“The marvelous gift of God’s life is shared with the youngest members of our community through Infant Baptism. While all are called to participate fully in sacramental celebrations of the Church community, with as much awareness, devotion and understanding as possible, the Baptism of infants is a sign of the unconditional love that God bestows on His beloved children in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. The child baptized sacramentally receives God’s life and becomes an adopted child of God, a member of Christ’s body (the Church) and a temple of the Holy Spirit.” (Celebrating the Faith – Sacramental Guidelines - Diocese of Brooklyn #1.4)

 BOTH parents must attend a Baptismal Prep Class before the Baptism of the first child. 

Please click on the Baptism - Request Registration Form to request a Baptismal Form and guidelines. We will then email you a Baptismal Form which you will complete and send back to us with a copy of the child's Birth Certificate and copies of the Godparent's Confirmation Certificates and Testimony of Designated Sponsor for Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation Form filled out by the Godparents. Once we have the completed form with the necessary documents back you will be contacted about the arrangements for the Baptism.

Baptism - Request Registration Form

AGE OF BAPTISM: Parents are encouraged to baptize their infant as soon as possible after the child is born. It is necessary that at least ONE (1) of the parents, or the person who takes the place of the parent, give consent to the Baptism. For this reason, we require that arrangements for the Baptism of an infant be made by one of the parents or legal guardian only. (Sorry, Grandparents can not arrange the Baptism of their grandchild.) Children who have reached the “age of discernment” (age 7) are no longer considered infants; and therefore must be treated following the rules for the R.C.I.A. (adapted for Children).

PROCEDURE FOR INFANT BAPTISMS:

• 1) Parents are asked to contact the Rectory to register for Infant Baptism. They will be asked to complete an INFANT BAPTISM REGISTRATION FORM and (If necessary) a PARISH CENSUS FORM. They will also be asked to supply the CHILD’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE and the Godparent's CONFIRMATION CERTIFICATE.
• 2) The PARENTS must attend ONE (1) Baptism Class before the date of the Baptism will be arranged. Parents will arrange a place, date and time with the Parish Office.

CHANGES ON THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE: The information on the Baptism Certificate must appear EXACTLY as it does on the Birth Certificate of the Child (according to Diocesan norms). Therefore changes to the Birth Certificate – such as correct spelling of names; dates; inclusion of father’s name – should be done before the Child is baptized, if possible. Please Note: If a parent’s name does NOT appear on the Birth Certificate, it will not appear on the Baptism Certificate. Changes to the Birth
Certificate of a Child which are made after the Baptism require Diocesan approval to be made to the Baptism Certificate.

CHURCH OF BAPTISM: Baptisms will be celebrated in both St. Camillus and St. Virgilius Churches; and parents may choose to celebrate their child’s Baptism in either Church. Parents whoare not members of  St. Camillus-St. Virgilius parish should call Father Kuroly to make the request. With the prior permission of St. Camillus-St. Virgilius, the parents will be required to obtain written permission of the pastor of the parish where they attend Sunday Mass. The parents will also be required to fulfill the Baptism Preparation Requirements of the parish where they live. All visiting priests and Deacons must follow diocesan policies, liturgiccal norms and parish rules.

BAPTISM IN DANGER OF DEATH: In case of emergency, anyone can baptize. If possible, the PArish Office – or the Hospital Chaplain -- should be called. Please notify the Parish Office if a child has been baptized in the Hospital so that the Rite of Welcome (Ceremonies Supplied) may be celebrated.

BAPTISM OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN: Once a child enters the FIRST GRADE, they should be enrolled in a Catholic School or Religious Education Program. The Baptism of children in school will not take place until the child is regularly receiving Religious instructions. Children who are NOT seven years old will be baptized following the procedure for infants. Older children will follow the RCIA.

GODPARENTS: Each child must have ONE (1) GODPARENT – either male or female. If there are TWO Godparents, one must be male and one female. More than TWO (2) Godparents are NOT permitted. In some cultures, several Godparents are present at the Baptism. Only TWO (2) Godparents, however, are recognized and their names are included in the Baptism Register. To be a Godparent, the following requirements must be met:

• Be designated by the parents
• Have the intention of fulfilling the role of Godparent
• Be at least 16 years of age 
• Be a Roman Catholic who has been baptized; confirmed and received First Communion (Proof of Confirmation is required)
• Lead a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith and the role of a Godparent
• Not be the father or mother of the child (this also includes adoptive parents).
• Please Note: Brothers and sisters can be Godparents if they fulfill the other requirements.
• Not be bound by any canonical penalty

Please Note: It is not required that Godparents be married to each other.

CIVIL RESPONSIBILITIES OF GODPARENTS: In the United States, Godparents are not recognized as having a legal responsibility for a godchild in case of the death of the parents. Parents are urged to receive legal advice to insure for the care of your child(ren).

NON CATHOLICS AS GODPARENTS: A baptized non-Catholic Christian (e.g. Lutheran, Anglican, Orthodox) may not be a Godparent. However, if there is one (1) Roman Catholic Godparent, a baptized non-Catholic Christian may serve as a “Christian Witness” for Baptism. Those who are NOT BAPTIZED (e.g. Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, people with no religion) may NEVER serve as a Godparent or Christian Witness.

PROXY: In the event that a Godparent cannot be present for the Baptism ceremony, another person may represent the Godparent as “proxy”. Please speak with the Pastor to arrange proxy for a Godparent.

CHANGE OF GODPARENTS: It is the general policy of the Diocese of Brooklyn not to authorize the change of Godparents, after the Baptism has taken place.

BAPTISM OF ADOPTED CHILDREN: Please speak with the Pastor/Administrator.

BAPTISM CERTIFICATES: St. Camillus-St. Virgilius parish will provide Baptism Certificates. If there are any errors on the certificate, the parents MUST call the Rectory immediately so that the corrections may be made and a new certificate issued.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Photography and Videos are permitted during the celebration of Baptism provided that they are are conducted respectively and do not distract from the sacrred nature of the liturgy. The focus of the celebration must always remain on the Sacrament and the participation of the child, parents, godparents, family and congregation in the prayer of the Church. We discourage the hiring of professional photographers.

BAPTISM OFFERING: An envelope will be provided for a suggested donation of $200. If you wish to write a check, please write the check to “ST. CAMILLUS-ST. VIRGILIUS CHURCH”.

If you have any questions, please call the Parish Office: 718-634-8229