Baptism of Infants and Children (Up to the age of 6)
Congratulations on the birth of your child! Your child will receive new life in baptism and become a son or daughter of God! We look forward to welcoming them into our parish family and the Holy Catholic Church.
We are blessed with a large parish at St. Timothy. Because of this, Baptisms are generally scheduled about three months out. Please do not delay! You can get this process started early.
Baptism Preparation Information
The first step is to sit down with our Faith Formation Director, Joe Nieves, to discuss the baptismal process, answer any questions, and to get to know each other. To coordinate this meeting, please email baptism@sainttims.org
- Submit the Baptism Registration Form – Click Here
- Submit an electronic copy of your child’s birth certificate.
- Parents who are not registered at St. Timothy Catholic Church will either need to register or provide a letter from their parish granting permission for the baptism to be celebrated at our parish.
- If you plan on having a godparent, there are several requirements that need to be met. We require a godparent/sponsor form for each Catholic godparent if they are not a registered member of St. Timothy. If they are not registered, please have them fill out the godparent/sponsor form with their parish. Click Here
Please watch this video from Fr Mike Schmitz which helps to explain the role of godparents and why the Catholic Church as the requirements listed below.
Requirements of a Catholic Godparent
- at least 16 years old
- Must have received the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation in the Catholic Church
- Must be Catholic and live a life of faith in harmony with the duty he/she is undertaking
- Must not be one of the parents of the child being baptized
- A maximum of two godparents (one male and one female) can be recorded in the baptism register
- If married, the godparent must have had their marriage blessed by the Catholic Church
6. Baptism Formation in Two Steps
a. First Step: Parents will need to accomplish an online baptism preparation class. This serves as the initial foundation to the in-person class. Click Here For Instructions For Online Prep
b. Second Step: Additionally, both parents and godparents are required to attend an in-person baptism preparation class. Classes meet from 10am-11:30am in our family chapel.
Parents and Godparents who are out of town are encouraged to attend a class at a parish in their local area. Baptism classes are regularly offered at the majority of parishes.
Baptism Class – What to Expect?
Our baptism classes are offered once a month on Saturday mornings from 10am-11:30am. This class helps you to understand why baptism is so important and gives you a walkthrough of the rite of baptism so that you can fully participate on the big day!
The class is held in our Family Chapel, which is in the hallway on the right hand side of our main sanctuary building.
Please note that the class is offered for both parents and godparents. If you have children, feel free to bring them with you! If you’d be more comfortable attending without your children, please note that only one parent needs to be present for the class.
The Day of Baptism – What to Expect?
The majority of our baptisms are celebrated by our Deacons on select Saturday mornings at 10:30am. These baptisms do not occur during a Mass and will typically include four families. We also have certain baptisms that are celebrated during either the Saturday Vigil or Sunday Masses.
Please arrive at the narthex by 10:15am with all of your guests. We will have a hospitality team to welcome you and to show you where to go. Since there are other families present, we begin the baptism liturgy promptly at 10:30am.
We provide a baptism candle and a small baptismal garment for you to use during the ceremony and to have as a keepsake following the service.
Please reach out to Joe at baptism@sainttims.org or 813-968-1077, ext. 234 if you have any questions.