“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you"
(Matthew 28:19-20).
In Baptism we celebrate being reborn as sons and daughters of God. Through this beautiful Sacrament we become members of the Church and share in its mission—to spread the Gospel through our lives in the world. Baptism is the sacramental foundation of the Christian life. All we see, hear and do in this Sacrament is an outward expression of God’s unseen works.
Baptism emphasizes Christ’s desire to “let the little ones come to me” and emphasizes the important role of family and community in our life of faith.
Catholics will most often be baptized as infants—when a baby is baptized the parents and godparents speak for th
e child, expressing the desire for Baptism.
As the Rite of Baptism states: Parents, you are the first teachers of your child in the ways of faith. May you also be the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what you say and do. This witness includes weekly worship, daily prayer, parish membership, living according to Christian morality and the conscious love of God and neighbor. There is no substitute for your faith, example, or teaching.
~Parishioners anticipating the birth or adoption of a child are required to attend baptismal preparation sessions and are asked to contact one of our priests no less than three months prior to when they want their child baptized. Please contact Fr. Ron Serrao at 715.479.8704 or Fr. Rich Rhinehart at 715.546.2159 to set up a meeting. Completing the form below prior to this first meeting is helpful. Your date choice should not be selected prior to this first meeting. Feel free to bring suggested dates to discuss with Father if you like. Keep in mind that our cluster practice is to Baptize during a weekend Mass.
~Parents seeking baptism for their child need to be registered as members at one of our cluster parishes, or they must obtain a letter of permission from their pastor before the baptism if they are registered members of a parish outside of our cluster. At least one of the Parents as well as one of the Godparents must be a practicing Catholic who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
~Once you have met with the priest, both Parents are asked and Godparents are encouraged to attend one Baptism Retreat Day prior to the Baptism date. The retreat will consist of formation, fellowship and of course prayer. During these
sessions we gain a better understanding of Baptism and the Rite of Baptism by going all the way back to story of creation!
~Each retreat will run from 9 am - 12 pm. Lunch will be served. Retreat days are handled at an individual basis at this time, quarterly retreats will be scheduled soon.