Valid Baptism Question

[nsm]

Here is a question that I never thought that I would be asking. In 1987 I was baptized in an American Baptist Church. I was seven years old. As good as my memory can be after several decades, I remember being filled with love for Jesus after hearing a children’s sermon (that is what is often given for little children before the main sermon in some Baptist Churches. The children are subsequently dismissed to Sunday school or to sit with their parents). When the pastor gave the altar call, I walked down. I was baptized soon after, and I remember standing in the baptismal font in a robe and being baptized by the Pastor.

I was just received into the RCC on the first day of Advent this past year. It has been such a long road for me, but I am so overjoyed to be Catholic, a desire that I have had for a long time. When my husband and I were going through classes with our local priest, he asked for our baptismal certificates. My husband was Episcopalian and baptized as an infant, so his baptismal certificate was held at that parish. My husband’s certificate clearly looks like it was filled out shortly after his baptism and even has the quote “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,” emblazoned on it.

I was also able to get my certificate, but I noticed that it looks like it was printed out just recently. It says that I received Christian Baptism, the date of the Baptism the church’s name, and is signed by the current pastor not the pastor who baptized me. American Baptists do not believe that baptism washes away sins, though I believe that they baptize using the Trinitarian formula. I didn’t even think about it before I was received into the Church, and the priest who we were taking classes from looked at the certificate and was satisfied with it, but is there a chance that I may not have been validly baptized?! I hope not, as I received my first communion and confirmation last December. What can I do now?

 

[Phemie]

While some Churches give a certificate at the time of the Baptism, not all do, not even Catholic churches. Thus when you need one it will be filled out or printed and the date on it will be the date of printing and the signature that of the present pastor or his delegate.

My children were all validly baptized in the Catholic Church but only for the third did I get a certificate at that time, for the first two I had to request the certificates when they were preparing for First Communion.

 

[nsm]

Thank you so much! This really makes me feel much better.

 

[PBP]

It is a valid baptism with water in the Trinitarian formula. Thats why there was not a need for it when you came into the faith. Welcome to the church, we need your help with evangelization.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Here is a question that I never thought that I would be asking. In 1987 I was baptized in an American Baptist Church. I was seven years old. As good as my memory can be after several decades, I remember being filled with love for Jesus after hearing a children’s sermon (that is what is often given for little children before the main sermon in some Baptist Churches. The children are subsequently dismissed to Sunday school or to sit with their parents). When the pastor gave the altar call, I walked down. I was baptized soon after, and I remember standing in the baptismal font in a robe and being baptized by the Pastor.

I was just received into the RCC on the first day of Advent this past year. It has been such a long road for me, but I am so overjoyed to be Catholic, a desire that I have had for a long time. When my husband and I were going through classes with our local priest, he asked for our baptismal certificates. My husband was Episcopalian and baptized as an infant, so his baptismal certificate was held at that parish. My husband’s certificate clearly looks like it was filled out shortly after his baptism and even has the quote “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,” emblazoned on it.

I was also able to get my certificate, but I noticed that it looks like it was printed out just recently. It says that I received Christian Baptism, the date of the Baptism the church’s name, and is signed by the current pastor not the pastor who baptized me. American Baptists do not believe that baptism washes away sins, though I believe that they baptize using the Trinitarian formula. I didn’t even think about it before I was received into the Church, and the priest who we were taking classes from looked at the certificate and was satisfied with it, but is there a chance that I may not have been validly baptized?! I hope not, as I received my first communion and confirmation last December. What can I do now?

Don’t worry about it. Your Pastor has determined that no concern about the validity existed. My current Baptismal certificate which I looked at yesterday was printed out in 2004 and signed by the currect pastor with the seal of the parish and the year 2004 pressed in. The date of my actual Baptism was 1958! It surely isn’t the original certificate. I also have my original from 1958 and even my dad’s from 1913! The current one is no less valid then the older original ones.