Baptism

  Parish Office:  (806) 358-2461

Welcome! We welcome your family on this joyous occasion of the celebration of your child’s/godchild’s baptism! We look forward to assisting your family in preparing for the baptism of your child. The baptism preparation classes at St. Thomas the Apostle’s are designed to provide the formation and information needed to fully understand the Sacrament of Baptism and your role as a Catholic parent/godparent. There are normally two classes per month and those dates are not publicized since they are subject to change. The date for the next upcoming class can be obtained by calling the Parish Office, (806) 358-2461. All parents and/or godparents must register through the Parish Office prior to attending the class. All classes are held in the main church.

When and where is the Baptism celebrated?
We encourage parents and godparents to celebrate the baptism of their children during Mass with the entire community of St. Thomas the Apostle’s. However, parents may request the baptism take place after Mass or arrange for a private baptism. There are some circumstances that warrant the baptism take place only after Mass.
 
Scheduling a Baptism...
Baptisms are performed at the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday or the 9:00 or 11:15 am Mass on Sunday. Baptisms may also be scheduled after one of these Masses with prior approval by the Pastor or at another time as requested and approved.
 
Steps to Take…
First-time parents,

• First time parents must attend a pre-baptism class.
• First time parents can register for the class by calling the Parish Office, (806) 358-2461.
• When scheduling the baptism, it will be determined if the parents need to meet with the Pastor prior to the approval of the baptism date.

 
For all parents,

• A copy of the child's birth certificate is required prior to the reception of the sacrament to insure the baptismal certificate information matches that on the birth certificate.

 
For all sponsors/godparents,

• If you are a first time sponsor/godparent, you must attend a pre-baptism class either at St. Thomas the Apostle or at another Catholic Church.
• If you attend a class at another Catholic Church and are sponsoring a child to be baptized at St. Thomas the Apostle, you must have a letter from the Catholic Church where the class was held stating you attended the class.
• If you are a sponsor for a child being baptized at St. Thomas the Apostle and you attend a different parish, you must provide a letter from that parish stating you are in good standing and meet the requirements to be a sponsor/godparent.

 
Sponsors vs. Witnesses,

• In order to be a sponsor for a child being baptized at St. Thomas the Apostle, you must be at least 16 years of age, have been baptized, received First Eucharist and been confirmed and attend Mass on a regular basis.
• Parents may have one sponsor or two.
• If only one sponsor, they must be Catholic and meet the requirements just mentioned.
• If there are two sponsors, there must be one male and one female (not necessarily a couple) and both Catholic.
• If someone is asked to sponsor a child and is not Catholic, they will be deemed a "Christian Witness" and their name will appear as such on the baptism certificate but there must be a Catholic sponsor in addition to the witness.