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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hi, OP.  I got both of my kids baptized in the Catholic church (just last December with DC#2) at 2 different churches.  The only stringent requirement that was conveyed to us by both parishes was that at least one of the Godparents had to be Catholic - meaning that they had to be both baptized AND confirmed in the Catholic church.  There was no requirement by either of these parishes that DH and I be married in the Catholic church - and we weren't, so that was good. I recall that both churches asked us the religion of each parent, but I do not believe both of you would need to be Catholic.  I am pretty sure it's sufficient if only one of you is, provided that you both agree to raise your kids in the Catholic church.  BUT this might depend on the parish.  Some have stricter requirements than others (i.e., you must be a parishoner to have your child baptized there, etc). So the first step would be to reach out to the church you're interested in and find out what is required.

You may also have to take a baptism class. Both churches we used told us that the class was required for parents who were getting a child baptized for the first time. The church usually offers the class.

Also, when we got DC #1 baptized, our baby was the youngest one getting baptized at 3 months old. There was a toddler and a preschooler (3-4 yo?) there getting baptized as well. So it seems that the old way of thinking -- get the newborn baptized ASAP in case the unthinkable happens -- has definitely changed.

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This is all pretty accurate.  You will have to take some kind of baptism class (the only thing you're allowed to do in the Catholic church without taking a class first is to die), but it may just be an hour or so.  If there's really no one that can be the Catholic godparent, I'm sure the priest can find someone from the church that would take on the role.  That probably will ask you to register as a parishioner.  That's no biggie -- it just will lead to a bit more mail, as they'll mail you the mass schedule for easter and christmas, that's about it.  I don't think they'll ask many questions about the older kids.  In order to continue with the sacraments, the kids will need to attend weekly religious education starting in K or 1st grade.  If you want to convert yourself, the process is called RCIA.  It's a lenghty process that takes almost a year, with a sponsor and lots of classes.  But if you just want to find out more, most churches have a lot of adult education programs like bible study or occasional lectures, etc., that you can attend.  There's also a very nice Catholic bookstore on K St downtown that has just about every imaginable book on the Catholic church, including a lot of books that might help you or your kids learn more.  I heard it's run by Opus Dei, and I'm really not a fan of their work, but it is such a nice bookstore that I go there anyway occasionally because I can't find another with a comparable selection.  While Opus Dei slants very "conservative," I find that the books are pretty diverse in their philosophy.[/quote]

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