Congratulations on the birth of your child! We rejoice with you at such an extraordinary time in your life as a family, and we thank you for deciding to present your child for Baptism in the Catholic Church.

How to begin:

Please call Mrs. Anne-Marie Carnazza at (631) 589-8934, or at the Office of Faith Formation (631) 589-0042 x 122 to schedule your child’s Baptism. After your conversation with our Baptism Coordinator, a packet will be mailed to your home with pertinent information, as well as a one-page form to be completed by the godparents you have chosen.  If you have not yet registered with the parish and would like to join, you are most welcome to do so.

When is the sacrament celebrated?

Ordinarily, we celebrate the sacrament of Baptism twice a month at 1:00 PM. As many as six families may be present for the celebration at one time.

Preparation for Celebrating the Sacrament

Baptism is the sacramental starting point for our life as members of the Body of Christ, and the gateway by which we enter into the lifelong journey of Christian discipleship.  As such, it is most deserving of time to understand the meaning of the sacrament, and to become acquainted with the ritual you will soon be participating in. 

You will be expected to attend a Parent Preparation Session before your child is baptized. This is an hour-long presentation on the sacrament by Deacon Patrick LaBella. The available dates for this required Preparation Session will be given to you when you first speak with our Baptism Coordinator.  Godparents are encouraged to attend if possible.

If you are not a member of St. Lawrence:

If you are not registered as parishioners here, and will not be registering with our parish, there should nevertheless be some degree of connection with St. Lawrence (e.g., either the baby’s mother or father had been a parishioner at one time; or your parents or a close family member is currently a St. Lawrence parishioner, etc.).

Moreover, if you are a registered parishioner of another parish, you must ask your home parish for a brief letter giving you permission to baptize your son or daughter here.

Choosing Godparents:

Selecting godparents (sponsors) for a child can sometimes be challenging, if parents properly understand the role of a godparent, and are trying to choose someone in keeping with what the Church expects. Some basic requirements follow:

• Customarily two godparents are chosen. If so, one must be male and one female. It is not possible to have two godmothers, or two godfathers.
• Though two godparents are the norm, it is perfectly acceptable to have only one.
• A godparent must be 16 years of age or older.
• He or she must be a fully initiated member of the Church, that is, have received both Holy Communion and Confirmation.
• A godparent—since he or she is sponsoring a new member into the Church—is expected to be practicing his or her faith, and sincerely living a life in harmony with what the Church believes and teaches.
• So long as one sponsor is a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic, the second sponsor may be a baptized Christian of another denomination (e.g., Lutheran, Methodist, Greek Orthodox, etc.). Such a person is referred to as a “Christian Witness,” but serves in much the same capacity as the Catholic godparent.
• Unbaptized persons (e.g., Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist) are not eligible to serve as godparents, since they do not share the Trinitarian faith of the Church into which the child is going to be initiated.

Private Baptisms:

Private ceremonies may be scheduled at St. Lawrence only if a visiting priest or deacon will be coming to officiate.

Please feel free to contact the rectory office if you have questions or need clarification. God bless you and your baby!