Baptism

Congratulations on the gift of your child! The staff at Saint Michael Parish is here to serve you.

We are so happy that you wish to baptize and raise your child in the Catholic faith. Because God’s gift of new life in baptism is so important to your child and to your family’s Christian life, you should not delay baptism for any reason. We recommend that your baby is baptized within three months of birth, preferably earlier. You can take the required classes even before your baby is born.

To initiate this process, or simply to start a dialogue about baptism, the first step is to fill out a simple form by clicking the “Register for Baptism” button below. Our Baptism Coordinator, Hannah Hach, will then contact you.

Before you leave this page to fill out the form we encourage you to look over the information found here, especially the Q & A section.

register for baptism

Baptism Preparation

At baptism, infants and children up to six years of age are initiated into the Christian community and begin a life-long journey as a committed disciple of Christ. Since the infant or small child cannot make this commitment on their own, the parent who requests baptism for their child states that they wish to transmit the faith in which they believe and live to their child. Parents wishing to have their infant or child baptized are required to complete baptism preparation. This gives parents an opportunity to reflect on their relationship with Christ, the meaning of baptism and have questions answered concerning the sacrament  and the ceremony.

For information about preparing for or scheduling a baptism, please fill out the Baptism Information Form below. Either simply submit the electronic version or print and turn the hard copy in to Hannah Hach at the parish office.

Who should receive Baptism preparation?

First Time Expectant Parents

Parents of children up to 6 years of age who are not baptized

Those anticipating the adoption of a child

Godparents are encouraged to attend

Any friend or relative of the child or parent who wishes to offer support

Hannah Hach
Hannah Hach
Call or email with any Baptism questions!
(360) 292-7114

Godparents

Many people are unaware that the role of a godparent is not only to be a support of faith in the life of the child but also to be a representative of the community of faith into which the child is being baptized. As such, it follows that the godparent be a fully initiated, active member of the Roman Catholic Church. Full initiation in the life of the Church reflects the very life of the Trinity: Father (Baptism) Son (Eucharist) and Holy Spirit (Confirmation). Therefore, a godparent should have received these three sacraments and be active in the sacramental and evangelical mission of the church. Godparents are asked to certify their eligibility through their parish. If not members of Saint Michael Parish, simply contact your parish office and ask that certification be sent to us.

FAQ: Baptism of Children 7 and Under

  • We are currently performing baptisms during Mass and outside of Mass
  • Times and dates vary
  • Please email Hannah Hach – hhach@saintmichaelparish.org – for more detailed information

  • Fill out all the forms required below. Email Hannah Hach (hhach@saintmichaelparish.org) with any questions or difficulties.
  • Once all forms are submitted, you will be able to schedule your child’s baptism. 
  • All first time parents or new parishioners will need to have a Zoom introduction with Hannah. Please email her to arrange this.

  • You only need one godparent. However, if you have two, you may have one male and one female godparent
  • Can I have a non-Catholic godparent? No but you can have a Christian Witness who is present along with a Catholic godparent. A baptized Catholic cannot serve as a Christian Witness.
  • What if the godparents cannot attend? This is okay, you can have what we call a proxy stand in for the godparent(s). The proxy can be anyone you know, Catholic or not. 
  • The Catholic godparent(s) must be: 
    • At least 16 years old 
    • Fully initiated Catholic (having received Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist)
    • Single or married, however if married they must have a valid Catholic marriage (most often if they were not married in the Catholic Church this marriage is not valid). Please read this article for an explanation.

  • To provide the needed six feet of social distancing we can only allow two families to have a child baptized on each date. 
  • Each baptism family can have up to 10 people in attendance (including parents and godparents)
  • All adults must wear a mask on the church premises, including the parking lot. 
  • To provide proper hygiene we are not using the baptismal font at this time. We are using a bowl with blessed holy water which is discarded after each baptism. 
  • Children will be anointed by the presider who will use a cotton swab. 
  • If you are a visitor from out-of-state and would like to baptize your child here, you must follow Washington State COVID regulations. Please contact Hannah Hach for further information. 

  • Please fill out the Baptism Registration Form linked at the “Register for Baptism” button above. 
  • Email the Sponsor Form to the godparents.
    • This form must be filled out by the pastor or his representative at the parish the godparents attend.
    • If the godparents are members of Saint Michael Parish please fill out the form and email it to us along with a copy of Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage certificate (does not apply to an unmarried godparent). 
  • Copy of your child’s birth certificate.
  • Completion of baptism preparation in the last five years (Submit a certificate of baptism preparation if taken in the last five years).
  • Email Hannah Hach if you need a preparation course. All courses are currently online. 

  • Pray Mass every Sunday (in-person or online)
  • Pray daily individually or as a family
  • Model and instill faith in your child

  • You spouse does not need to be Catholic to baptize your child as long as they are not opposed to raising the child in the faith. 
  • It is not mandatory that the parents be married in the Catholic Church, but it is preferable; Catholic marriage is an integral part of living fully the Catholic faith that you desire to share with your child. However, as long as you intend to take responsibility for raising your child in the Catholic faith, we will not refuse baptism of the child. 
  • If you were not married in the Catholic Church, please indicate that on the registration form. You can also indicate if you would like to learn more about getting married in the Catholic Church. We are happy to support you if you would like to learn about receiving this sacrament.

The Church recommends parents have their babies baptized in the parish where they regularly attend Sunday Mass. The parish should be a place your children become familiar with and feel spiritually at home from their earliest years. 

While we do not require you to be registered, we invite you to do so here.

Of course! If you consider us your home parish, we will be happy to accommodate your wishes and baptize your baby here. However, you will need to get a letter from your current parish stating that you are active parishioners there and that you have permission to have your child baptized at SMP. Then, we will be able to proceed with the baptism process here.

Saint Michael Parish is a stewardship parish and maintains itself by the regular tithes of our parishioners. Therefore, we do not charge for any sacrament or faith formation sessions. We invite you to become partners in the parish mission by registering and signing up to give weekly or monthly.