Baptizing elementary age child in the Catholic Church

[Anonymous]

Or skip the Catholic route and stay Protestant. Anyone can be baptized so long as you receive and accept the spirit of the Lord.

[Anonymous]

many parishes will offer RCIC - rite of christian initiation for children - for kids who are older than 7 but younger than teenagers. the child may do baptism, first communion, and first reconciliation and then do confirmation later...depending on the diocese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would church shop a little. Start with your geographic parish and if you like it, great. Go talk to someone in the parish office. When you call they'll let you know if it's better to meet with a priest or a person in charge of sacraments, but I bet it's the priest. The sacraments/religious ed person is more for logistics. If you're not feeling your parish, go to a few around you on Sundays until you get a sense for them. I'd make sure you find the parish you want first, then reach out.

Many dioceses (in this area, the Arlington diocese in particular for example) will expect you to complete the sacraments in your home parish and getting permission to undergo the sacraments and the related religious prep classes required in an outside parish can range from a logistical hassle to infeasible.

Outside of that, your family can of course attend weekly Mass and other services wherever you like and get the best feel from, but I would save yourself the headache and just do the actual baptism/1st communion preparations in your home parish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would church shop a little. Start with your geographic parish and if you like it, great. Go talk to someone in the parish office. When you call they'll let you know if it's better to meet with a priest or a person in charge of sacraments, but I bet it's the priest. The sacraments/religious ed person is more for logistics. If you're not feeling your parish, go to a few around you on Sundays until you get a sense for them. I'd make sure you find the parish you want first, then reach out.

Definitely do this. The parish staff make a big difference. A popular church may have more stringent rules because they just have too many people and want to turn some away (like it's a popular place for weddings so you jump through more hoops). They vary by friendliness. The priests are often more welcoming than the staff though there can also be some very wonderful staff too to help you. You can do this but you need to find someone to guide you. They probably will need instruction first, CCD class for first communion. You may be able to do both at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I know someone who did this recently. The answer in that case was that the 8 year old did a kid-focused version of the RCIA (adult conversion) program. It takes about a year or more but you will do baptism, first communion, and confirmation in one. Usually the program concludes on Easter, so this year’s classes will be concluding very soon. Your husband should reach out to parishes to get the process started.

A child who is old enough for communion, but too young for confirmation would do the baptism, reconciliation, and first communion parts of RCIA, and then wait and do confirmation when they reach the appropriate age along with other kids who are preparing.

+1. OP, I know a family who baptized a younger elementary school child. Each parish will have its own process. Just call the one your husband wants to join. I agree with others that he really needs to take the lead in this. They won't care that you are protestant.

[Anonymous]

Also as a heads up, for baptism your child will need a godparent/sponsor who is a “Catholic in good standing”. Some churches are stricter in requiring actual documentation of this (completion of the key sacraments/married in the Church/active member of a parish) but any church should be able to identify an existing parish member happy to fulfill the role if you don’t have a friend or family member who fits the requirements.

[Anonymous]

As others have mentioned, any Catholic Church will absolutely welcome your family joining the parish. You should just be aware that (unlike in the Protestant faith) as a non Catholic you should not take communion, nor should your son take it until he has completed his baptism/first penance and first communion sacraments.

[Anonymous]

Non-Cathlolics may attend mass, you just can't take communion.

My father is not Catholic and has been attending mass with my Catholic mother for 40+ years. They've even arranged that when he passes, he'll have a funeral in their church, despite not being Catholic. It's a slightly abridged funeral mass, but the priest was totally fine with doing it for long-time parishioners.

As for baptism, only one of the two godparents needs to prove they are a Catholic in good standing (baptized/confirmed), which involves getting a copy of the paperwork from the church where they were baptized. Both our kids were baptized with only one godparent having this paperowrk, as the other godparent wasn't able to easily get it (they were baptized abroad).

[Anonymous]

Contact your local Catholic Church. I'm sure they will be more than happy to help you out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Non-Cathlolics may attend mass, you just can't take communion.

My father is not Catholic and has been attending mass with my Catholic mother for 40+ years. They've even arranged that when he passes, he'll have a funeral in their church, despite not being Catholic. It's a slightly abridged funeral mass, but the priest was totally fine with doing it for long-time parishioners.

As for baptism, only one of the two godparents needs to prove they are a Catholic in good standing (baptized/confirmed), which involves getting a copy of the paperwork from the church where they were baptized. Both our kids were baptized with only one godparent having this paperowrk, as the other godparent wasn't able to easily get it (they were baptized abroad).

I assume I could get the paperwork from my long-ago home parish stating that I received baptism and confirmation, but I'm no longer a Catholic in good standing - if fact, I'm an atheist. Are you saying that I could be someone's Godparent just with these documents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-Cathlolics may attend mass, you just can't take communion.

