Baptism: How to get your son or daughter baptized at All Souls?
The first thing you have to do is to contact the parish office and one day stop by to present the following documents:
The original Birth Certificate of the child.
- a Proof of residence in South San Francisco: either a bill of electricity and gas or telephone and cable, with the name of the father or mother of the child.
- Pay the fee of $ 100 in order to set the date for the Baptismal Class. The godparents must attend this class together with the parents.
- The goal of this mandatory Baptismal Class for parents and godparents, is to understand the importance of this celebration. Every month, there is one Pre Baptismal class for your convenience. It is important to be punctual to the class and not leave before it ends so that you could listen the announcements.
- Once you have received the class, please call to our office to set up the Date for the Baptism, according to the calender of the parish.
- Choose a good sponsor or God-parent for your son or daughter. Godparents must be married in the Catholic Church or be single good practitioners. If they are single they must have all these sacraments: Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. Please, choose people who can be exemplary for guiding your child with the light of the Gospel.
Baptism Celebration
When the day of the Baptism comes, pay attention to the symbols of the liturgy. The priest will proclaim a passage from the Gospel and then bless the water of the baptismal font so that the Holy Spirit descends upon it.
Then with that same water, he will baptize your son or daughter by imposing his new name as a son of God. He will later anoint him with the Holy Crism that the Bishop blessed in the previous Holy Week so that the Holy Spirit could open the child's understanding to the Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus.
Finally, the godfather will light the child's candle with the fire of the Easter Candle, so that the light of Christ could illuminate the path of your child in life. We hope that the baptism of your son or daughter could be a visit of God to your family and may Christ help you to guide your child through the path of the Gospel
All souls parish
Baptismal Symbols
- Water – The waters of baptism recall Jesus’ own baptism by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. Water is a symbol of cleansing and renewal as we begin a new life in Christ. We are washed clean of sin.
- Oil – At baptism we are anointed into the life of Christ as “priest, prophet and king.” A cross is traced on the candidate’s forehead as a reminder that we are inheritors of the Kingdom of God.
- Light – The baptismal candle is lit from the Paschal or Easter candle that stands in the church as a sign of Christ’s light in the world. At baptism, we receive the light of Christ and are called forth to share this light with the world.
- White garment – The white garment that is placed upon us at baptism is a symbol of Christ’s victory over death and his glorious resurrection. Likewise, the white garment or pall that is placed over the coffin at the time of death recalls our baptismal promises and reminds us that we are destined for eternal life.
While in ordinary circumstances, sacraments in the Catholic Church are administered validly by a member of the ordained clergy, in an emergency situation, the sacrament of baptism can be administered by anyone.
In case of necessity, any person can baptize provided that he has the intention of doing that which the Church does and provided that he pour water on the candidates head while saying: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (CCC 1284). Nevertheless, this Baptism need to be registered later in a parish.
