stsophia: Site Map: Scheduling Sacraments

PRAYERS FOR THE NEW BORN

On the fortieth day after birth, the parents bring the child to church where the priest conducts the service of the “40-day Blessing” or “Sarantismos” for the mother and child.

The ritual of the 'churching' of women after childbirth has its origin in the early Middle Ages. This was the time when the liturgical life of the Church was beginning to expand and develop in imitation of the Biblical patterns. The "Church" must not be understood in an antiquated way (from the Old Testament) in the sense of a legalistic practice. (For further Old Testament knowledge, read the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 12). Rather, the ceremony of churching marks the time when the mother, having recovered physically and emotionally from the birth of her child, and having re-ordered her life around the child's care, will resume her life in the community of the Church again. She comes to the church with her child (and accompanied by her husband) to offer her thanksgiving for her child and dedicate it to God.

During the churching, the priest, in imitation of the elder Simeon (Luke, Chapter 2), takes the child up to the sanctuary, making the sign of the Cross with it and reciting the prayer of St. Simeon (Luke 2:28-32). Again, inspired by the example of Simeon's encounter with the infant Messiah, for each child has the potential to be great in the sight of the Lord, the act of churching recognizes this and also serves, as with the mother, to introduce the child to the community of faith."

On the day of churching, the parents and the child are invited to wait in the narthex of the church where they will be greeted by the priest. This takes place after the antidoron has been distributed following the Divine Liturgy. A call to the church office in advance, will help facilitate the process.

BAPTISMS

In the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, a person is incorporated into the crucified, resurrected, and glorified Christ and is reborn to participate in the divine life. Baptism is necessary for salvation (Mark 16:15-16) and in accordance with Holy Tradition, must be performed by triple immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). Please be mindful of the following requirements:

1. Both parents, if Orthodox, must be members in good standing. This means that both parents, if Orthodox, must be current in their Stewardship Commitment to the parish.

A person who wishes to sponsor a candidate for Baptism and/or Chrismation in the Church must be an Orthodox Christian who is in good ecclesiastical standing with the Orthodox Church. A person who has been ex-communicated by the Church or who if married, has married outside the Orthodox Church may not become a Godparent.
If the sponsor is from another Orthodox parish, a Certificate of Good Standing is required from the priest. This certificate must be presented to the priest prior to the Baptism.
The role of the Sponsor is directly related to infant baptism. Since the infant is unable to make the necessary confession of Faith, the Sponsor stands and accepts the responsibility..
The Sponsor should be ready to recite the Nicene Creed either Greek or English. For three consecutive Sundays after the baptism, the Sponsor should carry the neophyte to the Holy Altar to receive Holy Communion.
According to the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church ONE name of Orthodox Christian origin should be given to the child at the time of baptism
The day, time, and other arrangements must be made if possible by calling the Church Office at least one month before the baptism
To insure the proper dignity and solemnity of your child's baptism, anyone desiring to take pictures must consult the parish priest at least one half hour before the sacrament.
The sponsor should provide:

       -Complete change of clothes (white) for the child (including a new undershirt)
       -Bottle of Pure Olive Oil
       -Gold Cross for child
       -Three white candles
       -One bar of soap
       -One white hand towel
       -One white bath towel
       -One white twin sheet (unfitted)
       -Martyrika (optional)

NOTE: In case of adult baptism, the priest should be consulted for items needed.

Clinical Baptisms
In the event of an un-baptized infant near death an Orthodox priest must be called for a clinical baptism. In the absence of an Orthodox clergyman, an Orthodox Christian layman, or any other Christian, may baptize the infant by the sprinkling of water, repeating the baptismal formula, "The servant of God (name), is baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit".

Converts
When receiving into the Orthodox person a person who comes voluntarily from another confession, the Orthodox priest will accept the candidate by means of whichever of the three mode prescribed by the Sixth Ecumenical Synod (Canon 95) is appropriate:
a.) Baptism in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by triple immersion;
b.) Chrismation
c) Confession of Faith
Proof of the baptism must be established. The priest will undertake to instruct the applicant in matters of the faith and practices that govern the inner life and outward behavior of the Orthodox Christian. If the applicant has not been baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity in a Christian by the principle of “oikonomia", he or she must be baptized as prescribed by the church rules.

If the parish priest is expected to attend the reception, a formal invitation must be sent as is done in the case of other guests.
Baptisms may not be performed on the following days unless it is absolutely necessary and permission is obtained from the Bishop of the Diocese of San Francisco: December 25 - January 6, Holy Week and Major Feast Days

WEDDINGS

For the sacramental union of a man and a woman to be proper in the eyes of the Church, the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony must be performed in the Orthodox Church. For such an ecclesiastical marriage to be valid, the following must be adhered to:

A civil marriage license must be obtained from civil authorities and presented to the parish priest prior to the wedding.
An ecclesiastical marriage license must be obtained from the Metropolis Department of Registry authorizing the priest to perform the sacrament.
At least one pre-marital seminar must take place with the parish priest or representative before the wedding.

The sacrament of marriage must be celebrated by an Orthodox priest according to the liturgical tradition of the Church.
The priest must belong to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. A marriage performed by a priest of another Orthodox jurisdiction in communion with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is also recognized as valid by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
Before requesting permission from the Bishop for the marriage the priest must verify that:

the parties in question are not already married either in this country or elsewhere;

the party or parties who are members of another parish obtain a certificate of stewardship from the parish to which they belong
if either or both parties are widowed, he or she present the death certificate of the deceased spouse
if either or both of the parties have been divorced and/or have remarried, whether or not the remarriage was recognized by the Church, that they present the appropriate certificates.

