Baptism at St. Mary Immaculate

Please call the Parish Office at 815-436-2651 to begin the process of having a baptism at St. Mary Immaculate. You will need to complete 3 steps before your child can be baptized:

1. Register as a Parishioner
2. Register for a Baptism Prep class
3. Schedule the Baptism

Register as a Parishioner

To have your child baptized at St. Mary Immaculate, you must be a member of the parish. If you are not a member of the parish, you must register. Please click here for registration information.

Please note: You must be a registered parishioner prior to scheduling a Baptism or receiving a Sponsor/Godparent letter. 

English Baptisms are held on the 2^nd and 3^rd Sunday of the month and Spanish Baptisms are held on the 4th Sunday of the month.  Families are invited to attend 12:15 Mass.  Dates may change based on the liturgical calendar. 

Please contact Margaret O’Leary at the Parish Office, 815-436-2651 Ext. 803, for further details.

Additional registration and Baptism guidelines can be found below.

Register for a Baptism Prep Class

Once you have registered as a parishioner, call the Parish Office and sign up for a Baptism Prep Class.

The future dates for these classes are:

Monday, December 15^th
Thursday, January 29^th
Tuesday, February 10^th
Monday, February 23^rd
Wednesday, March 11^th

All classes are held from 7:00-8:15pm.
There is a $25 fee to attend the class (non-refundable).

If you have attended a Baptism class at St. Mary’s within the last 3 years, this requirement is waived.

Schedule the Baptism

Once you have completed the Prep Class, call the Parish Office to schedule the baptism.

Godparents:

Congratulations that you have chosen to have your child baptized in the Catholic faith! Saint Mary Immaculate Parish is happy and eager to help you prepare for the Baptism of your child. The sacrament of Baptism is not just a name giving ceremony, but an initiation into the Catholic faith. It is the responsibility of the Church to see that its members continue to grow in the faith that they profess. Therefore, we would like to share with you some requirements when choosing godparents. 

Here are the criteria to be considered when choosing godparents so that they can fully witness to the Catholic life of faith:

1. When a child is baptized, he or she needs to have at least one godparent, although it is customary to have two godparents. When there are two godparents, one must be a male and the other female. 
2. In the Catholic faith, the role of a godparent is to help the parents bring up the child in the faith of the church. The godparent should be a good example to the child in living out the Catholic life. The role of the godparent is a service done in the name of the Church, so the person chosen should be capable of fulfilling this service.
3. Here are the criteria to be considered when choosing godparents so that they can fully witness to the Catholic life of faith:

The godparent must be a practicing Catholic who… 

• Is at least 16 years old.
• Cannot be the parent of the child being baptized.
• Has himself or herself been baptized, confirmed and received First Communion.
• If married, the godparent MUST be married within the Catholic Church. 
• Is an active and registered member of a Roman Catholic parish. By ‘active’ we mean someone who practices the faith. 

*Each godparent must complete a Sponsor Affidavit self testifying that they meet the above criteria.

It’s with great joy we welcome your child to the Catholic faith. In baptism, we are sharing the greatest gift of all: a life in Christ! Please know of our prayers for you as you undertake this beautiful step in your family.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Horan