THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

BAPTISM OF INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN
Through the sacred rituals of the Sacraments, we experience spiritual realities and their deep meaning and important value in our lives. Baptism is the first Sacrament through which new life is welcomed into the Church. The primary and preferred celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism is on a Sunday, in a group gathering of the faithful, or at least of the families, relatives, and friends with their active participation welcoming the newly baptized children into the Community of the Church. In this spirit, The Catholic Community of Pleasanton (CCOP) celebrates the baptism of infants and small children in groups once a month, with family, godparents, and guests present.

Currently the groups are small. CCOP will not have large group baptisms until the pandemic is long behind us. We celebrate individual baptisms only as needed due to extraordinary circumstances.

When COVID cases are surging we request that all in attendance wear a face covering and observe social distance rules. This is to protect the young children present who cannot yet be vaccinated and elderly grandparents and others who are more vulnerable. Please advise your guests of this request.

To plan your child’s baptism at CCOP, please review all the information below about requirements, schedule, registration, and baptism class. When you have gathered information and are ready, please contact Deacon Joe Gourley at jgourley@catholicsofpleasanton.org or (925) 474-2778.

If you send an email or leave a voicemail message, please include both your email address and your cell phone number so that Deacon Joe has both ways of getting back to you. He can reserve the baptism date and provide the current baptism class schedule and handouts.
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Important Note: Deacon Joe will be away for the Month of May. He will not be available starting April 30, 2022, and will be available again on Monday, May 30, 2022. He will not be able to respond to your voicemail or email during that time.
BAPTISM OF OLDER CHILDREN, TEENS & ADULTS
Baptism is the sacrament that imprints the likeness of Christ on the human person; it’s the first step of Christian Initiation. From baptism is born a kingdom of new persons who share in a new quality of life: life of the risen Christ.

Children (Ages 7 - 17): For unbaptized children and teens ages 7-17 years old, please contact Kathy Works at kworks@catholicsofpleasanton.org.

Adults (Ages 18 & Up): Unbaptized Adults should refer to the Rite Of Christian Initiation Of Adults (RCIA) page.
Baptism Requirements
For us to baptize your child at CCOP you should live in the Tri-Valley and be a registered parishioner. If you are not yet registered, please register at the following link: Parish Registration Form - The Catholic Community Of Pleasanton.

If you do not live in the Tri-Valley, it is best to register in a parish where you live and celebrate your child's baptism there. This way you establish a parish home where you can participate at mass regularly, come to know fellow parishioners, nurture your faith, and include your child in faith formation.

​If you are not a registered parishioner here at CCOP, but wish to have your child baptized here, you will need to provide a "permission letter" from your home parish, stating that you are registered there, have completed a baptism class for parents (unless you will be completing our class), and giving permission to have your child baptized outside your home parish.
Baptism Schedule
​CCOP celebrates baptisms once a month in groups. Each family and their guests have pews reserved for them. The baptism celebration is not at a mass, but usually include music with a cantor and pianist. The baptism celebrations for the remainder of 2022 are scheduled on Sundays at 2:00 PM as follows:
2022
Date
Sunday
Notes
Early June
06/05/22
4th Sunday
Replaces May Date
June
06/26/22
​4th Sunday
July
07/24/22
4th Sunday
August
08/28/22
4th Sunday
September
09/25/22
4th Sunday
October
10/23/22
4th Sunday
November
11/20/22
3rd Sunday
December
No Baptisms In December
Note: These baptisms are at St. Elizabeth Seton Church at 4001 Stoneridge Dr., Pleasanton 94588. Infant group baptisms are not currently celebrated at St. Augustine Church.
Baptism Registration
For the Baptism Registration we will need the following information:
  • Your child's full name
  • Birth date and city of birth
  • Father's name and religion
  • Mother's name and religion
  • Home address
  • Email addresses
  • Phone numbers
  • Godparents' names & religion

Please see requirements on the attached "Godparents FAQ". Please also share this handout with the godparents.

Please email this information to Deacon Joe Gourley at jgourley@catholicsofpleasanton.org.

Please also email a copy of your child's birth certificate. We need it before we can issue the Baptism Certificate, which we will mail to you after the baptism.

After you have emailed this information, call him at 925-474-2778 to talk about the baptism and provide the last few bits of information needed on the Baptism Registration form.
Contribution
It is customary to give a donation to the church at the time of a Baptism. A typical offering is about $75. Whether you contribute or not, and the amount, is up to your discretion. Any contribution should be made payable to "CCOP" or "The Catholic Community of Pleasanton". In the memo area, write "Baptism", seal it in an envelope, and give it to the clergy or to the baptism team at the baptism.
Baptism Class
Parents having a child baptized must attend a baptism class unless they attended a class within the last two years. CCOP does not require godparents to attend a baptism class, but they are most welcome to attend if they wish.

During the pandemic, CCOP converted its previous two session in-person Baptism Preparation Class for Parents into a single session class on Zoom. We do not have a class scheduled on Zoom in the next couple of months. We hope to return to in-person classes in the summer.

To complete a Baptism Preparation Class, please contact Deacon Joe providing both your email address and cell phone number. He will provide the current baptism class schedule and related materials.

We prefer for parents to attend a current class, but we had recorded the first CCOP Zoom Baptism Class in August 2020, so it is available when necessary. To complete the recorded class the parents also reflect together on several handouts about baptism, godparents, and their faith journey. If you need to complete the recorded class, Deacon Joe can provide these handouts. While Deacon Joe is away in May, the handouts can be requested from Olga Morineau at omorineau@catholicsofpleasanton.org.
Here is a link to the recorded class on YouTube:
  
​Most of the class is discussion by Deacon Joe and a team couple, Filip & Dominique Nowak. The class is two hours long, and we admit it is not exciting, but it is informative. It can be viewed it in portions.