As the sacrament that allows us to be cleansed of our original sin, Baptism is a crucial part of the Catholic faith. This sacrament allows us to enter God’s Kingdom as His sons and daughters. The Church teaches that children should be baptized as close to birth as possible. As a result, it is the responsibility of parents and godparents to prepare for the Baptism of the child. This is done through a Baptism Preparation Class, that is taken prior to the reception of the sacrament.
“The Baptism Preparation Class is important because it gives parents and godparents the opportunity to fully understand the meaning of the sacraments,” says Deacon Tom Cabeen. “The sacraments are the channel for God to give us the graces we need, and it begins with Baptism. We want to teach them about what they are doing and why it is important. It is the beginning of a whole lifelong process for them and the child.”
The Baptism Preparation class at St. Francis Xavier is for first-time parents and godparents who wish to have a child — from newborn up to age 7 — baptized. During the class, which is taught by one of the deacons, there is discussion of the importance of the Sacrament of Baptism. You will learn about what happens during the Baptism. Most classes will visit the baptismal font in the nave and talk about the celebration of Baptism. The classes last about an hour.
“One important thing is that they come to know and understand the sacraments and how they work,” Deacon Tom says. “Once they do that, they will enjoy the process of Baptism. Baptism is more than just a party and a good time. There are amazing things going on behind the scenes that God is doing for them, and I want to make sure they can see that.”
Godparents are chosen by the parents and must commit to helping raise the child in the Catholic faith. The duties of the godparent are to live a holy life, in order to help lead your godchild to holiness. The godparent should be a confirmed Catholic Christian who is at least 16 years old. They should be practicing the faith and participating in their parish community. It is important that godparents have attended the Baptism Preparation class, so they fully understand their duties.
The Baptism Preparation class is also open to those who will be godparents to a child being baptized in a different location. You can take the class here, and St. Francis Xavier will send a letter of completion to the other parish.
For more information or to register, contact Erin Johnson at erin@sfxstillwater.org or
405-372-6886. For more details and Baptism paperwork, visit www.sfxstillwater.org/baptism or in Spanish at www.sfxstillwater.org/bautismo.