“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission” (Catechism, 1213).
Baptisms are every Sunday at 1:00pm. Prior to attending Pre-Jordan Class, parents, please call Fr. Jeff Stecz at the Parish Center at 215-637-3525, ext. 114 or email him at frjeffsteczstanselmparish.com to complete all necessary paperwork for the Baptism. The Church requires both parents requesting Baptism for their child to be instructed on the meaning, importance, and obligation of this important Sacrament, and to attend a Pre-Jordan Program, which will help them to prepare for the spiritual birth of their child. If both parents cannot attend, please contact Fr. Jeff to reschedule to another class. The Pre-Jordan Program is held on the Second Sunday of most months at 11:15 am in the Spirituality Center. The registration form may be completed in advance of your appointment, by downloading HERE. Baptismal Registration Form
“For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parents’ help is important. So too is the role of the godfather and godmother, who must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized – child or adult – on the road of Christian life” (Catechism 1255).
Godparents are charged with the responsibility of assisting with the development and safeguarding of the grace given at Baptism. Due to the importance of their role, godparents must obtain a letter of eligibility from their parishes to certify that they meet the Church’s requirements for this role:
A child must have at least one eligible sponsor; he or she may have two godparents, in which case one is a man and the other is a woman.
The godparent must not be a parent of the one to be baptized.
The godparent must be:
at least sixteen years of age;
a fully-initiated Catholic; that is, he or she has received Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion;
a practicing Catholic; that is, he or she attends Mass every Sunday and holyday, receives the sacraments regularly, and, if married, is married in the Church.
Along with an eligible sponsor, a baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic Christian church or ecclesial community (i.e., Episcopal, Protestant, evangelical, etc.) may be admitted as a Christian witness to the baptism.(Code of Canon Law, c. 874; cf. Catechism, 1255)
Letter of Eligibility: Sponsors not from the parish where Baptism is administered need a letter of eligibility from their parish.