Congratulations on the birth of your child! It is wonderful that you are planning the baptism of your child. In doing so you are not just planning a ceremony, istead you are introducing your child to a person with whom he or she will have a friendship for the rest of his or her life. To Jesus Christ.

This is an amazing thing, but it will demand effort and commitment on your part to ensure that the friendship is nurtured and grows with your child. The best way you can do this is by deepening (or rediscovering) your own friendship with Jesus and letting your child see how important it is for you - by practicing your faith, by praying regularly with your child and by trying to live as Jesus taught us.

About yourself...
To request baptism, at least one of the parents must be a Catholic. The most fruitful environment for the seed of baptism to flourish is within a loving married relationship. Your own circumstances, however, will not necessarily prevent your child from being baptised, but if you are not married, or married outside the Church this is the perfect moment to discuss this with Fr. Benneth you will receive a warm welcome and solutions may be simpler than you think.
If you do not live within Saint Helen's parish you should request the permission of the parish priest of the parish in which you live.

About Godparents...
There must be at least one Godparent, who must be a practicing Catholic. A single Godparent can be either male or female. It is possible to have two Godparents, in which case there should be a man and a woman, and both practicing Catholics.
As long as you have one practicing Catholic Godparent, it is possible to have a "Christian Witness" who is a baptised member of another Christian Church.
If you would like someone to be a Godparent who is not able to be present (living abroad, etc.) it is possible to have someone stand in for them as a proxy at the service. Please discuss this with Fr. Benneth