Baptism

Baptism is the first sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. At St. Thomas the Apostle, we are honored to welcome families as they begin this beautiful journey of faith with their children. Infant baptisms are celebrated for children up to 7 years old.

For children 8 and older, you must contact the Religious Education office to inquire about the process for the Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC).

Communal Baptisms are celebrated on the third Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. English or 12:00 noon Spanish. We can also schedule Baptisms during a Sunday Mass (11:00 a.m. English or 1:00 p.m. Spanish). St. Thomas does offer private Baptisms on Saturdays, subject to availability. Parents should not make specific plans for the baptism until the date and time for the ceremony are finalized by the Baptisms Coordinator.  

While being a registered parishioner is not mandatory, we encourage parents to consider registering and actively participating in the parish community. If the child’s parents do not live within the perimeters of our parish (zip codes 33143, 33155 or 33156), they need to request a letter from the Catholic parish corresponding to their home address to ask permission to baptize their child at St. Thomas.

Parents and Godparents must participate in a Baptism Preparation class. St. Thomas offers these classes on the second Saturday of each month, 9 to 11 a.m. Please contact the Parish office to pre-register for classes before the date you are going to attend. You must pre-register prior to the class. If you are unable to attend the class at St. Thomas, or are registered at another parish, you may take the class there and provide a Certificate of Completion. The Archdiocese of Miami does NOT accept online classes – the class must be completed in-person.

Per the Archdiocese of Miami, the following documentation is required:

• Birth Certificate of the child to be baptized
• Completed Baptism Registration Form
• Parental Approval, if applicable: ADOM requires that both parents approve or concur in the child's baptism. If the parents are not married to each other or one of the parents is not Catholic, then a notarized letter of Permission to Baptize is required from the non-custodial parent or non-Catholic parent.

Requirements for Godparents:

The child being baptized must have at least one Godparent, but no more than two – one must be male and the other female. Godparents should aspire to be a strong Christian influence on the child being baptized. Additionally, they must:

·         Be at least 16 years of age

·         Have received the Sacrament of Confirmation; if married, they must have been married through the Catholic Church

·         Be registered and active in a Catholic parish

·         Parents or stepparents cannot serve as Godparents

·         Godparents will need to bring a letter of good standing stating that he or she meets the requirements to be a Godparent.

·         Non-Catholic Christians may serve as a Christian Witness but will not be listed on the Child’s certificate or be on record.

 

Baptism Request Form (English): https://church.stamiami.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/EN-Infant-Baptism-Request-Form.pdf

Baptism Request Form (Spanish): https://church.stamiami.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SP-Infant-Baptism-Request-Form.pdf