(Photography by Julio S. Sandoval)
Last week, we baptized my gorgeous boy, Santiago. Ana, who is my son’s godmother, and her beautiful family came to Denver from LA for the celebration. It was a lovely ceremony and the party afterward was fun and totally relaxed. I cooked arroz con pollo!
Santiago wore a beautiful white guayabera his godfather brought from Mexicali. I was worried he’d cry or at least soltar un chillido when the water was poured on him. Instead, he smiled angelically. It was beautiful.
The baptism took place in the same church his sister Vanessa was baptized in about 4 1/2 years ago. The ceremony was held in Spanish. (I think I might have mentioned that I only pray in Spanish). I love the church because, unlike more modern buildings, it reminds me of churches in my country.
I was feeling kind of bad that we waited this long to baptize Santiago. For the majority of Catholics, baptism is a sacrament that occurs right after a child is born. Santiago turned 19 months a couple of days before his baptism. But the truth is that it took us a while to decide on a godfather. I don’t know if this is only true of the Latino culture, but for us, baptizing a child is more than a religious ceremony. It also has to do with a bit of tradition and customs. Godparents become our compadres and comadres and, in our family’s case, we choose them because we see them as the people we’d trust with our niño’s life con los ojos cerrados.
Both the padrino and the madrina we chose as Santiago’s godparents are those kind of people. After I realized I was pregnant for the second time, I knew right away that I wanted Ana to be my child’s godmother. We’ve know each other since college, more than 17 years and counting. And, while we haven’t really lived in the same city for a very, very long time, our friendship has never wavered.
Our labor of love, SpanglishBaby, has only continued to solidify our friendship. I’m honored that she accepted to be my son’s madrina.
¡Gracias, comadre!
Beautiful! I tend to only pray in Spanish too and English masses are weird to me. I guess growing up going to mass in Spanish makes it that way now. I’m having the same problem…we can’t think of who can be our newborn son’s godfather. My daughter’s godfather is my brother, because as you said, we trust him completely. Godparents in our culture used to be the ones that really did take on the kids should, God forbid, something should happen. It’s a very important role! Oh! My daughter turned 1 a few weeks before she was baptized, so don’t feel bad!
Yes, Mel! Totally! That’s the way both my husband and I still see it. If, as you said, God forbid something ever happened to us, we know the godparents we chose for both our children will not hesitate to do whatever they have to do to make sure they’re taken care of.
Same here, I can’t pray in English. I actually don’t know how to even do it. You are so lucky, that you found people to be your compadres. In my case, I did’t find them, probably I am to picky
so we haven’t baptize Osso. For us it was not about religion, it was probably a cultural thing, being married to a gringo 
I guess I didn’t feel that I needed that culture piece and I didn’t want to choose compadres because I was in hurry. Beautiful pictures!!! and How was the arroz con pollo??? 
El arroz con pollo me quedó delicioso, if I do say so myself! Ja!!
I know what you mean about being picky. So are we, that’s why it took us sooo long!!
Un besote grande a las dos. You are so lucky to have each other for support and friendship. So happy for your happiness.
Un abrazo…
Yes, we are very lucky, Monica! And I’m pretty sure we both know it!
Que maravilla! Felicidades Santiago and to his new Madrina. We have so many things in common, for one when you mentioned the padrino brought back the Guayabera from “MEXICALI” I just about started to jump up and down. My papi is from there and I also got to live there (and go to school there) for a few years as a child.
I also completely understand how it is to have a friend far and still have that strong relationship, strong enough to make them godparent of your child. I am lucky to have such a friend and she is also in CA while I am here in VA. I was her maid of honor, she was my matron of honor and then I was (am) the godmother of her oldest. If I had more children (which I don’t plan to) I would make her the godmother of my third (my sister’s are both godmother of each of my little ones).
Bautizos are definitely a great part of the Latino Catholic Community. A beautiful tradition that I love.
Again, felicidades! (and boy how has Santiago grown! A handsome little guy.)
BTW- I love Peruvian Arros con Pollo. Yum!
Lisa!!! I had no idea your dad was from Mexicali and that you spent some time there as a child! The guayabera his padrino brought from over there is gorgeous! I’m not 100% sure it’s from there, or if it’s yucateca, but it’s a work of art! My son looked beautiful in it! We decided to go the more relaxed way with his attire, mainly because he is no longer a baby and I thought he’d look weird otherwise.
Thanks for your comment and yes, Santiago has gotten real big since the time you met him almost a year ago!
By far one of my most favorite posts!
