Baptism

For Infants For Children For Adults CERTIFICATE REQUEST

Mass Times

All times listed are in Central Time (CST)

Sunday

Main Church
7:00 AM
9:00 AM
11:00 AM
1:00 PM (Spanish)
6:00 PM

Monday

Our Lady of the Angels Chapel
9:00 AM

Tuesday

Our Lady of the Angels Chapel
9:00 AM
6:45PM

Wednesday

Main Church
6:00 AM
9:00 AM

Thursday

Our Lady of the Angels Chapel
9:00 AM
6:45 PM

Friday

Our Lady of the Angels Chapel
9:00 AM

Saturday

Our Lady of the Angels Chapel
10:00 AM Daily Mass

Main Church
5:00 PM Vigil

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Infants

Infant Baptism (0 – 6 Years Old)

We are excited to be a part of your child’s relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church through the Sacrament of Baptism! It is always a joyful experience for us to welcome a new Christian into the Church and into our parish community. Through baptism, your child will be adopted into God’s family, receive the grace of salvation won for us by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and have life in the Holy Spirit. As the doorway into God’s Church, Baptism enables your child to grow in holiness by receiving the other Sacraments as they mature.

Preparation for Registration

✔ Is your child 6 years old or younger?

✔ Have the parents of the child attended a Baptismal Preparation class?

✔ Are the parents of the child registered parishioners of St Anthony of Padua?

If you can answer YES to all the questions above, you may be ready to request the Sacrament of Baptism for your child. Register to attend a Baptism Preparation class where you will receive a Baptism Packet which contains the necessary forms and information.

Required Documents

Sacrament of Baptism – Request Form.
Verification of Completion of Baptism Preparation class for both parents. If parents attended a Baptism Preparation class within the past three years at a parish other than St Anthony of Padua, you will need to obtain and submit a verification of where and when the class was completed.
Godparent Information Forms must be completed and signed by the godparent – one for each godparent. You will find the requirements and obligations for godparents listed in your Baptismal Pack or download a copy here, in English Godparent/Christian Witness Commitment Form or in Español Forma de Padrino/Madrina/Testigo Cristiano.
Official Birth Certificate. We will need a copy of your child’s official Birth Certificate as soon a possible in the process. The latest this copy may be submitted is 2 weeks prior to your scheduled baptism in order to create your child’s Baptismal Certificate.
Parish Registration. You will need to provide your parish registration number. If you do not know your number, send an inquiry to support@ap.church and we will be happy to look it up for you. If you are not a member of our parish, we will need to receive a Letter of Assurance from the pastor of your current church. [Note: if you need a Letter of Assurance from St Anthony of Padua because your child is celebrating baptism at another Catholic parish, please contact Sue Dewlen with your request. ]

Schedule of Classes & Baptism Dates Baptism Preparation Class - Online Registration Baptism Certificate Reissue Request Solicitud de reemisión de certificado de bautismo

How can we help?

Let us know if you need any assistance with the registration process. If you prefer, we are happy to set up an appointment to meet in person to guide you through the steps or answer any questions you may have about infant baptism.

God bless you and your family!

Claudia Avena

Baptism Coordinator (Bilingüe)

832-482-4033

cavena@ap.church

Children

RCIA for Children (7-18 years old)

Rite of Christian Initiation adapted for Children. Children that are at least 7 years old and in grades 1- 12th grade and have not been baptized or were baptized in a faith other than the Catholic Church will be placed in our wonderful program, RCIA for Children. We require that the child attends at least one year of Faith Formation prior to entering their year of RCIA for Children. Children should also attend Mass weekly with their families. If your child has not received any formation up to this point, please enroll them in a year of Faith Formation. If your child has completed a year of faith formation within the last year, registration for the 2024-2025 year opens in August 2024.

AGE 7 THROUGH 8TH GRADE – RCIA for Children participants attend faith formation as they did in the first year of preparation, and then meet once a month for sacrament specific formation. Children should also attend Mass weekly with their families. Once a month, children and their families will sit together at the 9:00 am Mass on Sundays. During Mass, the children are dismissed after the homily (around 9:30) for Breaking Open the Word (BOW). After Breaking Open the Word, they attend their weekly RCIA for Children session until 11:15 am. Parents join the children at the once-a-month sessions after attending the 9AM Mass.

9TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE – High school aged children will participate in Youth Ministry programs for 2 years. The second year of formation will take place on Wednesday nights as a part of the Teen Confirmation Program, which meets on Wednesday Nights, instead of the Sunday morning classes.

All of the children and teens who haven’t been baptized in any faith will receive Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation during the Easter Vigil Mass. All the children and teens who were baptized in a faith other than Catholic will make a Profession of Faith, and receive First Holy Communion and Confirmation during the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass.

Program Coordinator:

Leslie Bevilacqua

Sacramental Preparation & RCIA for Children Coordinator (Bilingüe)

832-482-4062

lbevilacqua@ap.church

RCIA for Children Class Schedule Requirements for Choosing a Sponsor Sponsor Form Saint Name Form

Adult

RCIA/Initiation (18+ years old)

Are you thinking about becoming Catholic? Do you desire to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of your life? This is the first step in a lifelong journey of discipleship! This is the Catholic Church’s process to bring adults, through study, spiritual growth, and community, into the heart of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Formally, the process of becoming Catholic is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), which is our formation process for adults who desire to follow Jesus Christ and be a member of His Catholic Church.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming Catholic, please read through the FAQS and fill out the interest form so we can learn more about you and help you find the path that suits your particular needs.

Please Note: If you are married, and you and/or your spouse are Catholic, but you were not married in the Catholic Church, you will need to have your marriage convalidated prior to becoming Catholic. For more information and to see if this applies to you, please read the Marital Status Information below.

Katie Krall

Manager of Adult Faith Formation & Sacraments

kkrall@ap.church

RCIA Interest Form Marital Status Information

RCIA FAQS

1. How do I become a Catholic Christian?

The Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) is the Catholic Church’s process for becoming Catholic. This is a formation process for adults who desire to follow Jesus Christ and be a member of his Catholic Church. The RCIA process is a time of spiritual growth, which includes prayer, study, reflection, and discernment. You will also begin to participate in the liturgical celebrations of the Church and prepare to receive the Sacraments of Initiation.

2. Who can participate in RCIA?

Those who have never been baptized: RCIA will prepare you to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist
Those who have been baptized in another Christian faith tradition: RCIA will prepare you to make a Profession of Faith, and to receive the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist
Those who have been baptized Catholic, but were not raised in the Catholic faith: RCIA will prepare you for the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist

3. What are the Stages of RCIA Formation?

Precatechumenate: a time of inquiry and introduction to the Catholic faith
Catehcumenate: a time of more serious study and learning what it means to live as a Catholic
Purification & Enlightenment: a period of prayer, fasting, reflection, and final preparation to receive the Sacraments of Initiation
Mystagogy: a period of celebration of and participation in your new life in Christ

4. How long does the RCIA process take?

The time that you take to discern whether you want to become Catholic (Precatechumenate) can take weeks, months, or years. The more formal process that includes Catechumenate, Purification & Enlightenment, and Mystagogy lasts for about 9 months. This formal process follows the school year – beginning each September and concluding the following May.

5. On what days and times does RCIA meet?

Sunday is the day when most events take place throughout the RCIA process. Each Sunday you will attend 9:00 AM Mass. RCIA class will follow immediately afterward. We typically finish up by noon.

6. I would like to attend Mass before I begin RCIA classes. Am I allowed to do that?

You are welcome to attend Mass, especially since, as a Catholic, you will be attending Mass weekly, if not more often! A very important thing to know when attending Mass is that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Because of this, you are asked to not yet receive Jesus in the Eucharist (at Communion) until you have fully prepared and entered into the sacraments. Click Here for Mass Times.

7. Do you have any resources where I can learn more about the Catholic faith?

A great place to start is the website: formed.org. To sign up:

Go to FORMED.org
Click on “Sign Up”
Choose “Sign up as a parishioner”
Enter the zip code “77382”
Click on “St. Anthony of Padua”
Enter your name and email
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Certificate Request

Did you receive your sacraments here at St. Anthony’s? Are you in need of a re-issuance of one of your Certificates? If you need a new certificate, please submit an online Certificate Request Form.

CERTIFICATE REQUEST FORM - ONLINE

Please note – only Parents, Legal Guardians or the person themselves can request to have their certificate re-issued. Photo ID is required to retrieve any certificates. Please allow 5 business days to process the request.

Diane Czerniak

Manager of Children’s Faith Formation & Sacraments