How to have your child baptized at St. Joseph's
How to Schedule your child's Baptism and your own Baptism Preparation
All baptisms at St. Joseph’s are scheduled first come first serve by calling the parish office (609-927-3568) during normal business hours (Mon-Fri 8:30-3:30). Baptisms are scheduled on Sundays at 1:15pm. Special scheduling may also be accommodated depending on personnel availability.
In-person baptism preparation sessions are scheduled at 7:00pm on the second Wednesday of each month. Please call the parish office to reserve a spot.
To schedule you will need the following information:
- Parent’s and child’s names
- Child’s birth date (and an original birth/adoption certificate if the parents are not married.)
- Parents address, phone number, email, etc.
- Parent’s religion
- If the child is adopted, a copy of the adoption certificate is required.
Choosing Godparents
You should choose your child’s godparents carefully. They will be asked to make a promise to help you (the parents) raise your child in the Catholic Faith. We try to respect family preferences but need to keep in mind this primary role of godparents. For this reason the church has a number of requirements for selecting godparents. A person may only have one or two godparents (also called sponsors); if two are chosen, they must be male and female.
A godparent must be:
- chosen by the parents,
- have the ability and the intention to fulfill the role of godparent,
- be at least 16 years of age,
- be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist, 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. Questions should be directed to our deacon at baptism@stjosephsomerspoint.org.
