Baptism

Following the command of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19, the Church goes out to all the nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit so that all souls may enjoy the adoption of the Almighty, the removal of the stain of original sin, and the initiation into salvific grace.  

"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. ...Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." (CCC 1213).

In accordance with continual and unbroken apostolic instruction and example, the Church preserves the baptizing of the "entire household," including children even before the age of reason.  The gift of salvation is not to be delayed for any undo reason.  As such, as soon as a child is born, let the parents seek out the waters of baptism for the blessing they have received, to return in love the blessing of eternal life.  

We provide baptism classes for those who are expecting or who desire their children to be baptized.  This class helps to deepen the appreciate of the magnitude of this pinnacle moment in the life of the family and of the mystical Body of Christ.  

Infant Baptism

To have a child baptized at St. Benedict Church parents must live the in Shawnee area.  Anyone outside the parish area should go to their local church for Baptism.  


Only parents or legal guardians may initiate the baptism process.

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Parents are encouraged to begin this process before your baby is born.  


Parents and sponsors (godparents) are required to attend one pre-baptism class. Classes at St. Benedict are conducted on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm and are approximately one hour in length. Register at the Parish Office for these classes.


After the class has been completed by all required, the parent should contact the parish office to schedule the baptism.

The Baptism will be entered into the Registry of the church and a certificate will be prepared for the family. 

Adult Baptism

OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), is the approximately eight month program, which surveys the Catechism of the Catholic Church to prepare the candidate (already validly baptized) or the catechumen (not yet validly baptized) to understand well the faith that is being affirmed.  

The initial stage is to contact the OCIA director, Elizabeth Simpson.  In a brief meeting, she will go over the process and fill out the registration.  

The Initiation will take place at the annual celebration of the Easter Vigil.  

The classes are normally on Wednesday nights.  They run from September until May.

Baptism after 7 years old

After the age of seven years old, having reached the age of reason, the child must be prepared to answer for himself/herself.  As such, special arrangements must be made.  Contact the office to talk options.   

Sponsors

Choosing a sponsors (godparents) for your child is important.

There are three possibilities for sponsors according to the Code of Canon Law:

Only the names of sponsors are recorded in the baptismal registry.

Sponsors must meet the following qualifications:

Important Steps