Baptism Guidelines & Policies

BAPTISM GUIDELINES & POLICIES

The Sacrament of Baptism on Saturdays.  All requirements must be met prior to the baptism.

Parents are required to have attended a Baptismal Preparation Seminar to be able to baptize their child at St. Pius.  St. Pius provides this class every other month beginning in January.  A prior class and/or one taken through another Catholic church is acceptable.  Parents are encouraged to attend during pregnancy.  The church bulletin announces upcoming classes.

If the parents are not married, and the father’s name is to appear in the church records, a state-issued birth certificate must be presented.  If the birth certificate has not yet been issued, arrangements must be made for both parents to sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity, at the Parish Office, where it will be notarized.  These arrangements will be made when you are contacted by the parish staff, after filling out the online Registration form.  If these requirements are not met, only the mother’s name will appear on the baptism record.

Please consider the following in choosing a godparent for your child:

1. They must be a Confirmed, practicing Catholic, 16 years or older.
2. They must intend to fulfill their role to be a model of faith for your child.
3. Though most choose a godfather and a godmother, only one godparent is required.
4. There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each. It is not permissible to have two godparents of the same gender.
5. A baptized person of another Christian faith, baptized using the Trinitarian Formula, may be chosen to be a Christian Witness if the other godparent is a Confirmed, practicing Catholic.
6. If one godparent meets the requirements of eligibility please know that it does not mean that:
   1. the other godparent can be a Catholic who has not yet been Confirmed
   2. the other godparent can be a Catholic in an invalid marriage
   3. the other godparent can be a Catholic who is not living out their faith
7. There is no designation of a person as an honorary godparent.
8. A person cannot be removed from the baptismal records as a godparent when the relationship with that person may change later in life. This is a permanent spiritual relationship.

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