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Baptism

Thank you for considering Baptism for your child at St. Teresa of Calcutta. What a wonderful first step in their Catholic journey. Baptisms at our parish may take place at either of our churches, North Lake or Monches, during or after Mass. To discuss Baptism, please call the Parish Office at 262-966-2191 and ask to speak with Deacon Allen. He will take care of preparations for your day of celebration.

Explanation

Baptism is the sacrament of faith which has the Risen Christ as its source, and it is the offer of salvation for all people. Intimately linked to Confirmation and to Eucharist, Baptism is, with these two sacraments, Christian Initiation. The child is baptized in the faith of their parents, godparents and of the Church.

Basic Guidelines and Information for Infant (to include young children) Baptism (Code of Canon Law, cc. 867-868; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1251)

Parents are responsible for bringing their child to the Sacrament of Baptism as soon after birth as possible. Except in case of necessity, the church is the usual place of Baptism.

In order for a child to be baptized, it is necessary to have consent from the parents, or at least one of them, or someone legally standing in their place, and that there is reasonable hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith.

Godparents: A person may only have one or two godparents (also called sponsors); if two are chosen, they must be male and female.

In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent they must be chosen by the parents, have the ability and the intention to fulfill the role, be at least 16 years of age, and be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist, is leading a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith (including Marriage) and will be a good role model for the one being baptized, and be neither the father nor the mother of the child.

A baptized person who belongs to another Christian community may be admitted only as a “Christian witness” (not a godparent) provided that there is at least one Roman Catholic godparent who fulfills the above criteria. A non-baptized person cannot be a witness (Code of Canon Law, cc. 872-874; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1255).

Adult Baptism: If you are an adult and wish to become a Catholic, Baptism is the first step toward a total connection with God and His Church. Please contact Deacon Allen to discuss the entire process.