Headline of the week
Baby James outside of the Church after his baptism
Last Sunday, September 5, 1999, when I celebrated my 73rd birthday, all our family living in America went to St. Elizabeth Church, in Bristol, Rhode Island, to attend the mass at 10:30 am and also watch the baptism ceremony of 14 children. Among them was our grandson James, son of José Jorge da Silva and Christine Tracy da Silva.
The ceremony was presided by Father Thomas Ferland, Pastor of the Parish.
Reverend
Thomas Ferland, Pastor of St. Elizabeth Church, Bristol, R. I.
He looks very happy after the wonderful ceremony of 14 baptisms
The church was full to capacity with members of four generations: children, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
The weather was beautiful and sunny. The temperature outside was 70 degrees Fahrenheit = 21 Centigrade. No body coughed inside of the church. The only noise characteristic of such a ceremony was a minor crying of some babies
The interior of church is now painted all in white which is very much fitting for such religious ceremony as the baptism!
Partial group of the parents with their babies after the baptism. At the center is our son José holding his niece Victoria (3 years old) and to his left is his wife Christine holding James.
During my lifetime I have been godfather five times. It is a pleasant experience to be godfather of a baby for whom we all wish good fortune! A baby is the best icon of human joy and hope!
The godparents of James were his uncle, Manuel Jorge Da Silva and aunt Kelly Ahearn Da Silva.
List of children who were also baptized:
Taken from the Bulletin of St. Elizabeth Church.
Baptisms
We welcome the newly baptized into
our parish community. Please pray for these children, their parents and their
sponsors.
14 new Catholics by alphabetic order of the last name:
Brett Andrew Cabral, Benjamin David Cloutier, James Francis Da Silva,
Julian Vincent Da Silva, Karah Alexandra Da Silva, Devon Francis John Gomes,
Alexis Nicole Harris, Michael James Medeiros, Olivia Lee Medeiros, Alexander
Joseph Milhomens, Haylee Anne Pacheco, Emma Jean Riccio, Crysta Selene Rocha,
Joshua Manuel Sousa.
Bristol is a town-city with a
population of 25 thousand inhabitants. According to the last census 72 per cent
of its population is of Portuguese extraction.
This is the reason why the St. Elizabeth Parish is the largest and most
active in Bristol, Rhode Island.
The history of Baptism
Baptism is a solemn sacrament of the
Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches have Seven
sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharistic, Penance, Anointing the
Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony.
Baptism is the first Sacrament. It is
a ceremony performed with water on a person who has accepted the Christian
faith. Early Christians practiced submerging a person in water. Today, water is
poured or sprinkled on the head of the person or a baby.
John the Baptist baptized Christ on
the River Jordan and Christ instructed his disciples also to perform baptism: "Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations. Baptized them in the name of the Father,
and the Son and the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19)
Baptism is a form of blessing,
purification and initiation. We have seen the christening of the fleet, the
baptism of a boat, of a ship or of a submarine.
There is one thing I do not understand
in these ceremonies: why a is a bottle of champagne thrown and splashed at these
vessels? Who started it and why? Is it inspired on the wine used during the
sacrifice of the Mass?
If you know, please inform me. I will
give you credit on this website.