Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism incorporates us into the Church, the Body of Christ, and is our introduction to the life of the Holy Trinity.

Water is a natural symbol of cleansing and newness of life. Through the three-fold immersion in the waters of Baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity, one dies to the old ways of sin and egotism and is born to a new life in Christ. Baptism is one’s public identification with Christ’s Death and victorious Resurrection. Following the custom of the early Church, Orthodoxy encourages the baptism of infants. The Church believes that the Sacrament is bearing witness to the action of God who chooses a child to be an important member of His people. From the day of their baptism, children are expected to mature in the life of the Spirit, through their family and the Church. The Baptism of adults is practiced when there was no previous baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity. 

If you are interested in being baptized at Annunciation, see our page, Becoming Orthodox.

A person who wishes to serve as godparent (or sponsor) must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing* who regularly partakes of the sacraments of Communion and Confession. A person may not serve as a godparent if the Church has not blessed his or her marriage 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.

Baptisms may not be performed during Holy Week or on any of the Great Feast days of the Lord.

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

*A parishioner in good standing is defined in the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Archdiocese in the first paragraph of Article 18, Section 1.