Baptism fees charged by parish

[Bashful]

Some parishes charge anywhere from $50 - $200 for baptisms per child. If a family cannot afford to pay due to financial hardship, will that be a valid reason or excuse not to have their children baptized?

 

[adamhovey1988]

I understand charging to set things up in the church, but that seems wrong to me. I wasn’t charged for my own. In fact, I don’t know anyone where I live that was charged for something like that. Some places will waive that fee, but that actually does seem a bit like simony to me.

 

[Bashful]

Based on what I read or learned, some charge a mandatory $50 preparation fee and class fee. I can see a voluntary donation but charging mandatory fees is like saying that “Jesus only died for the rich and not for the poor.”

 

[Xystus]

If a family cannot afford to pay due to financial hardship

… then they should talk to the pastor.

I’ve never seen mandatory fees though. Suggested donation amounts but never mandatory fees.

 

[1ke]

Some parishes charge anywhere from $50 - $200 for baptisms per child.

There might be a fee for baptism prep class and materials.

For the baptism itself this is called an offering on the occasion of a sacrament— and it is ALWAYS at the discretion of the family. There is likely a suggested offering— in our diocese it’s $20 and it goes towards the works of charity.

It is also customary to give a small stipend to the priest or deacon who baptizes the child. That is also ALWAYS at the discretion of the family.

As for the baptism prep fees— those can be waived for those in need.

If a family cannot afford to pay due to financial hardship, will that be a valid reason or excuse not to have their children baptized?

No.

Because there is no fee for baptism, and any fees associated with materials for prep can be waived. And any offering is up to the family.

 

[1ke]

Based on what I read or learned, some charge a mandatory $50 preparation fee and class fee.

You cannot generalize, not sure where you “read” or “heard” but you didn’t get the full story.

In our parish we give the prep materials for free. But in some parishes where funds are tight, the family may be asked to pay for the prep books and materials. But I’ve never known any parish that didn’t waive such fees for those who couldn’t afford it.

 

[bquinnan]

I know my parish charges a significant amount for confirmation prep classes, but we will waive that in the event of financial hardship. I assume something similar is in place for baptism.

However, it seems worth remembering that when Mary and Joseph presented the infant Jesus at the temple, they brought an offering of two turtle doves (Luke 2:24), the customary offering of poor Jewish families (Leviticus 12:8). It does not seem unreasonable to me that we should make sacrifices for the religious upbringing of our children to the extent we are able.

 

[Lucretius]

Ministers will baptism for free, if the family is very poor. But I think most Americans can afford to help a minister out for his time.

 

[Canvas]

In my Parish—at least when my daughter was Baptized, it was a donation, not a fee, like the collection at Mass.