Baptism
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Baptism of Adults and Children Over 7 Years Old
If you are interested in Baptism for yourself or any child over 7 years old, please contact our OCIA office at [email protected], or click here: www.sjy.org/OCIA
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Scheduling Baptism for Children Under 7 Years Old
For children under 7 years old, group baptisms are scheduled on most 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at 12:00 Noon. Before scheduling a baptism, a parent of the child must contact our parish secretary. The parish secretary will gather all pertinent information that will later be recorded in the Baptismal Registry (such as the child's full name, date of birth, place of birth, parents' names, and godparents' names).
Before scheduling a baptism, the parents of the child are required to attend one Baptism Workshop. Workshops are held for about one hour once a month (on the 3rd Monday) at 6:00 PM in the Solanus Casey House, 405 Quaker Dr, York, PA 17402 (previously used as our convent, across the street from the school).The intent of the workshop is to inform the parents about the Sacrament of Baptism—what it is, what it does, and how it is done. The workshop is also intended to be a safe and comfortable space to ask questions about the Faith and how to increase your own desire for following Jesus Christ. The workshops are facilitated by a member of the clergy (a priest or deacon) who has been trained in theology, Canon Law, and in guiding others to walk with Christ.Before attending the workshop, it is important to watch the baptism video. (See Baptism Video information below.) -
Baptism VideoReborn—Session One: A New Creation: Click on this link: www.sjy.formed.org.
Register with your email address and create a password. From the home page, search “Reborn”; then choose Session 1: A New Creation.
Registering in FORMED will give you full access to FORMED—“The Catholic Faith On Demand” where you may find many other topics of interest when it comes to your Catholic faith. This is a FREE service to you—a gift from the parish. You can also open it in the free mobile app for iOS and Android with our Parish Code MGFN9G. -
Regarding GodparentsCHOOSING GODPARENTS
Showing by example how he/she lives his/her life, a godparent (aka “sponsor”) is expected to help nurture your child in the Catholic faith, and nurture your child’s desire to follow Jesus Christ. It is customary in the Church to have two godparents. According to Canon Law, there can be only one godmother and one godfather. The Church also allows there to be just one godparent, so long as that godparent is Catholic and is in good standing with the Church.
If parents cannot find one man and one woman both eligible to be Catholic godparents, they may choose one godparent (of opposite sex) to stand as a Christian Witness. This person must be a validly baptized Christian (baptized by water, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”), living a life aligned with his/her Christian faith.
If a person was baptized Catholic but either has joined a church of a different denomination, or no longer follows Jesus Christ, he or she is not eligible to be a godparent or a Christian Witness.
If a fully initiated Catholic (having received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist) is not currently living in a way that reflects his or her total trust in God and desire to follow Jesus Christ in respect to marriage, conceiving and raising children, and participating in a Catholic community, he or she is not eligible to be a godparent.
That being said, this may be a moment of grace for the person(s) you are desiring to ask to sponsor your child in the Sacrament of Baptism. Though their current lifestyle may not be reflecting it, the desire to follow Jesus Christ may still be present (and even strong) in them. They may just need some guidance from the Church (a priest, deacon, or member of the Faith) to align their lifestyle with their desire. If that is the case, please encourage them to reach out to the Church.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TO ACT AS A SPONSOR/GODPARENT
For a person to act as a sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation, he or she must:- Be at least 16 years old;
- Have already received all the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist);
- Be living in a way that demonstrates a strong faith in Jesus and the teachings of the Catholic Church;
- If married, be married in accord with the laws of the Church (typically in a Catholic Church or otherwise with special permissions from the Catholic Church).
REQUIRED PAPERWORK
Each Catholic godparent is required to complete and sign a Sacramental Sponsorship Certificate of Eligibility. The Certificate of Eligibility will also need to be signed by the pastor of his/her current parish. This form will be provided to each godparent directly. Any Christian Witness must also provide a letter from his/her current church that indicates he/she is a registered and practicing member of that church. Certificates/letters should be sent by mail to: St. Joseph Church/Baptism Prep, 2935 Kingston Rd, York, PA 17402. You will be notified when these have been received and when you can move forward with scheduling the baptism.
PROXIES
If a Catholic godparent is unable to be physically present for the Baptism, a proxy can stand in his or her place. The same required documentation listed above also applies to any proxy. -
Living a Christian Life
Living a Christian life means more than just “doing the best you can to be a good person”. Being “Christian” requires a desire to follow JESUS CHRIST. Truly follow Him.
If one feels they are getting by with enough comfort, security, joy, love and peace to sustain them from day to day, they may not feel any need or desire to follow Jesus. The goal of the Church is not to coerce or convince people they need this desire, nor is it the goal of the Church to judge people who do not have it. Jesus himself did neither of these things.
The Church’s goal is to lead those with the desire to follow Jesus Christ (or those longing for or searching for this desire) into deeper relationship with Jesus by getting to know who He truly is.
The Church is the Body of Christ and therefore required to uphold what Christ has revealed as His ideal. Not the ideal of “right versus wrong”, but the ideal of LOVE and TRUST in a God who is faithful and trustworthy. With love and trust, obedience to Christ’s ideal feels safe, not threatening or stifling. With love and trust, obedience feels more like freedom, not restraint.
Trust and obedience flow naturally when, in relationship, one feels safe, secure, seen, loved and valued. Unfortunately, many good-hearted and well-meaning people, “trying to do their best to be a good person”, often have very little knowledge, understanding or experience with human relationships that make them feel safe, secure, seen, loved and valued, so the thought of trust and obedience often feels threatening.That is why Jesus came. To reveal to us that the love of God is not a threat. It is, instead, the only thing that will satisfy our restless hearts. Faith does not require compliance. It requires love and trust. The more you know Him, the more you will trust Him.
With this in mind, Jesus gave us the gift of the Church and the sacraments. The sacraments open our hearts and minds to His grace and fill us with the desire to follow Him. It is through the sacraments that we come to know Jesus, and therefore increase our capacity to trust Him.
Please take this to prayer…
Does your lifestyle reflect your total trust in God and your desire to truly follow Jesus Christ? If the answer is no, or you’re not sure, or you fear what needs to be done to align the two, please reach out to one of our priests. Be not afraid.
“Come to me… Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 -
Suggestions for Godparents
A few key factors can turn an ordinary godparent into an extraordinary one. Here are some suggestions for fostering your unique relationship with your godchild:
Pray for your godchild. You can also pray together.
Spend time together. Be a constant presence in your godchild’s life.
Treat your godchild’s baptism as his/her birthday in the Church by sending a card and a gift.
Have a Mass offered on your godchild’s baptism date each year.
Send random notes or gifts to your godchild to let him/her know you are thinking about and praying for him/her.
Sign your letters, “Love, Your Godparent” and address them “To My Godchild.”
Take care of your own spiritual health. Seek spiritual guidance and counseling to strengthen your faith, because being strong in your own faith will help your godchild be strong in his/hers.
Teach your godchild by example and bring your faith to everything you do.