Baptismal Guidelines
Congratulations and Welcome! With the arrival of your newest family member come many changes and decisions. Your decision to have your child baptized is an important one and we thank you for the opportunity to welcome your child into the family of God. Just as there are many things we need to do to prepare for the birth of a baby, there are a few things we need to do to prepare for baptism. We know this is a busy time for you and we hope that the following guidelines will assist you as you prepare for you baby’s baptism.
Parish of Baptism
Infants should be baptized in the parish church of their parents. At least one parent should be a practicing Catholic and a registered parishioner of Christ the King for at least 3 months prior to the baptism of your infant. If you live within our parish boundaries and are not yet registered, please call the office at 630-629-1717 and make arrangements to come in and register. If you live outside Christ the King boundaries, you need to ask permission from your parish to do the baptism here at CTK.
Baptismal Preparation
We offer baptismal preparation classes every other month. If you have not been to a preparation class in the last 2 years, you will need to come to a class. Call the office at 630-629-1717 to sign up for the next available class. The initial preparation class is for all family members and the chosen godparents. Older siblings as well as both parents and godparents, are encouraged to attend this class. We will offer more parish wide family events that you will be invited to as a follow up to the initial class.
We also ask that you set a time before the baptism to meet with Father Peter in between one of the masses on Sunday. Please call the office to schedule a time to meet with him.
Godparent Certificates
Godparents play an important role in the faith life of your child. As such, choosing godparents becomes very important. Please keep in mind that one godparent needs to be a baptized, confirmed, Catholic who is active in his/her faith and must be at least 16 years of age. We ask that this person obtain a “Sponsor Certificate” from the parish in which they reside to attest to fact that they are practicing and participating in that parish before a date for baptism can be set. The second godparent, if not Catholic, must be baptized Christian and acts as a Christian witness to the baptism.
Baptisms
Baptisms are usually celebrated after the 12:00 Mass every Sunday. Attendance at the 12:00 mass is recommended so that the ceremony may begin promptly at the conclusion of the Mass. Also, the child is publicly acknowledged during the Mass. Please make arrangements before hand so we may reserve the right number of pews you will need to accommodate the family. It is the duty of the priests and deacons of this parish to officiate at baptisms in this parish. If you have a preference as to who will officiate, please let us know. It is not always possible to fulfill these requests.
If there are any other questions, please call Sherry Rochford at 630-396-6078.
