Baptisms
Our Parish Community thanks you for choosing to Baptize your child here at
St. Joseph. Hopefully, this will be the first of a lifetime of Sacraments and encounters with the Lord. During the Baptism, we celebrate and reflect on God’s unconditional love and welcome your child into our Catholic faith.
Registering a newborn through six years of age
Please bring the following to the Parish Center at the time of registration:
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Original Birth certificate or Hospital certificate (only if the child is less than four months)
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Identification Card
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Donation of $75.00
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Sponsor first and last name
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A family member or friend may register a child if the parents live out of town. We only ask that you bring a notarized letter from the parents granting you permission to enroll the child. Parents must also send proof that they took Pre-Baptismal classes at their home Parish before the Baptismal date.
Baptismal Celebrations
Baptisms at our parish are offered only as group baptisms. Throughout the year, Spanish Baptisms are celebrated on Saturday’s at 9:00 a.m. However, only English Baptisms are celebrated on the last Saturday of each month. You may register for the date of your choice, depending on availability.
Pre-Baptismal Classes
Parents and Sponsors need to attend a Pre-Baptismal class or provide proof that they have taken classes within the last 12 months. Included in the $75 donation to register is the pre-baptismal class (you do not need to register separately for this). Pre-baptismal classes are held every Tuesday from 6:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. in the Parish Center. We ask that you confirm the date of class you are assigned at registration as the majority of the classes we offer are in Spanish with only one English class per month. Should you need to reschedule it is best to know in advance when the next class would be available. Please notify us if you will be taking the classes at another Parish.
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Due to the nature of the class, we recommend that you do not bring children. We understand that finding a babysitter can be challenging, so if you do not have one, we recommend that parents take the class on two different dates before the baptism celebration so that one parent can stay home with the child.
Sponsor Norms
Sponsors need to be over 18 years of age, practicing Catholics**, and have received the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. There can only be two sponsors. If the Sponsors are a couple (and are living together), they need to be married by the Church. For the couple, a marriage certificate will suffice, and they are not required to bring sacramental certificates. Sponsors residing outside our Parish boundaries may attend classes at their Parish and provide proof that they have taken the class before to the baptismal date.
** A Baptized non - Catholic could be a “Christian Witness,” please ask the Deacon or Priest for more information.