Call the Parish Office (925)672-5800 x2202, or email Helene Billeci to begin the process.  There are three dates we need to coordinate.

1. Parents and Godparents must attend a Baptismal Prep class within the last four years. The class is held once a month, usually on the first Monday of the month from 7:00-8:30pm.  If you (or your Godparents) are unable to attend the class at St. Bonaventure, you may take it at a local parish and send me the letter of completion the parish will give you.

2. Celebrate a Welcome Rite. You may have witnessed it if you go to the Saturday evening or Sunday 11:00am Masses.  Two weekends a month, we offer this Rite.  Baptism is a Communal Sacrament and since we don’t offer it during the Sunday Liturgies anymore, we have taken the first part of the Baptismal Rite and placed it in the beginning of the Mass.  It gives the community an opportunity to welcome the children (and their families) coming for Baptism and allows the parents the chance to see that they are NOT ALONE in raising their children in the faith.  You are bringing your children into a community that will support you in good and bad times.

3. Baptism Day.  Baptisms in our parish are communal.  This means there can be up to six children present at the Rite.  When the presider Baptizes the child at the font, he will call forward one family at a time so all may see what is happening.  Because we keep the number of children to six, the entire ritual usually takes no more than an hour.  Baptisms take place twice a month on a Saturday, usually at 10:00am.  Once a quarter we have bilingual Baptisms (Spanish & English).

We ask for an offering of $75 for the Baptism.

Please see the calendar for specific dates for the all of the above.

For children between 7 and 18, please contact Eileen LImberg in the Office of Faith Formation

For adults over the age of 18, please see the Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) for more information.

All the above information and dates are for Baptisms in English or, on a quarterly basis, Bilingual.  If you are interested in a Baptism in Spanish please contact Virginia via email or at 925-672-5800 x2225.  The calendar can be viewed online.