Information and Application
Baptism of Children
Canon law 867 #1: "Parents are obliged to see to it that infants are baptized within the first weeks after birth; as soon as possible after the birth or even before, parents are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be properly prepared for it."
Canon law 868 #1, 2: "For the licit baptism of an infant it is necessary that: .......there be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such a hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be put off according to the prescriptions of particular law and the parents are to be informed of the reason."
Parent(s) must be practicing Catholics (participating in the Mass and Sacraments) and registered in the Parish for a minimum of four months before the Baptism date.
Schedule
All Baptisms in Spanish are scheduled on Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m.; the first and third weeks are in Truckee and the second and fourth weeks are in Kings Beach at Our Lady of the Lake church.
Baptisms in English are usually scheduled Saturdays at 9:00 a.m.; the first and third weeks are in Truckee and the second and fourth weeks are in Kings Beach at Our Lady of the Lake church.
Note: the above schedule may change due to the high demand in one community or another. Please call for date availability.
- All Baptisms must be scheduled through the office
Baptism Preparation Class
A Baptism Preparation Class is required for both parents and godparents and is good for 2 years. The godparents must participate in the pre-baptismal class or should have a letter from their parish if they do not belong to our parish, stating that they have attended the pre-baptismal class and that they are practicing Catholics.
Godparents (Sponsors)
You may have one or two godparents (one female and one male godparent). At least one of the godparents must be a practicing Catholic, baptized and confirmed.
Canon law 874 #1: "To be admitted to the role of sponsor, a person must:
- be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the one who takes their place or, in their absence, by the pastor or minister and is to have the qualifications and the intention of performing this role;
- have completed the sixteenth year, unless a different age has been established by the diocesan bishop or it seems to the pastor or minister that an exception is to be made for a just cause;
- be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken;
- not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
- not be the father or the mother of the one to be baptized.
Parents from another parish
In order to baptize a baby whose parents belong to another parish, we need written permission from their parish priest.
Required Documents:
- completed application form and read the guidelines.
- a copy of the baby's birth certificate (preferred) or official hospital record where the child was born.
- have attended class or received a copy of the Baptism Preparation letter of completion / permission if done outside the parish for parents and godparents respectively.
- $40 donation to the church (If you have financial difficulties, you will not be refused - please ask to speak to the priest to explain your situation.)
Please click the links below for further information.
Baptism Preparation Class
Download Baptism Application - Bilingual (PDF)
Guidelines (PDF)
Calendar
