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| Dear Parents, Congratulations on the gift of life given by God in your baby. Our parish is delighted not only that you have welcomed this child into your hearts and home but also that you desire to have your child baptized into our Catholic-Christian faith.
Baptism is a wonderful gift to offer your child. Through this sacrament, your child will be incorporated into the Body of Christ and become a member of our household of faith. Here, at our church and, especially, in your home, we hope your child will come to know, love and serve the Lord God. The following policy is our way of assisting your child on his/her journey of faith in the Catholic Church.
Fr. Jon Koehler, Pastor
BAPTISM PROGRAM & POLICY
The baptismal program and policy at Holy Rosary Parish is multifaceted. The first step is to complete the information form and return it to the parish office as soon as possible. You may call the office and inform us of your desire to have your child baptized and the Baptism Packet can be picked up or we can mail it to you. You can also print the forms by clicking on the following links: Baptism Registration Form Parents, would you please have each of your prospective godparents fill out the Baptism Sponsor Form, have the certificate signed by their parish pastor with the church seal and return it to the Holy Rosary Parish Office no later than two (2) weeks prior to your scheduled baptism. Baptism Sponsor Form Baptism Seminar Attendance at a baptismal seminar is required for parents and godparents. These seminars are held approximately six times a year. Through short presentations, video, discussion and personal reflection, participants are invited to delve more deeply into the meaning of our baptismal faith. If you have already attended a seminar within the past three (3) years, you would not be required to attend again. Click here for the Baptism Seminar dates. | |
| Baptism At Holy Rosary Parish, baptisms are celebrated six times a year (approximately every other month). The celebrations are always communal and during Sunday Mass. When there are large numbers of baptisms, some will be baptized at the 9:00am Mass as well as at the usual 11:00am celebration. Baptism is usually performed by pouring water over the forehead of the child but immersion is also possible. If you wish to have your baby baptized in another Catholic parish, you will need a letter of permission from the pastor here and you will need to fulfill all obligations for baptism required by the church of baptism. Godparents Eligibility The church has some very clear guidelines in regards to godparents. In addition to the expectations of the culture and of the families involved, the Catholic church requires the following of godparents: 1. You must designate them, and they must be willing to help your child lead a Christian life in harmony with baptism and fulfill the obligations connected with it. 2. They must be at least sixteen years of age and mature enough to undertake this responsibility. 3. They must be Catholics who have received the three sacraments of initiation, namely: Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. 4. They must be an actively practicing Catholic, participating at Mass on Sundays and Holy days, and receiving the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation regularly. 5. If the person you are considering as a godparent is not married according to the laws and practices of the Catholic Church (if you were Not married in the Catholic Church, have NOT had you marriage blessed or validated), or is cohabitating (living together without marriage).That PERSON cannot serve as a sponsor, then you will need to consider someone else. If the prospective godparent is NOT in a valid Catholic marriage, they must have their marriage blessed before they can be eligible as a sponsor. Please allow sufficient time to complete this process, if necessary. 6. A Catholic who has defected from the communion of the Church is not eligible to be either a godparent or an official witness. This is true whether or not they understand themselves to have joined another Christian ecclesial community. | |
| Non-Catholic Participation Can a non-Catholic serve as a godparent? Technically no, since one of the requirements under Church Law for godparents is having celebrated Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist in the Catholic Church. The reason is that our church sees the godparents as more than a concerned relative or friend who encourages Christian behavior. The godparent will represent the Catholic Community into which the child is being baptized and will help the child grow in that community. For a Catholic baptism, only a Catholic can do that. Christian Witness While it is ideal that parents select two Catholic godparents, the church only requires that there be one Godparent. A baptized non-Catholic may serve as a “witness” to the ceremony, as long as a Catholic godparent is present. The non-Catholic who is selected as a witness should be an active member of this/her church community. The sex of the witness need not be opposite that of the godparent. During the ritual, a non-Catholic witness at a Catholic baptism may perform all the parts of the ceremony that a godparent does. His or her name may be entered into the parish register as a witness, together with the name of the godparent.
An official witness must be baptized with water to be eligible as an official witness. A person who was baptized in the Catholic faith and has converted to another religion cannot act as a Christian Witness. Home Visit
After you have registered for baptism, a member of the staff or the baptismal team will contact you to arrange for a home visit. The purpose of the visit is to get acquainted with you, answer any questions you may have, and talk about possible issues surrounding your child's baptism. The visit is intended to be both informal and friendly. During the home visit, the date of baptism is usually set and the child is blessed with a special prayer. Normally, the visit occurs prior to the baptism seminar, but not always.
Have you officially registered yet as a member of Holy Rosary Parish? If not, then we do not have any way of being in contact with you. To register means to fill out a census card. To receive a census card, call the Parish office at 647-5321. The Parish Office is open from 8:00am-4:00pm, Monday-Thursday and 8:00am-12:00pm on Fridays.
Parish Priest: Fr. Jon Koehler, Pastor Associate Pastor: Fr. Boby Alex Deacon: J. R. Salinas, Steven Gonzales Director of Religious Education: Mrs. Wendy Enloe Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Cindy Broussard
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