Baptism
“We are called to live our baptism every day, as new creatures, clothed in Christ.” – Pope Francis
It is with great joy that our parish community welcomes adults and children into the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism! The goodness of your lives and your faith make possible this wonderful celebration of the eternal life bestowed by our gracious God.
How we celebrate baptisms at Mass
Our community continues to hold Communal Baptisms at 2:00 pm on one Sunday per month.
No baptisms are held during Lent.
So that appropriate care can be taken by parents and parish staff to be fully prepared for celebrating this sacrament, the schedule for these baptism dates is made available to families who have completed the following requirements for celebrating a baptism at St. Francis of Assisi:
1. Attendance at a Baptism Preparation Session at St. Francis of Assisi
2. Completion of the baptism datasheet and delivery of godparent testimony forms (both provided after the baptism preparation session)
To request a godparent testimony form for a St. Francis parishioner for a baptism elsewhere, please contact baptisms@stfrancisraleigh.org
Baptism Preparation FAQ
Parents are required to attend a two-part Baptism Preparation session before baptizing children. Baptism Preparation sessions are currently one in-person and one in a digital format. Registration is required.
Parents are required to provide appropriate documentation for the child’s Catholic godparent(s) before the baptism is scheduled. Information about the requirements for Godparents is available below and at the Baptism preparation session.
Parents will receive information about how to schedule their child’s baptism after attending a Baptism Preparation Session. If you have attended baptism preparation at St. Francis before, click here to contact our office for scheduling requests.
When you invite a person to serve as your child’s godparent, you are asking this individual to make a lifelong commitment to your child. The day of your child’s Baptism marks just the beginning of the godparent-godchild relationship. It is the hope of the church and the Catholic community that your child’s godparents will be lifelong companions who will nurture your child’s faith and help him or her become a true disciple of Christ. Only one Catholic godparent is required for a child to be baptized, but if two godparents are chosen one must be male and one must be female.
To serve as a Catholic godparent, an individual must be:
- A baptized Catholic who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation and regularly participates in the Eucharist
- An active member of a Catholic parish
- Sixteen years old or older
- If married, in a marriage recognized by the Catholic Church
- If unmarried, living a lifestyle consistent with Church teaching
You will receive documentation for Godparents after the Baptismal Preparation Session. The document needs to be signed by the Godparent and witnessed by a priest or a representative of the parish, and must include the parish seal
Any person who was baptized in the Catholic church who wishes to serve as a godparent must meet the above requirements.
If a Godparent cannot be physically present for the Baptism, a proxy may stand in their place by the Baptismal font. The proxy is not required to provide documentation from their church, as they are giving assent on behalf of the recorded Godparent.
At least one Catholic godparent is required. A non-Catholic person who was baptized in another Christian tradition may be invited to serve as a “Christian Witness.” This person will participate in the celebration and will stand alongside the Catholic godparent during the baptismal ceremony. If one Catholic Godparent and one Christian witness are chosen, one will be male and one will be female, per the Code of canon Law for the Catholic Church. Please contact baptisms@stfrancisraleigh.org if you have further questions about Christian Witnesses.
Masses are celebrated at one Mass a month, rotating between the 5:30pm Saturday, 9:00am Sunday, and 11:45am Sunday Masses. We also celebrate the sacrament of baptism at a Communal Baptism Liturgy once a month on a designated Sunday afternoon.
You are required to be registered in a Catholic parish to baptize your child in the Catholic Church.
If you are registered at another parish, and provide the written permission from your pastor to our Baptism office, you are permitted to baptize your child at one of our Communal Baptism Liturgies
- That you are a registered parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi
- That you participated in a Baptism Preparation class, and
- The approval of our pastor, Monsignor Michael Clay, to hold your baptism at another church
Please contact baptisms@stfrancisraleigh.org to request a copy of the Baptism Testimony Form for St. Francis of Assisi parishioners.