Baptism
About the Sacrament of Baptism
“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission.” -Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” -Mt 28:19-20
Register for an Infant Baptism
Given the importance of Baptism, the Church recommends that infants be baptized during the first few weeks after birth, and asks parents and godparents to receive preparation for their attendant spiritual roles.
In order to have your child baptized at St. Charles you will need to:
reside within the parish boundaries and be registered (if needed, register here)
take the Baptism Prep Class at St. Charles within the last 5 years (see below)
identify either a) one godparent or b) a godmother AND a godfather who will serve as a good Catholic role model to your child
ensure the godparent(s) attend a Baptism Prep Class (at their home parish)
ask the godparent(s) to provide a Letter of Eligibility from their respective home parishes.
obtain the child’s birth certificate and bring to our office
Baptism Schedule
English: Third Saturday each month at 10:00am in the church.
Spanish: Second Saturday every other month at 10:00am in the church.
Please note the to fill out this form you must be logged into our Parish Portal, ParishStaq. To learn more, see our registration page.
Please also note that schedules may sometimes change. Updated schedule information may be obtained when registering for Baptism. Your child will only be scheduled for a particular baptism once all requirements (see above) are met, and will be scheduled on a first completed, first served basis.
Godparents
The role of the godparents is to assist the parents in teaching the child about the Catholic Faith. Godparents must obtain a Letter of Eligibility/Good Standing in order to be a godparent. St. Charles Parishioners seeking to obtain a Letter of Eligibility/Good Standing from St. Charles will need to:
reside within the parish boundaries and be a registered parishioner (if needed, register here)
take the Baptism Prep Class at St. Charles (within the last 5 years)
come into the office and sign the letter in the presence of a staff member
Mindful of the importance of the spiritual relationship between the Godparent and the child, Church law (Code of Canon Law, cans. 893, 874) requires that sponsors:
be at least sixteen years old
be a baptized Catholic who has received the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Most Holy Eucharist
live a life of harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken—that is, a believing, practicing Catholic (who, for example, if married, is married in the Church);
not be the father or mother of the child
Baptism Preparation Class
A Baptism preparation class is offered to all parishioners seeking to baptize their child(ren) or for parishioners preparing to be Godparents. As the class is only offered to registered parishioners, you will have be be logged into the parishioner portal to complete the form. If you need help signing in, click here or call the office.
Pre-registration is required for the preparation sessions and for the celebration of Baptism.
Baptism Preparation Class Schedule
English: First Saturday each month at 10:00am in room 105.
Spanish: Second Sunday each month at 1:45pm (location TBD).
Please note that schedules sometimes change. Updated schedule information may be obtained when registering for the class.