BAPTIZING YOUR CHILD IN
THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

Applicants for Baptism must come to the Church, speak to the Priest, and file an application for Baptism at least one month prior to the requested date.
The Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Chrismation initiate a person into the life of the Orthodox Church. It is the first step of a spiritual process that lasts throughout their life. Regrettably, sometimes Holy Baptism is considered a right of passage or even a kind of "good luck" ritual or ethnic custom. This is a wrong understanding. Infants and young children are baptized on the basis of the faith of their sponsor and with the understanding that they will be raised as Orthodox Christians, in the Church, by Orthodox Christian parents.

As a rule, the Church only baptizes the children of parent(s) who are confessing and communing members of the Church. Godparents must be Orthodox Christians in good standing, regularly attending the divine services on Sundays, and spiritually attentive to the condition of their souls. Godparents promise to assist the parents in nurturing the newly baptized child in a Godly home, encouraging them by example to seek out and receive the saving grace that flows from the Sacramental life of the Church.

Before we can baptize your child in the Church the parents must first make some preparations:

Ø Speak to the priest to secure a date for the Baptism at least one month in advance, and fill out an application for Baptism.
Ø Become a Pledging Member of the Cathedral by filling out a PLEDGE CARD and making a payment toward the pledge.
Ø Parents and Godparents should receive the Sacrament of Holy Confession and prepare to receive Holy Communion prior to the Baptism.
Ø You will need to provide a large white bath towel; a candle and a neck cross for the child.
Ø The suggested donation for a Baptism is $200.
Ø Fees to use a Cathedral hall for a reception begin at $400.
Ø Make sincere promise to live a Christian Orthodox life by making attendance of Liturgy on Sundays a regular part of your family life. This is indispensable for parents who seek to baptize their child.

If you have any questions, please call or e-mail me (ccalin@nyc.rr.com). I hope to see you on Sunday in the church. The Liturgy begins at 9:30 a.m. God bless you. Congratulations on the birth of your child.

The Very Reverend CHRISTOPHER (Calin), Cathedral Dean
212-677-4664

2006



MARRIAGE IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Applicants must come to the Church, speak with the Preist and file an application at least three months in advance of a propsed date for Marrage.
The Sacrament of Marriage is the beginning of a spiritual process that lasts a lifetime. As a rule, the Church only marries Orthodox Christian members who are regular communicants and who intend to live as an Orthodox Christian family. Certain exceptions (special dispensation) may be made for a “mixed marriage” (marriage to a non-Orthodox spouse who has received a form a Christian baptism), but the non-Orthodox spouse must agree that any children will be baptized and raised in the Orthodox Church, and also be open to converting to Orthodoxy in the future. Marriage of divorced persons also requires a special dispensation from the bishop. Special dispensation is obtained through the priest.

Together the couple seeks to receive the saving grace of God in their lives. To be married in and by the Church without consciously intending to nurture that relationship in the Church is a mistake. To be married in the Church simply to please other family members, or because it is an ethnic custom is dishonest to ourselves and to God. Before we can proceed with setting up a date for your marriage, there are certain steps that must be taken, and pre-marriage counseling must be scheduled.

Before you can be married in the Church, some preparation and must first be met by you.

Ø Become a Pledging Member of the Cathedral by filling out a PLEDGE CARD and making a payment toward the pledge.
Ø Speak to the priest to secure a date for the Marriage at least two months in advance, and fill out an application for Marriage. There are many other things that must be discussed such as times and days when Marriages are permitted to be served in the Church. At least two counseling sessions with the priest are necessary before the marriage ceremony Do not make any plans (invitations, hall rental, etc.) before clearing the date with the priest.
Ø Live chastely (no sex before marriage), and do not live together in the same place until after the Marriage service is performed.
Ø The Couple and Godparents must receive the Sacrament of Holy Confession and prepare to receive Holy Communion prior to the Marriage.
Ø You will need to purchase/provide two candles.
Ø Fees for a Marriage are $250. For a choir there is an extra fee of $200.
Ø Fees to use space in the Cathedral for a reception begin at $300.
Ø Make sincere promise to live a Christian Orthodox life by making attendance of Liturgy on Sundays a regular part of your family life. This is an indispensable part of a successful marriage.

No wedding is put on the cathedral calendar until the initial meeting has taken place. If you have any questions, please call or e-mail me (ccalin@nyc.rr.com). I hope to see you in church this Sunday and every Sunday thereafter as we move closer to your wedding day. The Liturgy begins at 9:30 a.m. God bless you.

THE VERY REVEREND CHRISTOPHER (Calin), DEAN
212-677-4664