Baptisms
A Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child
As soon as convenient after the birth of a child, or after receiving a child by adoption, the parents, with other members of the family, should come to the church to be welcomed by the congregation and to give thanks to God. It is desirable that this take place at a Sunday service. Please contact the parish office for additional information about this pastoral service.
Holy Baptism for Infants and Young Children
“I want what’s best for my child.” We all want what is best for our children. As parents, we constantly make decisions for our children, making the right choice for them. Whenever we make these decisions we do so because we are clear what we want for our child.
Seeking Holy Baptism for your son or daughter is the most important decision you can make for them. Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body the Church. It begins that process of transformation and fullness of life that our Lord desires us to experience. God’s faithfulness toward us makes baptism possible and desirable as we find our lives being drawn to participate in God’s own life of reconciling love. Once baptized, always baptized; as the Prayer Book says, “The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble.”
What next?
1. Parents seeking baptism for a child contact the parish office to set an appointment to meet with the priest for an initial consultation.
2. Secondly, parents (and godparents or sponsors, if they are able) are invited to a baptismal preparation session. This session is usually with other families preparing for baptism and is about 90 minutes in length.
3. On the day of the baptism, plan to be at the church at least thirty minutes before the Liturgy (this includes the godparents).
Days for Baptism
The Book of Common Prayer encourages baptisms on the following days:
All Saints’ Day (November 1) or the Sunday following
The Baptism of Our Lord
The Great Vigil of Easter
The Day of Pentecost
The Bishop’s Visitation
St. Mary’s Day (August 15) or the Sunday following is also an appropriate day for baptism in the parish.
Holy Baptism for Adults and Older Children
Increasingly we see more adults and older children seeking baptism. The process for baptismal preparation is done over several months; this process is known as the catechumenate. This period of training and instruction in Christian understandings about God, human relationships, and the meaning of life, culminates in the Sacrament of Christian Initiation. Call the parish office to make an appointment with the priest to discuss this process.
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