Do I have to be a member of Nativity of Mary Ethiopian Catholic Church to have my baby baptized there?

The celebration of all our sacraments are community events and our community is our parish where we live. If you are a Catholic parent living within the boundaries of Nativity of Mary Ethiopian Catholic Church, or living outside this parish boundaries but are registered and supporting the parish, you may have your child baptized here. If you live in another part of the Archdiocese or in another city, but would like to have your child baptized here for special reasons, please email the parish office at lmethiocathoilc@gmail.com

When is Baptism held?
Baptism takes place outside of Mass on Saturdays at 11 a.m. except for the first Saturday of the month. For serious pastoral reasons, your child could be baptized at another time with the approval of the priest.

Are we required to attend meetings or classes?
Here at Nativity of Mary Ethiopian Catholic Church, we require that all parents meet with a parish priest. At the meeting a choice of dates will be offered for the baptismal preparation class followed by a date for the sacrament of Baptism. Once you have completed the class your baptism date will be set.  At this class, you will learn all about the sacrament, have your questions answered, and learn successful ways to incorporate the faith into your family life. This class is for 2 hours broken in to two days, and both parents and god parents are required to attend. 

Who Can be a Godparent?
Every person being baptized, whether a child or an adult, must have a sponsor. The sponsors in Baptism have traditionally been called godparents. The minimum requirement is one sponsor, but usually when infants are baptized, they have two, one of each gender. Canon law permits only one godparent of each gender – a godmother and a godfather.

To be a sponsor, you must:

• Be at least 16 years or older

• Have received Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation

• Be an active Catholic and be registered at a Catholic parish

• Not be the parent of the one being baptized

• Show evidence of being a registered, active member of a parish, if needed

If you wish, along with the Catholic sponsor, one godparent can be a baptized Protestant Christian in good standing. They would be known as a Christian witness.

What if I am a single parent?
If you are not married (single parent), this situation, by itself, is not a sufficient reason to delay the Baptism of your child. Before attending the parent’s class, you will be asked to meet with the priest to discuss your responsibilities to raise your child in the faith as a single parent.

What if we did not marry in the Catholic Church?
If you are living together, or were married in another denomination, or civilly, you will be asked to meet with the priest before a date for Baptism can be set to discuss the sacramental validation of your marriage. Each parent must make a promise to raise the child according to the faith, a faith that they themselves are practicing. That is difficult to do when the marriage is not a sacramental one.

Jesus gave us His Sacraments to confer Grace upon us. It is this Grace that strengthens us to live according to His commandments. And this includes all of His sacraments.

We support your decision to commit to each other in a civil marriage and would like to discuss the benefits to you and your relationship of inviting God into your life together by having your marriage “blessed” in the Church. Every situation is a little different, so please discuss this with the priest.

How much does it cost?
There is no cost to have your child baptized. Donations made to the Church are always appreciated. It is acceptable to show your appreciation to the Church with an honorarium. This should always be according to your means. The suggested honorarium is $60.