Thank you for your interest in getting your child baptized at St. James Catholic Church! Below are some forms and documents you will need to complete the preparation process. 

For a printable baptism packet containing all the necessary forms, please  click here

We will accept pictures of forms, but they need to be readable. Please make sure the image is completely flat (so place your phone right over the document) and easy to read. Please send the picture in the largest file size possible (i.e. don’t minimize it as it will get blurry when we try to print it full-size). Apps such as CamScanner can also be helpful if you are unable to scan and email a form. 

Step 1 - Contact Us

Call the Parish Office at 815-962-1214 at least 1 month prior to your child’s baptism. 

We will have a brief conversation to understand your family’s unique needs and how best to proceed. This step is essential to ensure we are both on the same page from the start. Therefore, we will not schedule your child’s baptism until we have a chance to talk to you first.

Step 2 - Baptism Information Form 

This is what we will use to add your child’s name to your chosen date. Nothing is scheduled until we receive this form. We schedule our baptisms after the latest morning Mass on Sundays. If that time does not work for you, we might be able to accommodate you. Please call the Parish Office to determine what is possible! 

This information will be used to record the celebration of the sacrament in the parish’s official sacramental records. When your child is later confirmed and celebrates either holy matrimony or holy orders, anywhere in the world, the record of that celebration will be recorded at the parish where your child was baptized.

You are welcome to print it out and fill it out.

St James Baptism Registration Form

Step 3 - Birth Certificate

Email a copy of your child’s birth certificate to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This is for recording purposes only. You are also welcome to come in during our office hours and we can make a copy if that is easier. 

Step 4 - Godparent Forms

Godparents stand as representatives of the Catholic Church during the celebration of baptism but also provide the parents with support in raising their children in the Catholic faith. This form ensures that a godparent is eligible according to the Church’s law to assume this duty. You may have a minimum of one Godparent and a maximum of two (one male, one female). Godparents must be over 16, confirmed, in a valid sacramental marriage (if married) or living a chaste single life (if not married), and be actively practicing the faith. 

1. Please get the form signed and sealed by the godparent’s parish. 
2. Scan and email a copy to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Or drop it off in person at the parish office during our office hours. 
3. If the parish seal is not visible on the scanned copy, please mail the hard copy to:
   St. James Catholic Church
   428 N 2nd Street
   Rockford, IL 61107

St James Godparent Baptism Form

Step 5 - Baptism Preparation Meeting Class

When a baby is baptized, the child is baptized based on the desire and faith of the parent(s). Because of this, we offer the opportunity to learn why we are baptized, what baptism is, and what the effects and obligations are that go along with it. This preparation will inform the parents and godparents in those areas and empower them to make the promises that are proclaimed during a baptism celebration. Both the parents and godparents are required to attend a baptism preparation class.

 If you have attended a baptism preparation class within the last 3 years, you do not need to retake it. Instead, you can ask the parish you attended that class at to email a letter with the date you completed the class to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. If the class was completed at St. James Catholic Church, simply email the parish office at the same email address with the approximate date that you completed the class and we will check our records!

Step 6 - Additional Paperwork (if needed)

Complete any additional requirements such as a letter of permission, proof of baptism class attended, or letter of good standing as needed. We will tell you whether or not you need to do any of these things when we first talk to you. 

Step 7 - Celebrate your child’s baptism!

Congratulations to you and your little one! Today begins the life-long journey of receiving and being transformed by the radical love of God through Jesus Christ. Welcome to the Church of God!