Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Adoption
When a couple learns that they are expecting a baby, they can request the parish clergy to perform a blessing for the pregnancy. This can be done privately at home or during a church service. If this situation arises, please contact the parish clergy so that the services of the Church can be offered.
One of the most joyous events in a family's life and the community of the Church is 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 Almighty God for a safe deliverance. This thanksgiving usually takes place during a Sunday service.
The United States continues to have the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income nation despite a decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. And within the U.S., the rate is by far the highest for Black women. Most of these deaths — over 80 percent — are likely preventable. The U.S. and Canada continue to have the lowest supplies of midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists.
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Holy Baptism is a beautiful ritual that marks a person's entrance into the Church and commitment to Jesus Christ. Baptism is a sacrament of the Church. Sacraments express an ultimate metaphysical or cosmological reality. The outward, physical sign of baptism is water, usually administered by a bishop or priest. The spiritual grace conferred by God is participation in our Lord's life, death, and resurrection. We are gifted with the spirit to know and love God and experience joy and wonder in all God's works. All Christians are baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is an irrevocable change in the essential being of a person. In baptism, we belong to Christ Jesus forever.
Baptism is conducted after a period of study and exploration. At Epiphany, this happens during a period of several meetings with the parish priest and participation in a preparation class. Before baptism can happen, promises are made by the person to be baptized and by the congregation, which supports them in their life. These promises are called the baptismal vows. Baptism can be administered at any age, from newborn infants to the elderly. When an infant is baptized, the parents make the promises on their behalf. Once baptized, every Christian is a full member of Christ's Body, the Church.
Each candidate for Holy Baptism is presented by one or more sponsors (also known as godparents), who must themselves be baptized and practicing Christians. The choice of sponsors is subject to approval by the parish priest.
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is usually administered during the principal Sunday worship service on the Great Baptismal Feast Days of the church year. These are All Saints Day (November 1) or the First Sunday after All Saints Day; the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (the First Sunday after January 6); the Day of Pentecost (usually in late May or early June); and the Great Vigil of Easter (between March 25 and April 22). Baptisms may also be held on a Sunday when the bishop visits. Except in emergencies, Baptism is not administered during the seasons of Advent (the month before Christmas) or Lent (the forty days before Easter).
There is no charge for baptism at Epiphany. However, many families wish to make an offering to the church in thanksgiving and a small honorarium to the priest.