The Sacrament of Baptism becomes the basis of our Christian life, the gateway to life in the Holy Spirit, and the door which allows us to experience the other sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons and daughters of God. By being baptized, we become members of the Catholic Church and our parish family.
BAPTISM OF INFANTS
Baptisms at St. Walter are usually held on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays of each month immediately following the 11am Mass. Couples wishing to have their child baptized at St. Walter must first complete an online sacramental preparation course, and attend a virtual meeting. Following the virtual meeting, couples are permitted to schedule their child’s baptism. To ensure a personal experience, we limit the number of baptisms on any given Sunday.
CHOOSING GODPARENTS
As you begin to prepare for your child’s baptism, one of your first decisions will be the selection of godparents/sponsors. Prior to inviting a relative or close friend to assume the role of godparent, it is important for you to understand what our church teaches. Choosing godparents can be a sensitive issue, but a greater understanding of the role of a godparent may help you in this matter. Godparents play a very important role in your child’s spiritual life and should serve as role models of the faith. For this reaso
Your child should be able to look to their godparents 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.
Additionally, in their role as a godparent, they represent the larger church community. As you see, being a godparent is not only an honor, but also a tremendous responsibility. To prevent any misunderstanding, or disappointment, please review the information below to choose the best possible godparents for your child.
In considering which individual(s) to ask to serve as your child's godparents, remember that their role is to guide the child in the ways of the Catholic Faith so that they may reach heaven. At least one of the baptism sponsors must also satisfy the following requirements of Church Law:
- Godparent(s) must be baptized Catholics in good standing. They must be living a life in harmony with the Church's teachings.
- Godparent(s) must be at least 16 years of age.
- Godparent(s) must have received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.
- May not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized
Parents can choose to have a non-Catholic Christian serve as a sponsor along with a Catholic godparent. This individual is recognized by the Church as a "Christian Witness."
While parents may opt to have only one godparent, if two godparents or a godparent and Christian witness are chosen, there must be one male and one female.
BAPTISM OF CHILDREN—AGE 7 AND ABOVE
Please contact the Director of Family Faith Formation at 630-439-3019 for further information
BAPTISM OF ADULTS
Please contact the Parish Office at 630-894-3020
We are here to support you in this first step of your child’s spiritual journey of faith. Please reach Rachel Karlovitz, Infant Baptism Coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have further questions
If you are interested in having your child baptized at St. Walter Church and want to begin the process, we ask you to fill out this online form.
