Baptism

"Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ: 'Therefore . . . we are members one of another.'(Eph 4:25) Baptism incorporates us into the Church. From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations, cultures, races, and sexes: 'For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.'(1 Cor 12:13)" ~Catechism of the Catholic Church - 1267

Baptism is the first of the initiation Sacraments of the Church. The sacrament of baptism opens the door to a new life in Jesus Christ...a life that goes beyond our death and into the life of heaven after our death.  This great gift is offered to all who believe and to the children of families of faith. At Nativity of Mary, it is a joy and honor to welcome new members into our church family through the sacrament of baptism. For more information on the Sacrament of Baptism check out our information guide below.

Baptism Registration Form

Nativity Baptism Guide

General Baptism Information

Baptism Dates:

Baptisms are celebrated in small groups so that families can share in this joyful Sacrament together as a parish community. The upcoming pre-schedule dates are listed below. You will see these dates in the dropdown menu in the registration form as well. 

• Sunday, April 12th after the 10:30 AM Mass
• Saturday, April 18th after the 4 PM Mass
• Sunday, May 3rd after the 10:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, June 7th after the 10:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, August 2nd after the 10:30 AM Mass
• Sunday, September 13th after the 10:30 AM Mass

If you have special circumstances that prevent your child from being baptized on one of the dates listed, please contact Deacon Jim Reinhard at: deaconjim@nativitybloomington.org with a brief explanation of your situation and the date and time you are requesting. He will review your request and let you know if we are able to accommodate it.

Baptism Preparation Class:

We invite parents who intend to baptize their child at Nativity of Mary to complete a Baptism preparation class prior to the Baptism. We use Belonging by Ascension Press. This is an online course that parents complete at home. The course takes about an hour and a half to complete and can be broken up over time or finished all at once. This course can be taken in english or spanish. 

Once you complete the Baptism registration form, you will receive the online course information from Kelly Schumacher via email. After finishing the course, you can download the certificate of completion and send it to Kelly Schumacher.

If you have completed a Baptism preparation class within the last five years at Nativity of Mary or another Catholic parish, you do not need to take this course.

Godparent(s) Requirements:

• Must be Catholic (Confirmed and has already received the sacrament of Holy Eucharist)
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must have at least one practicing Catholic - male or female. No more than two godparents - one male, one female.
• Non-Catholic participant/mentor that is part of the baptismal ceremony will be noted as a witness in the baptismal record.