Sacrament of Baptism:

Baptisms are scheduled on the first and third weekends of each month.  Parent(s) must be registered parishioners.  Please call the parish office for more information (908-766-0079 ext. 0).

Godparent Eligibility Certificate

Some questions to think about, pray over, and discuss . . .

1. God asks us to love him with our whole mind, our whole heart, and all our strength.  How good is your own relationship with the Lord? Do you pray often? Do you regularly offer God praise and thanksgiving by actively participating in the mass and receiving the sacraments? Do you seek God’s guidance as you ponder over key decisions? Is your relationship with the Lord a real part of your life, or has it become just a slogan, just part of your cultural background without any real meaning in your daily living?
2. God asks us to love all people as he loves them.  How do you treat those closest to you — your family members, co-workers, and friends?  Are you patient, kind, compassionate, and forgiving? After spending time with you, would others recognize you as an agent of God’s love? Do you reach out to help those in need? Beyond the support you give to family and friends, what do you do to improve the lives of others?
3. God asks us to support the community he established to continue the teaching and ministry of Jesus throughout the ages, that is, the church.  Do you regularly worship/participate at mass with this community?  Do you regularly offer the gifts of your time, your talent, and your treasure to support the ministries of the Christian community?
4. Finally, if your son/daughter were to follow you around for a day, what would they learn about you? About your faith? About Jesus? How might you be a better teacher or example?

You see, unless you have your own faith life in order, you will never be able to pass that faith on to your child. Unless you live a life in imitation of Jesus Christ and in support of his church, you will not be able to pass this wonderful treasure on to your daughter or son.

We truly want the best for your child — the best possible examples of Jesus Christ in his or her life. We want to pass on to your child a faith that is a beacon throughout life, a faith that lights the way through a life filled with joy, peace, and contentment, a hope that inspires him or her to trust in God and his offer of eternal life, and a love that beautifies and enriches every rela-tionship, every moment of his or her life.

Your child’s baptism can be the beginning of this wonderful life of grace — or it can be a missed opportunity.  Please accept this invitation to be the instrument that God uses to love and nurture the child that he has entrusted to your care. Being a Christian parent involves much more than simply being a “nice person” or “doting parent” in society’s terms — it means being a “nice person” or “doting parent” plus. That “plus,” the plus of a lived, practiced faith makes all the difference.

And so . . .

If your faith makes you ready to accept the responsibility of raising your child so as to make the most of his or her baptism, here are some details . . .

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Baptism is

“the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as [children] of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission . . .” (Par. 1213).

The effects of Baptism are as follows:

  †   We become a child and heir of God,

  †   We become a member of the universal Roman Catholic Church, the Diocese of Metuchen, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish,  

  †    We are forgiven of Original Sin, and

  †    The life of grace (living in accord with God’s special gifts of faith, hope, and love) begins within us. 

Parents are encouraged to ready their lives to provide the best possible context for their child’s baptism, and then to seek that baptism as early as possible.

The Sacrament of Baptism is administered at OLPH on the 1st and 3rd weekends of each month both on Saturdays at 11:00 am and on Sundays at 12:00 pm; occasionally, certain parish observances or liturgical feasts necessitate a change in this schedule; the parish office or Pastor can inform you if this occurs on your particular date. All of these baptism ceremonies take place outside of mass.

From the information provided at the beginning of this booklet, it is clear that godparents must be stalwart examples of the fullness of Christian life. Godparents are representatives of the Church community meant to serve as role models of what it means to be a committed, practicing Catholic.

Each child must have one godparent. This godparent must be a practicing Catholic Christian who can obtain a certificate to that effect from his or her own parish.  Forms for this purpose are included with this booklet; these certificates must be returned to the parish office as soon as possible and absolutely no later than one week before the baptism.  In general, in order to be eligible to receive such a certificate and serve as a godparent, the church requires that the person meet all the following conditions:

  †    The person cannot be the actual parent of the child to be baptized (grandparents are eligible),

  †    The person must be at least 14 years old, and must have themselves received the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation. 

  †    The person must regularly participate in mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation, 

  †    If married, the person’s marriage must be recognized by the Catholic Church.

The child to be baptized may also have a second godparent. This second godparent may be another practicing Roman Catholic Christian who fulfills all the conditions listed above, or they may be a practicing Christian of another denomination (Christian witness) who can obtain a letter from their church stating that they are practicing members of that community.

Generally, one of the parish clergy (priests and deacons) will be scheduled to administer the sacrament. If you have a particular preference, you may speak about that at your Pre-Baptismal Meeting.

We also invite members of the Catholic clergy who are relatives or close friends of the child’s family to administer the Sacrament of Baptism here at OLPH.  If this situation applies to you, please discuss this during your Pre-Baptismal Meeting.

The church does not charge fees for the administration of the sacraments. This said, we do gratefully accept offerings from families who wish to share the joy of this occasion with the wider Christian community.  An envelope for this purpose is available; when families ask us to suggest an appropriate offering, we say $50, but any offering is gratefully accepted.  Be assured that the clergy member who performs the baptism does not keep this offering — it goes into our general fund to support the charitable and educational efforts of our parish community.

When you have read and prayed over the material in this booklet and feel that you are ready to approach the church for your child’s baptism, please contact the Parish Secretary at 908-766-0079, extension 0.  She will arrange for one of the parish clergy to call you to schedule a Pre-Baptismal Meeting.

The Pre-Baptismal Meeting is a meeting of both parents (godparents are invited but not required to attend) with one of the members of our parish clergy.  During this meeting, we will pray together, discuss the material contained at the beginning of this booklet, further discuss the meaning and rites of baptism, make particular arrangements, and answer any questions you may have.  This meeting usually lasts approximately 30 minutes.

Children are certainly welcome to attend this meeting with their parents, but if a child’s attendance would preclude both parents’ full attention and participation in this meeting, it is probably better to arrange for babysitting.

Published: 01 August 2004
First Revision: 01 July 2009
Second Revision: 10 November 2012
Third Revision: 03 June 2013
Fourth Revision: 02 February 2019