What to do when ... BIRTH OF A BABY Call the priest to offer a prayer of thanksgiving while at the hospital. Forty days later, Orthodox mother presents herself to the Church, at which time the newly born baby is "churched". It is a ceremony in emulation of the ancient custom adhered to by the Virgin Mother when, in accordance with the Law of Moses, she brought the Divine Infant to the Temple to present Him to the Lord and receive the blessings of Motherhood. BAPTISM Call the church office as soon as possible to arrange for a baptismal date. Parents need not be Orthodox Christians for a child to be baptized in the Orthodox Church. A person who wishes to sponsor a candidate for Baptism and/or Chrismation in the Church must be an Orthodox Christian, at least 14 years of age, and a pledged member of this Parish or in good standing with another Orthodox Church. A person who has been excommunicate or anathematized by the Church, or who, if married, has married outside the Orthodox Church, may not become a Godparent. Baptisms may be performed at any time except from December 25 through January 6, during Holy Week, or on Major Feast Days, unless it is an emergency. At any time of extreme emergency, any Orthodox Christian may baptize an infant. This is done by either by sprinkling a small amount of clear water, or by lifting the child into the air while saying, "The servant of God (name) is baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen". Under no circumstances should any duly baptized Orthodox Christian be re-baptized. Even a Baptism of extreme emergency performed by lay person is regarded as valid and is merely completed by the priest by the Sacrament of Holy Chrismation. If the Sacrament is to be performed in a parish other than his own, the sponsor must obtain from his priest a written verification of his spiritual good standing in the Orthodox Church. Articles necessary for the Sacrament of Baptism are: a small bottle of olive oil, a bar of soap, two hand towels, one crib-size sheet, one large bath towel, a white complete outfit for the infant, a small baptismal cross, and two white candles. WEDDING Call your priest as soon as possible to arrange for a wedding date. He will help you arrange a pre-marital conference and acquaint you with the requirements for marriage in the Orthodox Church. Obtain a civil marriage license from the local courthouse. This license must be presented to the priest before the wedding. In addition to the civil license, you priest will apply to the local diocese for a church license. This must be done at least one month before the wedding. Orthodox spouses must be pledged members in good standing of this parish or another Orthodox parish. If your spouse is not of the Orthodox faith, a copy of his or her baptismal certificate must be secured. If the spouse is not a Christian, baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, the wedding cannot take place in the Orthodox Church. Marriage is allowed only between baptized Christians even though one party may not be of the Orthodox faith. 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 if married, is not married in the Orthodox Church, cannot be a sponsor (koumbaro-koumbara). Non-Orthodox persons may be members of the rest of the wedding party. Consult your priest about organist, type of music, fees, flowers, photographs, wedding consultant, rehearsal, and printed order of service. Days when weddings are not permitted are: January 5 & 6; Great Lent and Holy Week; August 1-15; August 29; September 14; December 13-25; the day before feast days, and all Holy days of our Lord. A wedding may be conducted on these days only if absolutely necessary and then only by special permission of the Diocesan Bishop. DIVORCE An ecclestiacal divorce may be granted after a civil decree has been given. However, the parish priest must exert every effort to reconcile the couple and avert a divorce. Should the priest fail to bring about reconciliation, he will transmit the petition of the party seeking the ecclesiastical divorce to the Spiritual Court of the Diocese. The pledged member, in addition, must submit a certified check in the amount of $150.00 payable to the Diocese of San Francisco. The decree of the civil divorce must accompany this petition. The petition must include the names and surnames of the husband and the wife, their current addresses, the familial surname of the wife, and where and when and by which priest the ecclesiastical wedding was conducted. Christian Orthodox members who do not have an ecclesiastical divorce when separated and have obtained only a civil divorce, may not marry in the Church until receipt of the ecclesiastical divorce. SICKNESS OR HOSPITALIZATION It is inevitable that some of us, in the course of our lives, will get sick. In that event, please have a family member or friend call your priest, or the Church Office. He will be happy to visit and pray with you for your recovery, whether it is in you home or one of the area hospitals. He is always prepared t offer the sacrament of Holy Unction or Holy Communion to those who request it. IN THE EVENT OF A DEATH IN THE FAMILY If you should lose a loved one, contact your priest or the Church Office immediately. Choose your own funeral director and have him contact your priest for scheduling of services and for any instruction for the conduct of Funeral or Trisagion Services. MEMORIAL SERVICES Memorial services are held in the Church on the nearest Sunday to the 40th day following the death of a loved one. Memorial services for the repose of the souls of our loved ones are usually held at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. Koliva (boiled wheat) symbolizing belief in the resurrection is distributed following the service. The priest will go to the cemetery with the members of the family and friends to offer a Trisagion Prayer, if it is requested. Parishioners may make their own koliva (see recipes and directions in this guidebook), or arrangements for this can be made through the Church Office. Memorial services are not permitted from the Saturday of Lazarus through the Sunday of St. Thomas, all the feast days of our Lord, and August 15th. It is recommended that memorials be offered for loved ones on the four SATURDAYS OF SOULS, the three Saturdays prior to Great Lent, and on the eve of Pentecost.