120 Church Avenue P.O. Box 9216 Forestville, CT 06011-9216 (860) 583-1833 Contact Us

Sacraments

Duties and Responsibilities

Baptism

Parents must be registered members of Saint Matthew Church and attending Mass on a regular basis. Please call the Parish Office at 860-583-1833 to schedule a preliminary meeting prior to attending the Baptism Instruction Class.

Requirements for Godparents:

  • Age 16 or older
  • Confirmed
  • One male and one female
  • Both must be Christians
  • One must be a practicing Catholic

Catholic godparents must obtain a Sponsor Certificate from the parish they attend indicating that they are registered members, practicing Catholics and qualified to act as a godparent for Baptism.

A Baptism Instruction Class is held prior the Baptism. The class is approximately one hour long and it is requested that both parents and godparents attend, if possible.

Once the Instruction Class has been attended, the Baptism can be scheduled. Baptisms are performed on Sundays at 12:45 PM. We try to schedule no more than one individual to be baptized on any particular Sunday.

Marriage

The bride and/or groom must be a registered member of Saint Matthew Church and attending Mass on a regular basis. Please call the rectory at least nine (9) months in advance so we can take preliminary information and begin the preparation for marriage. We schedule weddings for Friday evenings or for Saturday at either 10 AM or 12 NOON.

Once the preliminary information has been given, details of our unique parish-based Pre-Cana program will be mailed to you.

After completing the Pre-Cana program, you will meet with Fr. Dietrich. He will need certificates from the church or churches where you were baptized, made your First Communion and were confirmed indicating where and when you received those sacraments. You will also meet with our Musical Director to plan the music for your wedding.