My father is not Catholic and has been attending mass with my Catholic mother for 40+ years. They've even arranged that when he passes, he'll have a funeral in their church, despite not being Catholic. It's a slightly abridged funeral mass, but the priest was totally fine with doing it for long-time parishioners.

As for baptism, only one of the two godparents needs to prove they are a Catholic in good standing (baptized/confirmed), which involves getting a copy of the paperwork from the church where they were baptized. Both our kids were baptized with only one godparent having this paperowrk, as the other godparent wasn't able to easily get it (they were baptized abroad).

I assume I could get the paperwork from my long-ago home parish stating that I received baptism and confirmation, but I'm no longer a Catholic in good standing - if fact, I'm an atheist. Are you saying that I could be someone's Godparent just with these documents?

Absolutely not. The baptismal sponsor must be canonically in good standing, and most parishes are looking for an attenuation from the sponsor’s home parish that they are active, practicing, contributing, etc. As a self-professed apostate and/or heretic who is admittedly not in canonical good standing you would not be a suitable individual to stand as sponsor at baptism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-Cathlolics may attend mass, you just can't take communion.

My father is not Catholic and has been attending mass with my Catholic mother for 40+ years. They've even arranged that when he passes, he'll have a funeral in their church, despite not being Catholic. It's a slightly abridged funeral mass, but the priest was totally fine with doing it for long-time parishioners.

As for baptism, only one of the two godparents needs to prove they are a Catholic in good standing (baptized/confirmed), which involves getting a copy of the paperwork from the church where they were baptized. Both our kids were baptized with only one godparent having this paperowrk, as the other godparent wasn't able to easily get it (they were baptized abroad).

I assume I could get the paperwork from my long-ago home parish stating that I received baptism and confirmation, but I'm no longer a Catholic in good standing - if fact, I'm an atheist. Are you saying that I could be someone's Godparent just with these documents?

Absolutely not. The baptismal sponsor must be canonically in good standing, and most parishes are looking for an attenuation from the sponsor’s home parish that they are active, practicing, contributing, etc. As a self-professed apostate and/or heretic who is admittedly not in canonical good standing you would not be a suitable individual to stand as sponsor at baptism.

Attestation. Not “attenuation.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-Cathlolics may attend mass, you just can't take communion.

My father is not Catholic and has been attending mass with my Catholic mother for 40+ years. They've even arranged that when he passes, he'll have a funeral in their church, despite not being Catholic. It's a slightly abridged funeral mass, but the priest was totally fine with doing it for long-time parishioners.

As for baptism, only one of the two godparents needs to prove they are a Catholic in good standing (baptized/confirmed), which involves getting a copy of the paperwork from the church where they were baptized. Both our kids were baptized with only one godparent having this paperowrk, as the other godparent wasn't able to easily get it (they were baptized abroad).

I assume I could get the paperwork from my long-ago home parish stating that I received baptism and confirmation, but I'm no longer a Catholic in good standing - if fact, I'm an atheist. Are you saying that I could be someone's Godparent just with these documents?

Absolutely not. The baptismal sponsor must be canonically in good standing, and most parishes are looking for an attenuation from the sponsor’s home parish that they are active, practicing, contributing, etc. As a self-professed apostate and/or heretic who is admittedly not in canonical good standing you would not be a suitable individual to stand as sponsor at baptism.

How would anyone know unless told?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-Cathlolics may attend mass, you just can't take communion.

My father is not Catholic and has been attending mass with my Catholic mother for 40+ years. They've even arranged that when he passes, he'll have a funeral in their church, despite not being Catholic. It's a slightly abridged funeral mass, but the priest was totally fine with doing it for long-time parishioners.

As for baptism, only one of the two godparents needs to prove they are a Catholic in good standing (baptized/confirmed), which involves getting a copy of the paperwork from the church where they were baptized. Both our kids were baptized with only one godparent having this paperowrk, as the other godparent wasn't able to easily get it (they were baptized abroad).

I assume I could get the paperwork from my long-ago home parish stating that I received baptism and confirmation, but I'm no longer a Catholic in good standing - if fact, I'm an atheist. Are you saying that I could be someone's Godparent just with these documents?

Absolutely not. The baptismal sponsor must be canonically in good standing, and most parishes are looking for an attenuation from the sponsor’s home parish that they are active, practicing, contributing, etc. As a self-professed apostate and/or heretic who is admittedly not in canonical good standing you would not be a suitable individual to stand as sponsor at baptism.

How would anyone know unless told?

God knows

[Anonymous]

Does your child actually want to be Catholic? At their age, it is relevant.