Baptism is one of the three sacraments of Christian Initiation (along with Holy Eucharist and Confirmation) through which Catholics are incorporated as full members of the Church.

Baptism is the foundation for the Christian life; in Baptism we enter into the life of Christ. We begin a relationship with the Lord that grows throughout our lives and leads to eternal life. Baptism gives us God's life and frees us from sin. The Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of their child in the faith. In keeping with this belief, all parents presenting an infant for Baptism must participate in a Baptismal preparation session. The Preparation Program gives parents and godparents an opportunity to reflect on their own faith, to learn more about the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism, and to be made aware of the responsibilities of being Catholic parents or sponsors at Baptism.

Congratulations! Your baby's Baptism will be a special moment for you and your family. It will also be a special moment for our parish as we welcome your child into God's family. We look forward to helping you prepare for your baby's baptism so that it will be a day to remember for everyone.

If you have not previously registered as a member of St. Stephen Parish, we ask that you do so as part of the Baptism preparation process.

Please click here for information on how to register.

Godparents will play an important role in your child's Catholic upbringing. You may find the following documents helpful when considering whom to ask: 

The Role of a Godparent

Baptisms are currently offered at the following times:

Please discuss your date selection when you speak with the Baptism coordinator.

Parents who have made the decision to baptize their child in the Catholic faith and would like to have the Sacrament of Baptism held at St. Stephen should complete the Baptism Information Form. (Click on the highlighted words or on the words Baptism Information Form in the drop down menu to the left.)

Once you complete and submit the Baptism Information Form, our parish office will contact you to schedule your child's baptism date.

Please note - upon completion of the form, it may take between 5 and 7 business days to contact you. We appreciate your patience. 

Two weeks prior to your child's Baptism date, parents need to bring the following to the baptism coordinator at the parish office during business hours:

• Godparent sponsor forms with Pastor/Priest signatures and Church Seal.

• $150 baptism fee, payable by check (preferred) or cash. Checks should be made payable to  St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr.

St. Stephen would like to celebrate your child's very special Baptism day with our parish community by publicizing photos in the parish bulletin. (Please note - electronic versions of the parish bulletin appear on the parish website.) That said, we understand that some parents would like to see their child's Baptism photo in the bulletin whereas others may not.

Going forward for 2022, we are asking parents to submit a baptism photo to St. Stephen if they would like for their child's photo to appear in the parish bulletin and on the parish website. Please be so kind as to follow these guidelines when making your submission:
 

• The child must be wearing his/her baptismal garments and the photo must be taken inside St. Stephen church.

• The photo can include the child and his or her parents and/or godparents as well as the presider. Siblings are welcome, too.

• In the email you send in, please include the child's full baptismal name, the date of the child's baptism, and list all names of the persons in the photo.

• Photos should be submitted by a parent within two weeks of the child's baptism to: ststephen@ststephentinley.com