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Baptism

- Sacraments

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
We believe that baptism saves us from the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. It is the Sacrament of Baptism that starts us on our journey of faith. While most receive this sacrament as infants, some are called to baptism later in life. For these situations, please see our site on the Rite of Christian Initiation.

ROLE OF SPONSOR: The purpose of a sponsor/Godparent is to aid the person they sponsor in leading a Christian life in a manner that faithfully fulfills the obligations of the Catholic faith. To do this, they themselves must be living the Catholic faith. The requirements to be accepted into the role of a sponsor within the Catholic Church for Baptism are the same for those of Confirmation. To be a sponsor a person must:
- be chosen by the person to be baptized, or by the parents or guardians of the child, or, in their absence, by the pastor or minister of the sacrament;
- be at least 16 years old;
- be a Catholic having received the three Sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with the faith* and the role to be undertaken;
- not be impeded by some canonical penalty;
- not be the father or the mother of the one to be baptized;
- must be one (1) man and/or one (1) woman.
*For greater clarification, “a life in harmony with the faith” includes one’s state in life. If married, the person must be married in the Catholic Church; if single, the person must be living a chaste life (not cohabitating, for example). Since the role of a sponsor provides a crucial witness and support for the person being received into the Church, it is essential for the sponsor to meet all the above requirements.
A sponsor must obtain a “sponsor certificate” from his/her parish indicating he/she is eligible to be a sponsor. The sponsor certificate must be sent to the parish office at least two weeks prior to the Baptism and indicate that the sponsor received all three Sacraments of Christian initiation. A sponsor letter is attached at the end of the guidelines, if needed.

If you have a child who is ready to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, please review the baptism guidelines below and complete the Baptism form for each child.
Baptism Guidelines
- Baptism Guidelines
- Sponsor(Godparent) Form
Request for Baptism form
The maximum number of form submissions has been reached. This form is currently not available.
- Today's Date REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter a date.
- First Name REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
  
  Last Name REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
- Phone Number REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter a phone number.
- Email REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter an email address.
- Child's Name
  Please enter the name as it appears on the birth certificate. If the baby isn't born yet just put Last name and when the baby is due
  Please enter valid data.
- Child's Date of Birth
  If the baby isn't born yet, please put due date
  Please enter a date.
- City/State of Birth Please enter valid data.
- Father's Name
  Please enter the full name of the father.
  Please enter valid data.
- Mother's Name
  Please enter the full name of the mother, including maiden name.
  Please enter valid data.
- Street Address REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
- City REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
  
  State REQUIRED Please fill out this field.
  
  Zip REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter a zip code.
- Date of Baptism REQUIRED
  We have scheduled Baptisms the 2nd Saturday of the Month at 11:30am except during Lent. If you need to have a different date, please let us know and we can see if special arrangements can be made.
  Please fill out this field.
- Comments
  If Other or To be Determined is selected, please put comments
- Baptism Prep class (if haven't attended in past 3 yrs)
  Please select a date if you haven't attended a Baptism Prep class in the past 3 years. We recommend you try and attend the one in the same month of the Baptism but you may attend any class prior to the Baptism.
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Saint Mary's Catholic Church

Serving Dover, Wharton & Mine Hill, New Jersey

Baptism

Baptism Guidelines

Request for Baptism form