The Catholic Church recognizes the validity of Baptism by most other Christian ecclesial communities when the proper matter and form are used and when both the baptizing minister and the person being baptized have the proper intention (CIC 869 § 2).
Water is poured or the one to be baptized is immersed in water (the matter) (CIC 854; GI 18, 22), and the minister says, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (the form) (CIC 850; GI 23).
The minister's intention simply "to baptize" and the recipient's intention (or, if an infant or child, his or her parents' and godparents' intention in the child's name), simply "to be baptized" is sufficient to meet this test, even if none of the parties had a full theological understanding of the sacrament of Baptism.
To help us determine if your baptism is valid, please provide your baptismal information here and please submit a copy of your baptismal record or suitable evidence (such as pictures, a letter from your church of baptism, and/or a signed affidavit from someone who was present at your baptism) as soon as possible. If you are having difficulty retrieving this information, please contact the Office of Religious Education for guidance by calling (703)836-4100 x3033 or x3023 for more guidance
Regular Faith Practice
To better help us minister to you as you seek to learn more about the Catholic Faith, we ask these question to get a sense of where you are coming from and what your current practices of the faith are in relation to the Catholic Faith.