Baptism at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
Baptism is the "main door to the Church" and the "gateway to the other sacraments". And the living heart of baptism is Jesus Christ himself:
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"The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. . . . Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.
"In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love." - from "United States Catholic Catechism for Adults" chapter 15 (en español aquí) |
On the baptism of an infant or a young child
Congratulations on your child! If your child is an infant or a young child not yet of school age, and you would like to have him or her baptized, please contact the parish office at (260) 665-2259, or write to office@stanthonyangola.com
If this is the first time you are asking to have a child baptized at St. Anthony's - You will be asked to come to a preparation program that lasts about 90 minutes. We call this session "Baptism Preparation Class I". It is required for the parents the first time you are baptizing. Godparents and other family members are encouraged to attend as well, but this is not required. When you come to the preparation session, please bring a birth certificate for the child and (if possible) for both parents.
If you have had a child baptized at St. Anthony's before - We invite you to attend a special one hour evening entitled "Baptism Refresher Class II" before subsequent baptisms. This evening allows us to go deeper into our life of faith and build upon your experiences as a Catholic parent. All parents are encouraged to attend. Godparents and other family members are also welcome!
The baptism itself takes place during the Parish Mass on a Saturday evening or a Sunday morning. The whole community looks forward to celebrating with you!
Congratulations on your child! If your child is an infant or a young child not yet of school age, and you would like to have him or her baptized, please contact the parish office at (260) 665-2259, or write to office@stanthonyangola.com
If this is the first time you are asking to have a child baptized at St. Anthony's - You will be asked to come to a preparation program that lasts about 90 minutes. We call this session "Baptism Preparation Class I". It is required for the parents the first time you are baptizing. Godparents and other family members are encouraged to attend as well, but this is not required. When you come to the preparation session, please bring a birth certificate for the child and (if possible) for both parents.
If you have had a child baptized at St. Anthony's before - We invite you to attend a special one hour evening entitled "Baptism Refresher Class II" before subsequent baptisms. This evening allows us to go deeper into our life of faith and build upon your experiences as a Catholic parent. All parents are encouraged to attend. Godparents and other family members are also welcome!
The baptism itself takes place during the Parish Mass on a Saturday evening or a Sunday morning. The whole community looks forward to celebrating with you!
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Baptism Preparation Class I
2018 All dates are on a Thursday, 7:00-8:30 p.m., in the Conference Room of the Parish Center. April 3 August 2 October 4 |
Baptism Refresher Class II
2018 All dates are on a Thursday, 7:00-8:30 p.m., in the Conference Room of the Parish Center. March 1 June 7 September 6 November 8 Please note that we usually do not celebrate infant baptisms during Lent, which is a time of preparation for the sacraments. |
Baptism Weekends
2018 Sunday, April 1 Saturday, April 21 Saturday, May 19 Sunday, June 24 Saturday, August 18 Sunday, September 9 Saturday, October 13 Sunday, November 18 |
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On the baptism of a child of school age
If your child already goes to school and wishes to be baptized, we will do the preparation as part of their ordinary religious education. The baptism itself will be celebrated at Easter. See here for information on our catechism program. On the baptism of an adult If your are an adult and are contemplating baptism in the Catholic Church, we ask you to participate in a preparation program called The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. These baptisms, too, are celebrated at Easter. Click here for more information on the RCIA. |