Infant Baptism

BAPTISM OF INFANTS

“Let the little children come to me.” Mark 10:14

Infants are children seven years and younger. If you want your child baptized at Ascension Parish, we will be glad to work with you.  If you want to have your child baptized in another parish but want to go through the Baptism seminar process at Ascension, we will be happy to help you.  There are two preparation steps:

 

First step. Attend a Baptismal Seminar which is one session and held on a Sunday morning from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm (after the 9:30 am Mass) in Ministry Building E Room 313 facilitated by members of our community and one of our deacons. The sessions are offered several times a year and the next sessions will be

  • Sunday, September 10, 2023
  • Sunday, November 12, 2023
  • Sunday, January 21, 2024
  • Sunday, May 19, 2024

To enroll, contact Betsy Glasenapp, Director of Faith Formation to register at (321) 254-1595 x3080 or dre@ascensioncatholic.net.

 

Second step.  Once you have attended the Baptism Seminar, you can schedule the baptism of your child(ren) with the Parish Office.An important part of this is the selection of godparents for your child.  Below is information which we discuss more at the baptismal seminar.

 

Godparents in the Catholic Tradition

When you invite a person to serve as your child's godparent, you are asking this individual to make a lifelong commitment to your child. The day of your child's Baptism marks just the beginning of the godparent-godchild relationship. It is the hope of the church and the Catholic community that your child's godparents will be lifelong companions who will nurture your child's faith and help him or her become a true disciple of Christ.

The Catholic community calls godparents to:

      • Help their godchild grow in faith
      • Teach their godchild about Catholic traditions
      • Model for their godchild how to live a Catholic life

The law of the Roman Catholic Church requires that each child being baptized have one godparent to serve as his or her spiritual role model and friend. This godparent may be male or female.  Two godparents -- one godmother and one god father -- are the custom in the United States, but are not required.

To be a Catholic godparent, one must:

      • Be a Catholic who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation and regularly participates in the Eucharist.
      • Be an active member of a Catholic faith community
      • Be married in the Catholic Church (or have had marriage blessed or convalidated in the Catholic Church)
      • Be at least sixteen years old

What is a Christian witness? Some families may wish to have a non-Catholic Christian also serve as a sponsor for their child. Although at least one Catholic godparent is required, a baptized non-Catholic Chris tian may be invited to serve as a “Christian witness” who will participate in the celebration and will stand alongside the godparent during the baptismal ceremony.

 

 

Baptism of children 7 years and older:

Unbaptized children 7 years and older will prepare for the sacrament of Baptism throughout Children’s RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults).  See CHILDREN’S (RCIA)