If you happened to be at St. Mary Church on Easter Sunday, you
may have glimpsed a lady in yellow grasping a baby in pink rushing
around the church.
If you happened to be at St. Mary Church on Easter Sunday, you may have glimpsed a lady in yellow grasping a baby in pink rushing around the church.
That lady was me and the baby was indeed Emma, who was to be welcomed into the church community on that holy day.
The “Rite of Welcome,” as it is called in the Catholic Church, is a way for the parish to welcome a person into the fold before he or she is baptized.
My husband, Chris, and I hold our faith close to our hearts and always planned to raise our children Catholic. And just as importantly, we want them to be part of something bigger than themselves, to know what it means to be an active member of a faith-based community.
For some people, their community may not be found in a place of worship. Rather it may exist in a group of their peers or at their jobs.
In our case, Chris and I draw our strength from and find peace within our church community.
As a child, church meant meeting friends, singing favorite hymns and gathering in a special place every Sunday.
As the years passed and I became firmly entrenched in adolescence, having the guidance and support of our community made those years less scary and much more bearable.
In my adulthood and especially now, it anchors my world. It is a welcoming place to come every week to celebrate, pray and reflect.
And now it is Emma’s turn to learn about what it means to be a part of something bigger than herself, to be embraced by our friends and neighbors.
Of course, last Sunday she had other ideas. The three of us arrived at church early to check in. Halfway through the Mass, Emma decided it was time to eat. I held her and carried her around the church trying to soothe her. But she would have nothing to do with it.
If she isn’t anything she’s opinionated. And when she puts her mind to something, there’s no talking her out of it.
So, I asked Chris to find us when the Rite of Welcome was just about to begin. Then I carried Emma outside away and fed her. Ten minutes later she was fast asleep and not a moment too soon. Chris found us and said that the welcome was starting. We hurried inside and scurried up to the altar just as Father Derry was asking everyone to introduce themselves and their children.
We stood in front of the congregation with four other families and asked the church to baptize our babies so that they too can know God and become part of the church community.
That is so important to us. We want her to know all of you as we do. We see our church as greater than a building. It is much more than a priest or a minister.
It’s beyond Sunday. It is ultimately the community.
We are the church, you and I. Our words and deeds represent the spirit of it and our faith. We are there for one another in births and deaths, happy times and sad ones.
I am so honored that Emma will become a part of it.
