Baptism is the beginning of the journey of faith for your child. Through baptism, your child will receive the Holy Spirit and becomes a disciple, a follower of Christ and a member of God’s family, the Church. It is your responsibility as the child’s parents to be the role models for your child on this journey of faith. This is why we have a special program to prepare the parents and godparents and to help them raise their consciousness about this important responsibility that God has entrusted to them.
Parents should see to it that their children are baptized within a reasonable period after birth. Arrangements for baptism should be made as soon as possible after birth, or even before the birth of the child.
If the child to be baptized is 7 years of age or older, then you need to contact the Religious Education Office at (818) 240-6551 ext. 220 to arrange for the baptism.
For parents: At least one parent must be a Catholic and both parents must be willing to raise the child in the Catholic faith.
For Godparents: Godparents are individuals who should be part of the life of the child and are willing to accept the responsibility of supporting their godchild in learning and living the Catholic faith through their own example.
Usually a godfather and a godmother are chosen for each child to be baptized. However, you may also choose to have only one godparent. The godparents should be at least 16 years of age, baptized and confirmed Catholics, who have received their first communion, are practicing their faith, and if married, must be married in the Catholic Church.
If you choose to have only one godparent, then a person who is a baptized Christian can serve as a “Christian Witness”. The godparents and Christian Witnesses must also attend the baptism preparation class at Holy Family or provide a certificate of completion of a similar class in another parish.The godparents do not need to take the baptism preparation class if they have taken such a class within the last 2 years.
We ask you to help support the Church by paying a fee at the time of registration of your child’s baptism. The fee is $50 for the Group Baptism and $250 for Private Baptism.
If you have any questions please feel free to call (818) 247-2222 ext. 220 or stop by the Parish Office. The form may be mailed to you or, you can download the form online.
You will need to complete the application form (Baptism Form) (Forma para Bautismo).
You will need to turn in a copy of your child’s birth certificate to the office. If you have not received your certified birth certificate yet, a proof of the birth from the hospital will be sufficient.
If you come from another parish, please note that sacraments are normally received in the parish where one worships. Those coming from another parish must bring in a letter from the pastor of your parish granting permission to have your baptism at Holy Family.
Once you have these items you may turn them in to the Parish Office along with a $50 donation. Once these three items have been completed, the secretary will schedule you an appointment with representatives from our baptism committee.
Baptism classes are held in English on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at 10:30am in Room 15 in the Grade School. The classes are held in Spanish on the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00pm in the BIG Life Teen Room. Children are not permitted to accompany the parents to the baptism classes. We love children. However, they absolutely cannot be admitted to the classes. We also understand babysitting hardships.Please plan accordingly. Children can be disruptive and it is simply not fair to the attendees. You must be on time. If you are not familiar with the Holy Family parish layout, please give yourself extra time to avoid tardiness to your baptism class.
English baptisms are held on the 1st Sunday of the month at 2:00pm. Spanish baptisms are held on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 2:00om. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early.