Parish Liaison: Joanie Hendricks, Director of Children’s Formation, jhendricks@stpatlou.org



“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” MT 28:19-28

The first of the seven sacraments, and the “door” which gives access to the other sacraments, Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification. Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist constitute the “sacraments of initiation” by which a believer receives the remission of original and personal sin, begins a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit and is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ.

When a baby is baptized, they are baptized based on the desire and faith of the parent(s). Because of this, we offer the opportunity to learn why we baptize, what baptism is, and the effects and obligations that go along with it. This preparation will inform the parents in those areas and empower them to make the promises proclaimed during a baptism celebration and meet other families in our community. Both parents are required to attend a baptism preparation program before the baptism. Find out more information about the dates and times of our preparation programs on the registration form listed below. 

Contact Jeanette Rowland in the parish office with questions about the registration process at 502-244-6083.

Preparation steps for Baptism:

1.  Discern that this baptism is based on the desire and faith of the parents. 
2.  Complete our Baptism Registration Form listed below. On this form, be prepared to 

• List the child’s godparents. One godparent is required, but two (a male and a female) may be recorded in the baptismal record. For more information about godparents, refer to the information listed below.  
• Choose a time to attend one of our baptism preparation sessions. Attendance at a session is a prerequisite for baptism in most cases. 
• Choose the date of your child’s baptism.   

Who Can Be a Godparent?

The requirements to be a Catholic godparent are:

• A godparent must be at least 16 years of age.
• A godparent must have fulfilled all three sacraments of initiation-Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. A documented baptismal record is required from the church where the godparent was baptized. This church is their record-keeping parish and provides notated documentation of the sacraments on the back of the record. For more information, Click HERE.
• A godparent should be and is expected to be an active Catholic.
• At least one godparent must be present at the time of the Baptism. 
• Someone baptized in a Christian tradition other than Catholicism and practicing in that faith tradition can be listed as a Christian witness. A Catholic godparent must accompany a Christian witness godparent.