Infant Baptism & Adult Conversion

Welcome to St. Anthony Baptism Program

  First-time Parents:
We invite and strongly encourage first-time parents to contact us even before your child is born and to plan in advance.  Please call St Louis Parish Office 812.934.3204 to schedule the Baptismal Preparation Session. Sessions are held on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm.

More Information:

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 is designed to provide the formation and information needed to fully understand the Sacrament of Baptism and your role as a Catholic parent /godparent and to provide you with some basic information about the preparation process and requirements.  It will outline the parish’s approach to infant baptism.  The first consideration is also the most important: making the decision to baptize your child and what this decision means to you.

May the Lord continue to bless your lives with love and the assurance that this child will be held dearly in the palm of God’s hand!

 Requirements for Parents:

• As parents, you are making the promise to raise your child in the faith and it is expected that your family is actively practicing their Catholic faith.

•  Parents asking for their child to be baptized at St. Anthony must be a registered member of our faith community.  If you are not registered, you may register at the parish office (812-934-6218) before the process beings.

 Requirements for Godparents or Christian Witness:

Godparents are members of the Christian community who, by their lives and their faith, set a good example for the child whose initiation into this community they are sponsoring. Godparents may also support the parents in the upbringing of the child as a Catholic Christian.  They should be able to stay in communication with the child as he or she is growing up. 

•  One male and one female, or one of either gender (may not be the parent of the person to be baptized)

• Godparents are chosen by the person to be baptized or the child’s parent(s) or by the pastor

• Godparents and Christian Witnesses must be at least 16 years of age

• At least one Godparent must be a practicing Catholic who has received the three Sacraments of Initiation and is under no canonical penalty.  (A letter of good standing must be submitted to the parish office for any sponsors who are not members of St. Anthony Parish.)

• A chosen non-Catholic who will serve as a Christian Witness must be a baptized Christian.

• If Godparent(s) cannot be present for your child’s baptism, you may choose others to stand in as proxies for the Baptism ceremony. Only the names of the chosen (actual) godparents will appear on the Baptism certificate.