PARISH POLICIES
MARY, QUEEN OF HEAVEN PARISH

Parish Policy Concerning Baptism

July 2005

The Catholic Church requires that Catholic parents have their children baptized as soon after their birth as possible. Therefore, parents are urged to contact the rectory 3 months before the birth of their child to discuss baptism.

Please do not delay baptism for social reasons! It is much more important that your child be given the new life of baptism, and sanctifying grace, than the baptism be delayed for any reason. For centuries it was the custom to baptize infants in the first week after their birth.

First time parents are required to attend a “one time” instructional session which, it is hoped, will give them an even greater appreciation of this sacrament, and which will present them with suggestions on how to pass on the beliefs and values of the Catholic Church to their children. Father Kahmann teaches this class on the 1st Thursday of the month at 6:00 PM in the Religious Education Classroom. Contact Father Kahmann to reserve your place in the class.

Children above the age of 7 who wish to be baptized will be required to enroll either in Mary, Queen of Heaven School or in the Parish CCD program, or (in the case of home-schooled children) to demonstrate sufficient understanding of the sacrament. Contact Deacon Tom in these cases in order that he may coordinate the child’s progress, together with the parents and godparents toward receiving Baptism.

Teenagers (15 and above) and adults who are interested in being baptized are required to go through the parish RCIA Program, whether they have been home-schooled, gone to a Catholic school or attended CCD classes.

Baptisms at Mary, Queen of Heaven are normally held at 1:00 PM on any Sunday of the month.

Godparents:

All those wishing to be baptized must have at least one godparent. That godparent must be a practicing Catholic. If two godparents are desired, one must be male and one female. A non-Catholic, baptized Christian may act as Christian witness, but may not act as a godparent. The Bishop of Covington allows people under the canonical age of 16 to act as godparents as long as they have received the Sacrament of Confirmation.