Parents wanting to baptize a child younger than seven years at San Rafael Parish should complete the online Baptism Registration Form below or come to the parish office and ask for the form from any of our receptionists.
Parents must realize, when asking for baptism of their child, that they will be promising, before God, to train their child in the practice of the faith and they will also be accepting the duty to bring their child up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Parents from another parish wishing to baptize their child at San Rafael Parish will be required to provide a letter of permission from their pastor.
The Baptism Registration Form may be submitted online, or filled in and signed, it should be returned to the receptionist. Parents will be contacted within two weeks and they will be advised of the required paperwork and preparation. We always ask parents and godparents to attend a pre-baptismal class (if they have not done so in the past two years). Parents will be asked to meet with a priest. It is the responsibility of the parents to contact Chris O'Donnell by calling (858) 487-4314 to make the appointment.
Godparents are present in order to represent both the expanded spiritual family of the one to be baptized and the role of the Church as a mother. As occasion offers, godparents help the parents so that children will come to profess the faith and live up to it.
Godparents must meet the following requirements as specified in Canon law:
The godparents must submitt a letter from their parish stating that they fulfill all the requirements to be a godparent. As a minimum, at least one godparent must meet all the listed requirements.
There only needs to be one godparent. If two are chosen then one must be male and one must be female. They must be available in-person at the Baptism - we do not allow godparents by proxy. A non-Catholic Christian may not be a godparent but they may be a Christian witness so long as there is a Catholic godparent who fulfills all the requirements. A non-Christian may not be a godparent or witness.