Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.

For an infant to be baptized lawfully it is required: 
1. That the parents, or at least one of them, or the person who lawfully holds their place, give their consent;
2. That there will be a well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion. If such hope is truly lacking, the baptism is,  in accordance with the provisions of particular law, to be deferred and the parents advised of the reason for this.

The responsibility of the Godparent is to guide their Godchild to a Catholic life. Godparents, also known as sponsors, provide this first by the examples they live, by leading a Christian life that reflects the spirit and teachings of our Catholic faith. Therefore, the Church provides the following requirements for being a Godparent: 
- Must be chosen by the parents.
- Must be at least 16 years of age.
- Must have the ability and intention to fulfill their role.
- Must not be the father or mother of the baptized.
- Must have received the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation.
- If married, must be married in the Catholic Church.
- Must live a life of faith by regularly going to Sunday Mass and receive Holy Communion and Confession.
- Should not have any canonical or ecclesiastical penalties.
- You may have a single Godfather and a single Godmother or one of each as long as they meet the criteria above, sans married in the Catholic Church.
- If the chosen Godparent is not physically able to be at the baptism, they must have a witness who represents him in the celebration of the sacrament (proxy). The name of the sponsor will appear on the child's baptism certificate and the witness' name will appear on the baptismal certificate.

- Baptismal Registration Form must be filled out completely.
- Copy of the child's birth certificate must be turned in with the regristration form.
- If you are baptizing your first child, you are required to attend a pre-baptismal class and receive a certificate of attendance. 
- If you are not parishioners, you must include the permission letter of the church you attend. 
- If you are parishioners, you simply need to register with the office by calling 330-253-5161.

- It is highly encouraged, though not mandatory, that you also provide a certificate of attendance from a baptismal class.
- If you are not parishioner(s) of St. Bernard's, you are required to provide a letter of permission from the pastor of the parish you belong to stating: you are an active member of that church and you are eligible to be sponsors.
- If you are a parishioner of St. Bernard's, please call 330-253-5161 and register with the office. 

It is not required that you attend a St. Bernard's pre-baptismal class, but you are required to attend a pre-baptismal class from a Catholic parish. If you would like the list of all the classes available in the Akron area, please click here.

At St. Bernard, we ask that you call and reserve your spot at the pre-Baptismal class and indicate the language you prefer. We offer the pre-Baptismal classes every first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. This is most likely the only Spanish class available in the area. 

For more information about the class or to register, please call the office at 330-253-5161 or [email protected].