Baptismal Preparation

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Baptism

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit…, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." (CCC 1213)

Requirements for Parents:

The only requirement the Church has of parents is that at least one of them commit to raising the child in the faith, and that both give their permission for the child to be baptized. To that end, we also require that the committed parent(s) also attend additional formation unless they have done so within the last 5 years, or this requirement is waived by the pastor.[1]

Please note: Because our records require that a complete and accurate entry be made of the baptism, in the case of an unwed mother, the name of the father cannot be entered without the supporting evidence of a valid state certificate of live birth, or an authentic statement signed by the father and witnessed by a notary public.


Sponsor(s) (only one is required but two is accepted):

Every person initiated into the church must have a sponsor. The sponsor is to be a fully initiated (confirmed) Catholic who lives the faith in a visible fashion. The witness (second sponsor), for special reasons, may be a baptized Christian of another denomination, living the Christian faith. ONLY the sponsor being a Catholic will be used as a godparent for our records. Once a baptism has occurred, all information will be recorded in our records. The person(s) you have chosen for godparents cannot be changed at a later date. This is because they are the witness to what has taken place at that time.

Requirements for the Sponsors(s) (a.k.a. Godparents)

1. Every person initiated into the church must have at least one sponsor. A child may have as many as two sponsors, but one must be female and the other male. The sponsor is to be a fully initiated (confirmed) Catholic, of at least 16 years of age, and must live the faith in a visible fashion, which means at minimum going to Mass every Sunday and, if married, is married in the Church. Sponsors also have the same expectation to attend a baptism formation program as the parents do as described above.

If the parents wish that a person who is not Catholic play a special role in the baptism, that person may participate as a Christian witness. This can be accommodated only IN ADDITION TO a sponsor who meets the above requirements and who is of the opposite gender of the desired witness. The witness must be baptized in a non-Catholic Christian denomination and living the Christian faith.  Please note: the Christian witness cannot be a Catholic who simply does not meet the above requirements. In the church’s records, only the sponsor will be recorded as a godparent, while note will be made of the witness, as a witness.

2. Any godparent not a parishioner of St. John Francis Regis or St. Catherine in Arnaudville will need a letter from their pastor stating that they are a practicing confirmed Catholic able to serve as a godparent. Please send in confirmation certificates for the godparents or an updated baptismal certificate.

2. All information needs to be turned in to the Parish Office before a baptism can be scheduled and Father Abadie signs the forms. Any questions, contact Betty Sanders, 337-754-5912.

The Baptismal Interview form can be printed and completed and sent with other documents to bsanders@arnaudvillecatholic.org or you can complete the online form which will be automatically sent to the office