Baptism
	Marriage
	Funeral

Congratulations!

God has blessed you with a child! And now you are presenting that child for baptism in the Catholic Church. All of us,who are Catholics,rejoice with you. You have accepted a new life for your home, a child born of parents – but also to be born again of God through the mystery of baptism. Your child becomes a member of the Catholic Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.

For you parents this is a great privilege as well as a great responsibility. Baptism is the beginning of a way of life. Your child is too young to have a mature faith. So where is the faith necessary for this sacrament of baptism? When your child is baptized, you, the parents and godparents, supply the faith necessary for this sacrament. Only good Catholic parents and godparents can make this happen.

Requirements for Godparents

Godparents, like parents, must be good Catholic. They must…

1. be at least 16 years old.
2. be practicing Catholics who go to mass every Sunday or Saturday evening.
3. be baptized, have received first penance & holy communion and confirmed.
4. not be in invalid marriages – marriages not blessed by the Church/ not married in Catholic Church.
5. not living together without marriage.
   
   

Number. You are only required to have one godparent BUT you may have two – but no more than two!

Gender. If you choose only one godparent, you can choose either a male or female. If you wish to have two godparents, they must be of different sexes.

Non-Catholics. If you have only one Godparent, you may choose a practicing Protestant as a “Christian witness.”

1. Stipends:

	Off Island Weddings: $300.00
	Parishioner Weddings: $200.00
	All checks are to be made payable to Holy Cross Church
	Payment is to be made before the rehearsal.

2. Weddings are celebrated at 3 PM on Saturday afternoons.

Wedding party must be out of the Church by 4:30 PM.

3. Those parishioners marrying at Holy Cross must always have their initial interview with a Holy Cross priest/deacon.

4. All forms and and dispensations for a Catholic marriage must be in order and reviewed.

	For off-island weddings: by the Bishop's office.
	For parishioner weddings: by the Pastor of Holy Cross.
	No marriage can take place at Holy Cross unless ALL the marriage documents/ dispensations are in order.

All funerals must be arranged with the secretary at the Rectory Office anytime from 9 AM - 4 PM
Monday through Friday. Due to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament there will be NO funerals on the
First Friday of each month.NO funerals are scheduled on week-ends.

GUIDELINES:

• Viewing must begin at 10:00 AM.
• Viewing of Casket/Ashes will take place in back of Church.
• Only one(1) eulogy is permitted during Church viewing.The eulogy must not exceed five (5) minutes. (one type written page) Other tributes must be given at the funeral home or cemetery.
• Mass begins promptly at 10:30 AM
  
• No photo history boards or video taping in Church.
• One neatly framed photo of the deceased is permitted.
• Church Stipend for Funeral: Mass: $100. Service: $75.
  

Updated: 4/15/2008

For more information, please email to:pastor@hcccstx.org