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. "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."

~ Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213

Beginning August, 2019
We are so happy that you wish to have your child baptized at St. Anthony’s. Baptism is one of the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.  Baptism holds a special place in the Church because it is the “door” to all other sacraments.
This information for is for families who seek baptism for their child who is under the age of seven. If your child is 7 years old or older, the child will journey to baptism through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) catechumenate. Contact the Director of Faith Formation at
(863) 858-0671 for more information.

What are the steps to have my child baptized at St. Anthony’s?

Initial Contact:  Contact the parish office. The office staff will take some basic information which will be turned over to the Baptism Ministry leaders.

2^nd Contact: A baptism ministry team member will contact you to set up an appointment to come for a home visit. At this home visit, you will meet your baptism team and they will go through the remainder of the process with you, step by step. As well as help you to fill out the necessary paperwork. This should last only about 1 hour. Alternate locations for a visit may be discussed. Also, during your visit, the team member will go over the calendar/schedule with you.

3^rd Contact: This will be at the first of two formation (education) sessions you are asked to attend.

4^th Contact: At Mass on a given day and time, your child will be presented to the church 
community for baptism. Before or after this Mass, you will have the 2^nd of two formation (education) sessions.

5^th Contact: Your child’s Baptism.           

Additional Information to know before you call: 
So often parents choose and ask loved ones to be a godparent before knowing the requirements for being one. Please read the following information carefully:

The Role of the Godparent
Godparents play a very special role in the faith life of the Child. They are chosen because they are an inspiration of how one is to live the faith. Thus, godparents are model Catholics who assist and support the parents in handing on the faith to their child. Choosing someone to be a godparent is separate from choosing someone who will take care of your child in the event of your death. The person who is chosen to be a godparent is someone who is an active participant in the life of the Church and proclaims their faith through their everyday actions. Ideally this person may also serve as a sponsor for Confirmation.

Requirements to be a Godparent
Given the above, the Roman Catholic Church has the following requirements to be a godparent. These requirements are universal. Thus, before you invite someone to be a godparent, please make sure they fulfill the Church’s canonical requirements.

A godparent:

• Must be at least 16 years of age;
• Must have received Catholic Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist;
• If married, the marriage must be recognized by the Catholic Church;
• Must be a practicing Catholic, regularly participating in Sunday Mass and reception of communion.
• May not be a parent of the child receiving baptism.

1. A completed sponsor (godparent) eligibility form.
2. A certificate stating, they completed a baptismal preparation. That being said, the godparents are strongly encouraged to attend the parent formation (education) sessions with the parents as their baptism preparation. If they are unable to for any reason, then a letter/certificate from their home parish showing they have taken a baptism preparation class within the past two years is required.

A baptized non-Catholic may serve as a Christian Witness along with a Catholic godparent. If the Catholic godparent is female, the Christian Witness must be male [and vice versa]. A Christian Witness at baptism does not take the place of a godparent. A Christian witness is exactly that: a witness that the baptized person did receive the sacrament of baptism.
The name of the Christian witness must be provided ahead of time along with the information for the godparent. Requirements for a Christian witness are:

• Must be at least 16 years of age;
• A validly baptized Christian [baptized with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit];
• Someone other than a parent;
• Must be living an upright Christian life.

The Christian witness must provide a letter from their pastor certifying that they have been validly baptized. They must also take a baptism preparation class. 

Children aged 7 and above are considered of catechetical age, in other words, they can participate in their own faith formation.  As such, unbaptized children aged 7 and above are enrolled in our RCIA for Children program (RCIA is the process by which the Catholic Church welcomes individuals into the Church.)  Children and their families will participate in a special faith formation program.  For more details, please contact the parish office.

If you are an unbaptized adult who feels drawn to the Catholic Church, we invite you to connect with our Faith Formation department in order to explore the Catholic faith further via the RCIA process.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the conversion process by which people become members of the Roman Catholic Church.  Through RCIA, individuals spend time learning what the Church believes and teaches.

To learn more about exploring the Catholic Faith at Saint Anthony, please call the parish office.