Celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism @ IC
Together as a parish family, we offer our warmest congratulations on the birth of your child! The baptism of your child is a time of great celebration and joy - both for your family, as well as for our community, as we prepare to welcome our newest member into God’s family through the waters of faith. It is the first and most important step you will take as Catholic parents in the life of faith of your child as it is the essential sacrament in becoming a disciple of Christ. Baptism initiates us into the Body of Christ, indelibly marking us as His. It is the sign that reminds us that we are loved and created in God’s own image.
Scheduling Baptisms:
In our parish community, we traditionally celebrate Baptisms (for infants and children up to the age of 7*) on the second & fourth Sundays of each month at Noon, following the conclusion of our 10:30 A.M. Mass – except during Lent. Other exceptions may also apply, so please confirm the availability of your desired date with our Parish Office prior to extending invitations to family and friends. If you are seeking to have your child baptized at our parish, please contact our Parish Office via telephone @ 773.775.3833 at least one month prior to the desired date to begin making the necessary arrangements with a member of our parish staff, who will guide you through the process. We will do our best to accommodate your requested date - based upon the needs of your family, as well as the availability of our Church.
Baptismal Preparation Session Requirement:
Families electing to baptize their infant at our parish are invited to register to attend a Baptismal Preparation Session prior to their child’s Baptism, which offers parents insight and guidance concerning the Sacrament of Baptism (achieved through group discussion as well as a featured video presentation.) Our Baptismal Preparation sessions are held on the second Tuesdays of the following months: January, March, May, July, September, and November from 7:30-9:00 P.M. in our Rectory Assembly. It is not mandatory for Godparents to attend the session, but they are welcome to accompany the parents if they so desire. If parents have already attended the session at our parish within the past five years, the class requirement will be waived. Although it is not required for you to be a registered parishioner at our parish in order to celebrate your child’s Baptism with us at IC, you are always welcome to become a part of our parish family and we would be more than happy to register you at any time.
Selection of Godparents:
When considering the selection of Godparents for your child, please be mindful that they must fulfill certain criteria in order to serve as a sponsor for your child’s Baptism. In order to serve as a Godparent, the person you select must be at least 16 years of age and be a fully initiated Catholic (having received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist), who practices their faith by attending Mass on a regular basis. It is important that the Godparents of your choosing understand the essential role they play in your child’s faith journey, as a Christian role model. We recommend selecting two godparents for your child, but you may decide to only have one. If you designate two Godparents, one must be female and the other male. If it is customary in your culture to select multiple sets of Godparents, you are welcome to do so, but please be advised that one set must be designated as the primary Godparents of record (who will be listed on the baptismal certificate as well as recorded in our baptismal register), while the others serve as “honorary” Godparents.
Once you have secured a date, we encourage families to attend our 10:30 A.M. Mass on the day of your child’s Baptism so that we may embrace you and your family with the prayerful support of our community as we officially welcome our newest member into our parish family.
*If you are an unbaptized adult, we invite you to explore our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults process and discern if this might be what God is calling you to. Please click here for additional information.