Baptism for Children (7 years to 17 years)

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to the 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, and are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission.

We are so happy and excited that you are interested in having your child baptized!

If your child is age 7 years or older, the Catholic Church teaches that they have obtained the “age of reason” and, therefore, will go through a different process for Baptism than infants and children under the age of 7.

The process that your child will go under is the same process as adults, known as the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, but it is tailored to children. We will refer to it as OCIA for Children.

A child going through the OCIA for Children process will be catechized in the basic teachings of the Catholic faith, will grow in their Catholic faith and love of Christ, and then be fully initiated into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

First, we invite you to contact the Faith Formation Office to inquire about the process.

Normally, we will have the child attend our 2T16 Youth Sacrament Prep program. However, if you inquire outside the normal faith formation year, we will talk about a potentially personalized process.

To find out more about the Youth Sacrament Prep program, please click on the “Youth Sacrament Prep” link.

Other Requirements

Birth Certificate

• A Copy of Birth Certificate is needed if the student is receiving Baptism

 Baptismal and Confirmation Sponsor(s)/Godparent(s)

• A child being baptized can have up to 2 godparents/sponsors. They must meet the following requirements: A faithful and practicing Catholic registered at a Catholic parish
• Fully initiated in the Catholic Church (have received Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist)
• If married, married in the Catholic Church
• At least 16 years of age
• Not the parent of the OCIA for Children catechumen
• Not bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared
• Only one sponsor/godparent is required for Baptism. If two godparents are chosen, one must be male and one female.

Confirmation Saint

• Students will choose a patron saint as their Confirmation name
• Students may keep their baptismal name if it is a Christian name

Participation in the various OCIA Rites, including:

• Rite of Welcoming
• Rite of Election
• Scrutinies (during Lent)