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Baptisms
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Holy Baptism is the highpoint of our worship and our life together. In the mystery of Holy Baptism, we believe that we actually die with Christ to sin and death, and we rise again to freedom and life eternal. When we baptize infants, it is the parents and sponsors (Godparents) who make promises on behalf of the child. When we baptize adults, the adult herself or himself renounces evil, affirms faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and joins in promising to uphold the faith of the Church.
In baptism Holy Water is poured over the head of the person being baptized. Then Holy Oil is poured on the person's head as the presence of the Holy Spirit is invoked and claimed for this new Christian. Finally, a candle is give to the newly baptized, symbolizng that this person now shares in carrying the Light of Christ in to the world. Holy Baptism at All Souls is a very special time and takes place in the midst of a public service of worship.
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Weddings
To Begin
The best way to begin thinking about a wedding at All Souls is by attending on a Sunday or weekday and checking us out. Once you've experienced worship among us and gotten a sense of the rector and parish, if you would like to inquire about a wedding, simply set up an appointment to meet with the rector.
Background
The Book of Common Prayer explains that "Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which the woman and man enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows." Across time and across many different cultures, heterosexual marriage has been entered into for a variety of reasons, some motivated by a sense of God's will for one's life, and some motivated by any number of things. In the 21st Century, the Episcopal Church joins a few other Christians in discerning how the institution of marriage might be strengthened and protected, given cultural influences that sometimes seem to undermine and work against the notion of making a vow to another person, entering into a covenant, commitment or promise. Many of us feel that the best way to strengthen marriage is to offer its institutional, sacramental and cultural benefits to all who would make their promises before God, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
There are many in our parish who would advocate for a true separation between Church and State with regard to marriage, so that the government makes a marriage legal (and defines what marriage might be) while the church blesses any sacred union. The Church has often provided liturgies for the blessing of ships, homes, liturgical vessels and vestments, and animals-- surely it is also in the mind of Christ to bless any human relationship that might ask for God's blessing.
Given the murky relationship of Church and State with regard to marriage, domestic partnerships and unions, we continue to discern God's will for our lives and for our church. Weddings and unions at All Souls follow the Book of Common Prayer as closely as possible and any couple wishing to come before God must meet with the Rector, agree to enter into counseling, and agree to work with our parish guidelines for marriage.
The Service
Whether a marriage, commitment service or holy union, the liturgy will closely follow the Book of Common Prayer, retain references to the Holy Trinity and often include the Sacrament of Holy Communion. For pastoral reasons, which should be discussed early on with the rector, there may be exceptions.
Counseling
The normal process around weddings, holy unions and blessings involves an initial meeting with the rector. In this meeting the spiritual traditions of the couple are discussed as well as their expectations for their life in the future. If the couple decides to continue in this process, they will then meet with a counselor, Ms. Baiba Kelley, for three, one-and-a-half-hour sessions. These are confidential with the provision that if there is any reason why Ms. Kelley cannot recommend the couple further, she will communicate this to the rector. The rector and the couple then meet to plan the liturgy and discuss any additional spiritual questions the couple may have.
Guidelines
Please contact the Parish Office (202-232-4244) for the current guidelines, which should be posted online shortly.
Interested in discussing your needs fill out our request for and submit it to our Rector 
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At the End of Life
Planning for the End of Life
If someone in your family has died, please call the parish office or the rector. A priest from the parish is always available to help you with prayers, logistics, and even the first conversations with a funeral home or cemetery.
Ideally, one makes plans for the end of life well in advance. A resource that guides you through some of the issues you might think about is available here.
All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church has a columbarium, which is a large, beautiful, wooden cabinet in which brass urns are kept. Cremains, the cremated remains of a loved one, are interred in the urn and the urn is engraved with the person's name and dates of birth and death. A couple may be placed in one urn. For information on purchasing or reserving an urn, please contact the parish office at 202-232-4244 or email Ms. Mary Beth Howard, parish administrator.
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