By Baptism, we become members of the Church,
the Body of Christ.

The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus.  Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist.  The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters.  . . .  Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin.  However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father.  By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.

In Baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom.  We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.  

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

FOR INFANTS

The Sacrament of Baptism is usually celebrated every Sunday of the month following the 11:00 a.m. Mass in Church. If this is not convenient, please notify the parish office to discuss an alternative time. 

For a child to be baptized at St. Francis Borgia, at least one parent must be a faithful Catholic.   To assure that parents have a full understanding of what it means to have their child baptized into the Catholic faith, they are asked to participate in the Baptism Instruction Program.  This is a one-time class which explains the meaning and importance of Baptism, and does not have to be repeated for subsequent children.

The Baptism Instruction class is tailored for each family's personal journey of faith and will be held at the home of the family.  Each home will also be blessed at the time of instruction.  When a parishioner calls the parish office for baptismal instruction, their contact information will be shared with one of the priests or deacon so that they can make the personal contact and set up the class time with the family.

FOR ADULTS

Adult baptism is an integral part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The RCIA  process provides information and formation to individuals seeking to learn more about the Catholic faith.  Non-baptized participants are called Catechumens to identify their status more closely with those seeking Christianity in the early Church.  Participants who have been previously baptized into another Christian denomination are called Candidates. 

RCIA classes normally begin in September and culminate at the Easter Vigil when the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist (Communion) are administered.  Times and dates of classes can be tailored to individual needs as necessary.

For more details, please contact:

Deacon David Tobben, Sacramental Ministry
[email protected]