

If there are any questions or concerns about baptismal preparation at Saint William, please call the parish office at 512-255-4473.

For more information about Baptism requirements and scheduling, please come to the front desk and pick up an information packet.