For children to be baptized at St. Paul, their Catholic parents must be registered and practicing members of the parish.  By "practicing" it is meant regular participation in Sunday Eucharist in our parish church and support for the parish through the sharing of time, talent and/or treasure. This policy is being followed because we need reasonable assurance that children baptized into the Catholic Church will be raised in the faith. The faithful fulfillment of these responsibilities by parents provides such assurance.
Parents who have not been sacramentally married in the Catholic Church need to speak to one of the priests of the parish before they can register their child for baptism.

To ensure that parents are aware of the meaning of baptism in Christian life and of the commitment they are making, they are expected to participate in a Baptismal preparation class. This class is held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm. Parents are requested to register with the parish office in advance. Godparents, while not required to participate, are welcome to attend.
Parents are asked to choose someone to serve as godparent for their child. Since the sponsor's role is to assist the parents in passing on the faith in which the child is being baptized, parents should choose someone who will take the role seriously and who will be a good example for the child.

Church law sets minimum requirements for godparents: at least sixteen years-old, already confirmed and a practicing Catholic. If there are to be two sponsors, they should be one male and one female. Although baptized non-Catholics may not serve as sponsors, they may serve as witnesses (in addition to a sponsor).

The sacrament of Baptism is celebrated on the first and third Sundays of each month at
12:30 p.m. Parents need to register with the parish office in advance of the ceremony.

If an adult wants to join the Catholic Church, he/she is invited to participate in the Catechumenate Program within which are celebrated the Rites for the Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Please visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website to read more about this process.

The group sessions are conducted on a regular basis throughout the year. The sessions focus on the understanding of faith, the living of faith and the celebrating of faith in worship. The members of the Pastoral staff and the parishioners who facilitate the sessions make every effort to relate the topics to real-life experiences and to demonstrate through a spirit of community how our relationships can strengthen and enrich our faith life.

Various stages in the process are marked by celebrations during the Sunday Liturgy: Enrollment on the first Sunday of Advent, Election on the first Sunday of Lent and Scrutinies on the other Sundays of Lent. The process culminates at the Easter Vigil Service during which the individual is baptized (if he/she has not been baptized previously) or makes a profession of faith (if he/she has already been baptized), confirmed and welcomed to the Eucharist for the first time in the Catholic Church.

The parish Sunday bulletin will include announcements of when and how to register for the Catechumenate program.