Baptism is death and resurrection with Christ Jesus. It is a new birth. We are immersed into the Divine Life of the Risen Christ. In our Melkte Church, the Sacrament of Baptism is followed immediately by the Sacrament of Chrismation or Confirmation, and the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist are called the Three Sacraments of Initiation. They initiate us into the life of the Church. Through them we become the adopted children of God and members of His family.
Please call the Church office well in advance to schedule your child's christening. Once a date has been scheduled, one of our clergy will contact you to make an appointment with you and the godparents for a Baptismal Preparation class to be held in your home.
For the Baptism in Church you will need:
A while Baptismal garment to be worn after
the actual Baptism. The person to be baptized
should come to church in regular attire
A small cross to be blessed at the Baptism
Two large white towels
When choosing Godparents, please keep in mind that they need to be in at least their fourteenth year of age and lead a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken. Please check with the Pastor for restrictions, not everyone can be a sponsor.
For their role, sponsors have to obtain special certificates from their churches if they are not members of St. Ann. These certificates should be mailed to the Church office well in advance of the Christening.
Confirmation seals us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Holy Communion provides nourishment to the life received through Baptism.
A donation to the Church is suggested at the time of the Baptism. It is preferred that the donation be in the form of a check made to the order of St. Ann Church.
