Baptisms

Baptisms

"Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body the Church. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble."
— The Book of Common Prayer, p. 298.
1. What is baptism?
Baptism is an ancient custom, originating in Jewish practice, and adopted by the earliest Christians as a way of signifying membership in the mystical Body of Christ.


2. Who may be baptized?
Anyone who desires it, and who has not already been Baptized. In the case of infants and small children, anyone whose parents or guardians desire it for them.


3. When do batisms take place?
According to the Book of Common Prayer, Baptism "is appropriately administered within the Eucharist as the chief service on a Sunday or other feast." There are four times during the course of the year when Baptism is especially appropriate: The Easter Vigil (the night before Easter Sunday), the Day of Pentecost (the 8th Sunday after Easter), All Saints' Day (the Sunday closest to November 1), and the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus (shortly after the New Year).