No more than a total of three marriages will be allowed by the Church.
When one or both of the parties are divorced, they must obtain an ecclesiastical divorce as well, in order to marry again in the Church

In the case of interfaith marriage, the non-Orthodox partner must be a Christian who has been baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. A marriage cannot take place in the Orthodox Church between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Christian.

In the case of interfaith marriage between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Orthodox Christian, the marriage must be celebrated by an Orthodox priest in the Orthodox Church.
The Sponsor (Koumbaros or Koumbara) must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing with the Church. A person who does not belong to a parish, or who belongs to a parish which is not in communion with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, or who if married, is not married in the Orthodox Church cannot be a Sponsor. Non-Orthodox persons may be members of the rest of the wedding party.

To insure the proper dignity and solemnity of your wedding ceremony, pictures/videos can only be taken if the photographer/videographer have adhered to the Cathedral policies.
Should you desire the services of the church organist, arrangements may be made with the organist by first contacting the Cathedral to obtain the names and telephone numbers.
The singing or playing of Orthodox or non-Orthodox hymns and other secular songs before or after the service must be cleared through the parish priest
If the priest is expected to attend the reception, a formal invitation must be sent as is done in the case of other guests.
If a guest priest is to be invited to participate in the service, it must first be approved of by the parish priest.
If the bride is under 18 years of age, and if the groom is under 21 years of age, a letter of consent from the parents must be presented at the time they apply for the Ecclesiastical Marriage License.
All Cathedral fees and stewardship requirements must be completed prior to the wedding ceremony.

The following are necessary for the ceremony:
1.) Rings for the bride and groom
2.) Stefana (crowns)
3.) 2 white candles

Days when marriage is not permitted:
1.) January 5-6
2.) Great Lent and Holy Week
3.) August 1-15
4.) August 29 (Beheading ofSt. John the Baptist)
5.) September 14 (Elevation of the Holy Cross)
6.) December 13-25
7.) The day before feast days and all Holy Days of our Lord.

NOTE: Exceptions to the above can only be made by special permission of the Metropolitan of the Metropolis.

FUNERALS

Funeral Services in the church building are conducted for those who are Orthodox Christians in good ecclesiastical standing with the Church. If there is a question, please contact the parish priest.

Should there be a death m the family the following steps should be taken:

Immediately notify the family doctor or the County Medical Examiner (County Coroner) if the death occurred at home so he may examine the deceased and sign the death certificate. The body may not be removed otherwise.
Call the funeral director of your choice.
Inform the parish priest.
Arrangements for the funeral service must be made with the priest in conjunction with the funeral director.
No funerals are allowed on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of our Lord
Some families prefer Memorial Donations to flowers. Such being the case, special envelopes are available to the funeral director and family at the Church Office or m the Narthex of the church. Acknowledgments to the donors are made by the church and a list sent to the family.

Various Christian groups, instead of burial, prefer the cremation of the dead, which was customary among many ancient peoples. The Orthodox Church, however, mindful of the fact that the human body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and inspired by the affection toward her departed children refuses to deliberately destroy the body, and has adopted the burial of the dead, as it appears in the Catacombs, and in the graves of the Martyrs and Saints. Cremation, therefore, is contrary to the faith and tradition of our Church and is forbidden to Orthodox Christians. A Church funeral is not permitted to a person who has been or will be cremated.

THE MAKARIA or Memorial Meal is celebrated immediately after the funeral and prior to the internment. Call the Cathedral for information concerning the family responsibility for the Makaria meal.

MEMORIALS FOR THE DEAD

In God and His Church there is no division between the living and the departed, but all are one in the love of the Father. Whether we are alive or whether we are dead, as members of the Church we still belong to the same family, and still have a duty to bear one another's burdens. Therefore, just as Orthodox Christians here on earth pray for one another. and ask for one another's prayers, so they pray also for the faithful departed, and ask the faithful departed to pray for them. Death cannot sever the bond of mutual love which links the members of the Church together.

According to the teachings of the Church, the results of the Resurrection are placed in the realm of the future. Nevertheless, its initial meaning is revealed in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, for in Baptism we both die and rise, or rather we are initiated into the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:311). The finality and power of death is destroyed, for Christ has, by His Resurrection destroyed its power. On the last day, the bodies of all the dead in Christ will rise in their glorified form (1 Corinthians 15:43). We mourn the death of our loved ones, but we pray that they will; find rest and mercy in Christ. Ours is the duty to pray for the repose of all members of the Body of Christ. As tokens of the immortality of the soul, boiled wheat (Kolyva) is prepared and brought to church for the Memorial Service (Mnimosinon), at which prayers for the repose of the souls of those departed are offered (John 12:24). Memorials are offered the fortieth day after death, and on the first anniversary of one's death, and once a year thereafter, if the family wishes. Memorials are also chanted on the two Saturdays before the beginning of Great Lent, the first Saturday of Great Lent, and on the Saturday before the Sunday of Pentecost. These particular Saturdays, called Saturdays of the Soul are set aside for the commemoration of all departed Orthodox Christians, and their salvation. Memorial Services may not be held on the following days:

From the Saturday of Lazarus through the Sunday of St. Thomas.
All the Feast days of our Lord.
August 15th