Philosophy of Baptismal Preparation

The Catholic Church believes and teaches that baptism is a sacrament, a recognition of the life of Christ in the child and a welcoming to our faith and this community.
As a sacrament, it brings with it responsibilities and a commitment to share the gift of faith. For a child, that faith and commitment must come from the parents and Godparents.
The sacrament reflects the need for parents to publicly commit themselves to sustaining and nourishing the child's faith. Following study and reflection, parents make a public declaration of their decision.
Our Baptism Preparation Process at St. James gives your whole family the opportunity to deepen your experience of God working in your lives and of your own commitment to God.
We welcome you and the opportunity to be a part of this very special time in your lives and the life of your child.

Baptism and Baptism Preparation

All Baptisms at St. James are celebrated within specifically scheduled regular Sunday Masses. We only celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism within the Mass. We allow six Baptisms per Mass. Mass times are scheduled on a first come first reserved basis after the completion of the interview process and preparation class.

Baptisms are scheduled during the 9:00 a.m. mass on Sunday.

Class Schedule 2008

All Classes are 1 1/2 hours at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Services Building
*There are no Baptisms during Lent. This is the last one until after Lent.

Requirements

1. Must be a registered parishioner at St. James.
2. Schedule a pre-baptism interview
3. You must Select Godparents that are active practicing Catholics
4. You must pre-register for the Baptism preparation class
5. Attend the Rite of Welcome
6. Attend preparation class

Interview and Classes

Please contact the parish office at your earliest opportunity. We recommend that the interview and sessions be completed prior to the birth of your child when possible. The preparation process consists of an interview and two sessions scheduled on two consecutive Thursday evenings as listed in this brochure. The interview is to answer your questions and discuss the process. The sessions are designed to be an opportunity for parents to reflect on their own faith, explore the responsibilities of being a Catholic parent, and build community. If at all possible both parents should attend.

Baptism by Immersion

St. James began celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism by immersion in June of 1994 when our immersion font was installed. The Second Vatican Council Documents call us to return to our Scriptural roots in many aspects of our faith. In Scripture, our most important story of Baptism is the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus was baptized, as was the custom, by being immersed in the waters of the River Jordan. Over the centuries the practice in the Church changed due to cultural changes. We see a return to immersion as a return to our roots and a much more visible sign of new life in Christ. The newly Baptized come forth from the waters of Baptism as a new person cleansed of the old ways and born into new life in Christ.