Baptism / Chrismation

Baptism / Chrismation

A child is generally baptized between the ages of three and ten months. Age, however, is not the primary factor in scheduling a baptism and they can be performed at any age, including adult baptism. Baptisms may not be performed during Holy Week or on any of the Great Feastdays of the Lord or Theotokos. Please speak to the parish priest to schedule a baptism prior to making other arrangements. 

Baptism is the initiation into the Body of Christ. In other words, it is the way that we join Christ sacramentally. The Gospel of Matthew instructs that baptism should be performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).  Therefore, all Orthodox Christians receive a Trinitarian Baptism and for those who convert to Orthodox Christianity and have previously been baptized, that baptism must have been in the name of the Holy Trinity from a recognized denomination. The person who is being baptized will take a "new" name if he or she does not already have a Christian name, such as one of saints in the Church or names with Christian meaning.

The Godparent or sponsor: Anyone who is to be baptized needs to have a sponsor. The godparent, or sponsor, of a candidate for baptism or chrismation must be an Orthodox Christian, a supporting member of an Orthodox parish, and  must be in good standing. A person may not serve as a godparent if his or her marriage has not been blessed by the Church or, if civilly divorced, he or she has not been granted an ecclesiastical divorce, or for any other reason he or she is not in communion with the Orthodox Church.

If the person being baptized is an infant, the the Godparent traditionally purchases a new white clothing to be worn by the child after baptism. In addition to this, the Godparent brings to the church:

  • A necklace cross
  • One single size white sheet
  • One large white bath towel
  • One small white hand towel
  • One bar of soap
  • One bottle of olive oil
  • One Baptismal candle plus two other candles

For the baptism of an adult, the godparent is only responsible for purchasing a CROSS, a baptismal candle, soap and a large towel. For a chrismation only, just a candle is needed. For more specific information, see FAQ

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE FAQ