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BAPTISM

“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), 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: ‘Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word.’”

– Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213

SCHEDULING A BAPTISM AT ST. JOSEPH: 
Baptisms are offered on the 2nd Sunday of each month after the 11:00am Mass (begins approximately 12:20 pm).  

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Parents must be registered members of St. Joseph Parish.  
• Parents are asked to meet with baptism coordinator, meetings held the first Monday of the month between 6:30-8:00pm.
• We ask you complete the Baptism form; link on the left of the page. Once this has been completed Michelle Gilmore will reach out to answer any concern you might have.
•  Contact the Parish Office 517.546.0090 ext 105 with any questions

Your child should be able to look to their Godparent as an example of how the church teaches us to live our Catholic faith. They should support you in your work to teach your child our Catholic faith.

“It is the responsibility of the godparent to show the candidate how to practice the
Gospel in personal and social life and to be for the candidate a bearer of Christian
witness and a guardian over growth in baptismal life.” 

Each sponsor/Godparent for baptism must meet all of the following:
1. Be at least sixteen (16) years of age.
2. Be a fully initiated Catholic (must have received all three sacraments of initiation, baptism, confirmation and Eucharist).
3. Be a practicing Catholic and a Catholic in good standing who leads a life of faith necessary to fulfill the responsibility of being a sponsor.
4. Be a registered member of a parish in the area where he or she lives.
5. Attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
6. Support the parish both financially and through service to the best of their ability.
7. If married, the sponsor must be in a valid marriage. Married according to the laws and regulations of the Catholic Church, which means that they were married by a Catholic priest or obtained an official permission for getting married outside of the Catholic Church.
             a. Please note: Those Catholics who are invalidly married, as for example,                 before a justice of the peace, without proper dispensation before a minister
             of a Protestant church or before a rabbi, or those Catholics who are
             divorced and invalidly remarried do not qualify as a sponsor at baptism
             even though they may fulfill other requirements listed above.
8. If single, may not be cohabiting with someone without the benefit of marriage.
9. May not be the father or the mother of the person to be baptized.

Godparents by Proxy
If the godparent cannot be present in person, he/she may appoint another person to represent him/her. This is usually done by letter which would contain a statement of acceptance of the responsibilities by the sponsor and the appointment by name of the proxy.
Christian Witness
A baptized person who belongs to a non-catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism. A letter of recommendation from his/her pastor should be obtained.

We will be in touch to discuss this with you.