Baptism

Registered parishioners are invited to have their children baptized at St. Dominic's. Baptisms take place on Saturday mornings with individual families. Groups of 20 people or fewer are scheduled in the Baptistry; larger groups are scheduled in the Lady Chapel. (The Lady Chapel is never used when an event is already scheduled on the Main Altar.)

In preparing for your child's baptism:

• Parents must be active, registered parishioners at St. Dominic's Catholic Church.
• Parents and godparents are required to attend one of our Baptism Classes, offered every third Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. If the godparent is out of town, he or she may attend a class at one's local parish and send us a letter of good standing to that effect.

Before a baptism date can be set, please submit the completed Baptismal Questionnaire to Karen Mitchell at the parish office or by email at karen@stdominics.org.  If you prefer to fax the form, the fax number is 567-1608.

• Baptismal Questionnaire (PDF, 18 K)

 Choosing Godparents:

• There are two godparents only, who should be chosen based on one's ability to help you raise your child in the belief and teachings of the Catholic Church.
• Godparents are active, registered parishioners of their parish, 1 must be Catholic and both must be baptized Christians.

Checklist:

• Have you sent in the Baptismal Questionnaire?
• Have you attended the Baptism Class?
• Have you received a confirmation of the date, time and location?
• Have you chosen readings and readers for the Baptism?
• Have the godparents attended the Baptism class?
• Have you sent in letters of good standing for the godparents from out-of-town?

These readings will help parents plan the Baptismal Celebration:

• Baptismal Readings (PDF, 130 K) Please submit your choice of readings to Karen Mitchell one week before your family's scheduled baptism. You can send them via e-mail at karen@stdominics.org or by fax at 567-1608.

For older children age 7 and up seeking baptism:

• RCIA (adapted for older children) requires participation in Family and Children's Faith Formation (FCFF) or Youth Ministry.  Monthly children's catechemunate sessions for children candidates and parents are scheduled through the DRE.  Participants must complete an FCFF registration, found here in Engilsh (for Spanish, click here).  Contact the DRE, Michael Smith, at (415) 674-0446 or dre@stdominics.org.

For adults age 18 and up seeking baptism:

• Please see the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program.

The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded of you" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Baptism is the first sacrament celebrated in the process of becoming a full member of the Church community. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

Baptism is, like all the sacraments, a gift from God. Water is the universal symbol. Water is absolutely essential for all life. Water cleanses and restores. It is the waters of Baptism which give us new life. In accordance, through Baptism we also die to our old sinful selves in order to be restored and resurrected in the new life of Christ.

"The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ." -- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1279