Baptism

Mission Statement: St. Joan of Arc Parish is a Christ-centered, sacramental and stewardship community within the Archdiocese of Denver and the Roman Catholic Church. With the courage of St. Joan of Arc, our mission is to build the kingdom of God by living the gospel values of faith, hope and love and by sharing our Catholic faith with those in our community, our city, and our world.	12735 W 58th Avenue Arvada, Colorado 80002 (303) 420-1232 ● (303) 420-0126 Fax Daily Mass ~ 8:30 am Sunday Anticipatory Mass ~ Saturday, 5:00 pm Sunday Masses ~ 7:30, 9:00, 11:30 am and 5:30 pm Holy Days of Obligation ~ Anticipatory 7:00 pm 8:30 am, Noon, and 7:00 pm	Welcome to St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church. We are located in western Arvada, near the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains. We hope you will not only visit our website, but will come to the parish in person. ~ Thank you for visiting with us! ~ Rev. Joseph T. Cao, Pastor

St. Joan of Arc
Catholic Church

E-mail: office@saintjoancatholic.org

Communion Service
Monday - Friday
at 6:15 am
&
Tues, Wed & Thur
at noon

Confessions
Daily, except Tuesday
after the 8:30 am Mass

Saturday's
9-10 am & 4-4:45 pm
or call for an
appointment

Baptism Preparation

Prior to the baptism of a child, a preparation class is required for parents and sponsors (CCL 851). Currently this class is offered on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Lorraine Room. Please call the parish office to register for the class and to schedule a baptism with Andi Weber, our Liturgical Administrator. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for this class. If there is no one that has pre-registered, the class could be cancelled. ***Please note, there will not be a class offered in December, 2011 because it falls on the Holy Day of Immaculate Conception***

Parents are encouraged to attend the class before or soon after the birth of the child. The recommended donation to attend this class is $15 which covers the beautiful publications you will receive on the night of the class. This class is available to anyone who may need to attend a preparation class as a sponsor for another church and a certificate will be given to you at the conclusion of the class.

A few points for consideration by parents planning an infant (under the age of 7 years old) baptism:

	The request for baptism must come from the parent or legal guardian. There are circumstances where a grandparent may request baptism with the child’s parents' consent. The grandparent must live near the child and must be willing to take on the responsibility of the child’s spiritual development in the Catholic Faith.
	The parents/guardians must be Catholic and accept the responsibility for teaching their child in the Catholic Faith through word and action.
	Baptism should not be seen as merely a naming ceremony. It is the child’s entrance into the Church, the Body of Christ, and so much more.
	Only one sponsor (godparent) is required although it is customary that there be two. If there are two, there may be only one man and one woman. Two men or two women are not permitted (CCL 873).
	Godparents must have received the Sacrament of Confirmation, be practicing Catholics, and be 16 years of age or older (CCL 874).
	Godparents must be registered in a parish (for a period of at least six months prior to the baptism) and we will need a verification letter from their parish to that effect before the baptism can take place.
	If married, the godparents must be in a valid Catholic marriage.
	The category of Christian Witness allows baptized, practicing, non-Catholic Christians to take part in the Catholic baptismal ceremony. This is to recognize both sides of the family in a mixed-religion marriage and to allow them to participate in the ceremony.
	In the case of a Christian Witness, there must also be a Confirmed Catholic godparent.
	Catholics are not eligible to be Christian witnesses.
	Canon Law requires parents and godparents to have pre-baptismal preparation.
	Children over the age of seven are no longer considered infants because they have reached the age of reason and therefore require preparation for all three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. The preparation normally begins in September and culminates at the Easter Vigil.
	Baptisms are regularly held each Sunday, except during Holy Week. Other times may be arranged to accommodate special needs. If you have additional questions contact: Andi Weber, (303) 420-1232 ext. 104, andi@saintjoancatholic.org