Bendiciones a Santiago and Welcome to the Church! Felicidades a las Comadres! Now you have to start a BapDay Celebration like we do. We do a small party here at the house on the day there were Baptised. We light their Baptismal candles, take the photo book out of the day, and bake a cake together. It really has made their Baptism so much more important. Some of my kids godparents have written special prayers to our kids on their Baptismal day that we also use for this day! Anyway, wanted to share this idea with you, one that we love here at our home! <3 Besos, Erika
Querida Erika,
Qué linda! Gracias por tu comentariio, amiga! And thanks for sharing what baptisms mean in your family! Qué lindo!
You made me cry!!! Se me aguaron los ojos.
I´m blessed to have you and your beautiful family in my life, comadre!
And I´ve got to call you out on your amazingly delicious Arroz con Pollo Peruano! You HAVE to share the recipe here!!!!!
You know I feel the same way, comadre!
Ahhhh! I loved this post and LOVE the photos!!! I know exactly how you feel picking out Godparents/compadres. Its a VERY big decision. Congrats and may God bless you all!!!
Yes, it’s a big, big decision. As I said, I knew I wanted Ana to be my son’s godmother as soon as I knew I was pregnant the second time around, but it was more difficult to choose a godfather. I’m glad we waited, though, because he is an amazing human being, as is his family. So Santiago is in good hands!
Thanks for your comment and I love the photos too!
This post brought tears to my eyes. I love the friendship that you, Roxana, and Ana have. Now, as comadres, you are more than friends, you are soul mothers.
Thank you for sharing such beautiful photos…Santiago se porto tan bien durante su bautismo! And the church is gorgeous!
Felicidades Santiago!
Gracias, Angelica!! I like the sound of soul mothers!!! That’s pretty cool!!!
Santiago sí se portó súper bien, como un angelito, how appropriate!!
Santiago está guapísimo! Y que bella la amistad que tienen ustedes
A veces por comodidad vamos a la misa en inglés pero definitivamente la siento mucho más cuando voy a la que es en español. Y en mi mente, SIEMPRE rezo en español 
Y que post tan maravilloso
Gracias, Denisse! Yo pienso lo mismo de mi hijo, jajaja!!!
Qué curioso eso de rezar en español, no? Yo también pouedo ir a misa en inglés tranquilamente, pero nunca es lo mismo. Y si tuviera que rezar con mis hijos en inglés, no sabría ni como hacerlo!!!
Oh how cute! I beleive in maintaining ones tradition.It keeps kids grounded.
Yes, that’s a great way to describe it: traditions help keep kids grounded! Love it and it’s so true!!!
Beautiful! I’m so touched to hear about your close friendship and just want to say CONGRATS on your son’s baptism! He is beautiful! =)
Gracias, Chantilly! Yes my friendship with Ana goes back a long way… we’ve been through a lot together and now that she’s my comadre, there’s no escaping me, jajaja!!!
Such a beautiful post! I had tears in my eyes reading it. Picking padrinos is such an important task, especially in our culture. My husband is a padrino to his best friend’s daughter and it was a big deal for us to travel to Mexico for the baptism and celebration. I served as the unofficial photographer for the event and the pictures are something both our families will always cherish. We’re not planning for kids just yet in our house, but I do sometimes think about who I will ask to be the padrinos for our first born because it is such an important tradition that I want to continue on for our children. Thank you for sharing your family’s special day with us!
Ay, qué chévere, Maura! I can only imagine the photos you took of your husband’s goddaughter and her baptism. Qué bueno que pudieran ir!!!
You’re totally right, choosing padrinos is no easy task at all in our culture!!! Thanks so much for your kind words!
We’re new to Denver & raising our son in Spanish & are looking for a church with Spanish Mass in the area…the one in your photo looks lovely…what is it called?
Vincent, welcome to Denver! I think there are a few churches which offer mass in Spanish, but I guess it depends on where you live. Unfortunately, we don’t have any near our home.
The church in the pictures is St. Joseph Catholic Church on Galapago and 6th in Denver.
Good luck!
You guys make me cry too early in the morning.
Such a beautiful tradition. Thank you for sharing Santiago’s baptism with us.
(And so sorry I didn’t get to see you both during my unexpected layover in Denver!)
Love how you guys love each other. Asi debe ser! Your children have a beautiful model of what a real friendship is. What a gift.
I am regretting we have not Baptized our girl yet. My mom always asks.
Yuck. Mexican babies are the worst.
Has dado en el clavo con este articulo , realmente creo que este sitio tiene mucho que decir en estos temas . Volveré pronto a vuestra web para leer mucho más , gracias por esta información .