Baptizing your child

For the Baptism of an infant or child (13 and under), parents should contact the Parish office, (908) 735-7319 preferably during early pregnancy. Staff members will step you through the process of: scheduling you for one of our monthly baptism preparation classes, answer any questions about Godparents and getting proof of Baptism/Cofirmation and letters of eligibility, and, after all is completed, help you schedule a date. Baptisms are celebrated every Sunday* at 1:15 PM. Baptism Preparation classes are held the third or fourth Friday of each month at 7:30 PM (Godparents are encouraged to attend). A Catholic Godparent must be a practicing Catholic, i.e. one who is free to receive the Sacraments in the Catholic Church and who has been Confirmed (below are the standards set in Canon Law for eligibility).

 * There are no Baptisms on March 24 & 31, April 7, June 23, September 29, December 8, 15, 22 & 29.

Adult Baptism

Any adult who desires to be baptized or receive any of the other Sacraments of Initiation (First Eucharist and Confirmation) should call the Parish Office at 908-735-7319 to connect with the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program at our church. This is a process by which a person inquires into becoming a Catholic, and upon completion will receive the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil.  

Teen Baptism

Immaculate Conception offers a unique program that is geared towards teens who have never received the Sacraments, since they have surpassed the standard years of youth faith formation and are in a different place than most individuals in the standard RCIA program. The Rite of Christian Initiation adapted for Teens (TCI) meets monthly in a relaxed environment of prayer and discussion. If you are interested, please contact Deacon Joe at [email protected]. Parents, grandparents, family and friends, please consider this spiritually rich program for the teens in your life.

Selecting a Godparent

We realize it is a great honor to be selected as a Godparent or Sponsor for Confirmation, but it is not just a title for the Catholic Church.  According to Canon Law: "a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it." 

In order to give the newly baptized the best foundation in the faith the Code of Canon Law has established eligibility requirements for Godparents as described below.  Please read them carefully before you consider who you will choose to be a Godparent for your child. Please note: our clergy realize that many families may struggle with finding a suitable Godparent, this is why we ask you to contact us early, to give potential Godparents an opportunity to re-establish connection with the Church if they have fallen out of practice.  While it is not optimal, we also may be able to provide someone within the parish to serve as a Godparent or Sponsor if necessary.  

1. Catholic Godparents must have received their Confirmation and be at least 16 years of age and Baptized in the Catholic Church.  If married, the ceremony would have to be recognized by the Catholic Church as valid.   They cannot be the father or mother of the child being baptized. 

2. Catholic Godparents will need a letter from the parish they attend indicating they are practicing Catholics and attend Mass regularly on Sundays and Holy Days and receive the Sacraments of the Church regularly (for ICC this proof is initially done by looking at our database and verifying through our envelope/faith direct system that you are attending Mass, or you are participating in Liturgical Ministries by serving as a cantor/choir member, lector, eucharistic minister, usher or altar server).   

3. Canon Law 874 allows for a baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community to be a Christian Witness together with a Catholic Godparent.  A person who was left the Catholic Church by a formal act, such as joining another Christian religion, is not qualified to fulfill the role of a Godparent.  

4. There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each. 

Sponsor certificates must be sent to the Parish Office prior to scheduling the baptism.   

Request a Sponsor Certificate
(This form is for ICC Parishioners only!)

Non-Immaculate Conception Parishioners must contact the Church that they are currently attending to request them to send a letter of eligibility to us. This can be done over the phone and should only take a few minutes. You will also need proof of Baptism which may or may not be from the same church.