Congratulations on adding a new member to your family! Whether they join us through birth or adoption, children are a gift from God.

 “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 you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

For Parents

You are the first catechists of your children, the first ones who teach your children the faith. Parents bring their infants and children under the age of 7 to the waters of Baptism by professing a belief in Christ on behalf of the child, and promising to raise him or her in the faith. We want to support you in your preparation for your child’s Baptism and in the years beyond. Parents desiring the Sacrament of Baptism for their child(ren) must:
– be registered in the parish
– attend a Baptism seminar.
If it has been more than 3 years since you last attended a seminar, you are required to attend a new seminar.
Please see the Church Events Calendar, the bulletin, or call the Parish office to find out the date of the next Baptism seminar.

If you are seeking the Sacrament of Baptism for your child, please contact:

Kathy Kelly-Huey
baptism@smmcatholic.org 

For Sponsors (Godparents)

Choosing godparents should be performed with much prayer, careful thought and with greatest concern for your precious child. All godparents residing in the metro Atlanta must also attend the Baptism seminar. (If it has been more than 3 years since you last attended a seminar, you are required to attend a new seminar.) The Church also provides further guidelines in the requirements of canon law:

• Canon  873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.
• Canon  874 §1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:
  1. be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function; 
  2. have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;
  3. be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
  4. not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
  5. not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
• §2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism.

Baptism for Older Children and Adults

If your child is over the age of 7 and needs to receive Baptism, they will participate in a process called RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Focusing on the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, all persons over seven are immersed in the ancient Rites of the Church leading to a discovery of and desire for a personal and intimate relationship with the Risen Christ. This is a process that will take some time and we are excited to walk alongside your family on this journey!

Our relationship with God is a journey that lasts our entire lives. If you are interested in becoming Catholic as an adult, you are welcome here! In the Church, this process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. We would be honored to accompany you on your journey.