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Baptism class
Parents are asked to attend a class at least a month before the baptism of their child. Classes run approximately one hour.
All classes are at 7:00pm at the Saint James
lower church hall.
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Baptism, the first and fundamental sacrament is the gateway to the other sacraments. Baptism is the sacrament that frees a person from original sin and makes that person a member of Christ and His Church. It is administered by immersing the recipient in water or by pouring water on the person’s head “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
Infants can be baptized soon after birth. At the time of Baptism, parents vow to practice their faith and provide a Catholic upbringing for the child. Adults who have never been baptized take part in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), and will typically be baptized at the Easter Vigil.
To assist parents in preparing for the baptism of their child the Stoughton Catholic Collaborative offers a Baptism Class. Parents are asked to attend these classes preferably at least a month before the baptism of a child. Classes last approximately one hour. Please call the parish office to register.
At St. James Parish...
Baptism are held the third Sunday of the month following the 9:30 a.m. Mass.
At Immaculate Conception...
Baptism are held the fourth Sunday of the month following the 11:00 a.m. Mass.
Please call the parish offices to make arrangements at 781-344-2073
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Baptism FAQ
REQUIREMENTS OF THE PARENT(S)
Q: In having my child Baptized, what role do I play as a parent?
A: By asking to have your child Baptized, parents take a promise to raise their children in the Catholic Faith. Parents first ask the Church for Baptism and then make the sign of the Cross on the child’s forehead, claiming the child for Christ. In doing this, they publicly acknowledge that they clearly understand that in asking for their child to be baptized they are accepting the responsibility of training the child in the practice of the faith.
The Church teaches that there must be a “well-founded hope” that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion (Code of Canon Law 868 §1 No 2).
Within the ceremony but before the actual baptism itself, Christian parents are asked to renew their own baptismal promises, made once on their behalf by their parents and godparents; to reject Satan, all his evil works and empty promises, and profess their faith in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, and what the Church teaches. These actions before God and all those present, are immensely important and must be done not just with the lips, but in the heart and by the lived-witness of your life.
Q: My spouse is not Catholic, can we still have our child baptized?
A: Yes! Of course! However, a non-Catholic parent does not need to make the profession of faith during the Baptism as he or she does not share the Catholic Faith. However, this parent, in requesting Baptism for the child gives his or her permission and consent for the child to be both instructed and raised in the faith of the Church in which the child is to be baptized, and will not himself or herself raise the child in another faith.
Q: My spouse and I are married civilly but not Sacramentally (not married in the Church, i.e., married by a JP), can we still have our child Baptized?
A: Yes! Of course! But this is worth an on-going conversation. The priests of the Catholic Parishes of Stoughton would love to sit down with you and your spouse and work with you to get your marriage Sacramentalized!
Q: The other parent of the child and I are not married, can we still have our baby baptized?A: Yes! Of course! But this is also worth an on-going conversation. The priests of the Catholic Parishes of Stoughton would be happy to work with you and your partner in the preparation and planning of a wedding in the future, should you wish!Q: I don’t live in Stoughton/I am not a member of your Parish, can I still have my baby baptized at one of the Stoughton Parishes?
A: It is generally asked that a child be baptized where his or her family goes to church and where he or she will go to church. This is so that the faith, with which they will be sealed on the day of their baptism, may be nourished and grow in that same community as best as possible. Exceptions may be made, but only for good reason (ex. you no longer live in Stoughton but it is where you were baptized).
REQUIREMENT OF THE GODPARENT(S) (Sponsors)
Q: Who can be a godparent?
A: Those seeking to be sponsors (godparents) must be:- at least 16 years of age and not one of the parents of the child to be baptized
- both Baptized AND Confirmed in the Catholic Church
- If they are married, the marriage should have taken place in the Church (i.e., Sacramentally married in a church by a priest, deacon, or bishop) and not by a JP/in a hall/at a courthouse, etc.
- It is preferable as well that godparents be practicing/living the Catholic Faith (attending Mass weekly)
Q: What are the requirements and responsibilities of a godparent?
A: So often the common understanding of a godparent is one who will step in and raise the child should something happen to the parents. This may be true, but is not a full understanding of godparent in the Christian context. If that were all that it was, the sponsor would simply be called a “surrogate” or “foster parent.” As it is, they are not; they are called “godparents”—“God” is in the title!
At the beginning of the Rite of Baptism, the godparents take a promise that they will assist the parents in raising the child Catholic, and even step in and do it in their place instead, if the parents themselves fail to do so.
This is why the Church requires of a godparent to be both baptized and confirmed and asks that if they are married, that they have been married in the Church. Having both received Confirmation and Sacramental Marriage is a live-witness to the Faith that the Church asks of godparents.
Q: How many godparents can I have?
A: Traditionally, a child has 2 godparents (one from each gender), a godfather and a godmother. However, the Church only requires a minimum of 1 godparent of either gender. The Church does not allow 2 persons of the same gender to act as sponsors for the same child.
Q: Can a Protestant-Christian, a member of one of the Orthodox Churches, a Catholic who is not Confirmed, or a non-baptized person (including persons from the Jewish, Muslim and Hindu, etc. traditions, as well as those who consider themselves atheist/agnostic) serve as a godparent?
A: No. A member of a Protestant ecclesial community or of any of the Orthodox Churches may not serve as a godparent.
In exceptional circumstances, a member of a Protestant ecclesial community or a member of the Orthodox Churches may serve as a “Christian Witness,” provided there is a Baptized and Confirmed Catholic serving as a godparent and that they are not the same gender as the Catholic godparent. A Christian witness does not take the place of a godparent. As well, there cannot be 2 godparents of different genders and a Christian witness.
A Baptized but non-Confirmed Catholic may not serve as either a godparent or a “Christian witness.” Christian Witness, by its nature, is intended for Christians who are not Catholics.
Non-baptized persons may not serve as a godparent (because they do not meet the requirements for godparents) or as a Christian witness because they are not Christian.
Q: The person I want as a godparent was baptized and/or raised Catholic, but now no longer practices the Faith, can they still be a godparent?
A: A person who has been baptized Catholic, regardless of whatever faith they currently practice, is still considered a Catholic in the eyes of the Church. However, it would seem contrary to the promises incumbent upon godparents (“living the faith” as required by Canon 874 §1, No. 2, in the Code of Canon Law) to have someone take a promise to raise a child as Catholic if he or she has themselves left the Catholic Faith for whatever reason or no longer believes in God at all.
Q: I want to have my child Baptized at the Catholic Parishes of Stoughton, how do I register my child for Baptism?
A: The registration for Baptism can be done over the phone. Please contact the parish office, 781-344-2073.