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Information about Baptism Sacrament Policies of the Diocese of Phoenix Please call the Parish Office, (623) 546-3444 for more information if you do not find the answer to your question below:
Baptism of Infants A child up to the age of reason (age 7) is considered an infant. Baptism of infant children takes place normally after the Sunday 11:00a.m. Mass. The community welcomes the infant child into its midst as a new member. Prior to Baptism there is a Baptism Class for the parents of the child. Please call the Parish, (623) 546-3444, to schedule the class. We ask that both mother and father attend the class together. We regret that we cannot accommodate children at the class so we ask that parents arrange for babysitting at home while they attend the class. Godparents for the child are strongly encouraged to attend class with the infant's parents. To be a godparent a person must be a practicing Catholic who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation and is living in harmony with Catholic Church teaching. In most cases there are two godparents; only one is required, however. Godparents from outside the parish, must provide us with a letter from their home parish stating that they have satisfied the requirements of their parish to be godparents. A non-Catholic adult can serve as a "Christian Witness" or "sponsor" if he or she is a practicing Christian willing to support the Catholic formation of the child, but there must always be at least one Catholic godparent.
Children up to the age of seven are baptized as infants. For children seven and under, parents are asked to follow the same procedure as for infants. Children over seven have reached the "age of reason" and are, therefore, entitled to make the decision to be baptized on their own. Of course, the parents will have a great influence on their child's decision. Children over seven need to have adequate instruction in the fundamentals of their faith. When they are ready they will be initiated into the Church community with three Sacraments: the Sacrament of Baptism, the Sacrament of Confirmation, and the Sacrament of Eucharist. We ask that the parents participate in the process of preparation for these three Sacraments with their children.
Baptism of Teens: Rite of Christian Initiation of Teens (RCIT) See the TEEN link on the homepage
Adults are normally received into the Church at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. When adults are baptized, they also receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The period of preparation normally takes about one year. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) meets on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays. |