Baptism is a very holy sacrament, by which we become members of the Church. We were commanded to be baptized by Jesus himself. He himself, though sinless, was baptized in the Jordan river. After His resurrection he commanded his Apostles saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mat. 28:19)
During Holy Baptism a death and resurrection take place. In the Orthodox Church we totally immerse, because such total immersion symbolizes death. What death? The death of the “old, sinful man”. After Baptism we are freed from the dominion of sin, even though after Baptism we retain an inclination and tendency toward evil. This inclination and tendency remain so that the Christian may struggle to achieve his rebirth. From the Holy Font, and with the triple immersion in the blessed water, those that are baptized emerge reborn into a new life, resurrected into the life in Christ, children of God, citizens and members of God’s Kingdom.
To book a Baptism, phone Fr Dimitri on 0418 298 197.
In order to prepare the baptism certificate, 3 documents will be required (these can be emailed to church@stioannis.org.au or delivered to the Church):
- The Baptism certificate of the Godparent (who needs to be Orthodox, and Church canons state there can be only one Godparent)
- The birth certificate of the child that is to be baptized
- If available, the marriage certificate that is written in Greek of the child’s parents (in order to keep spelling of names uniform).
Fees (Payable on the day of the Baptism, the amounts are uniform in all Parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia): $250 from the parents for the Archdiocese and $750 from the Godparent ($400 goes to the Parish and the rest is gratuities for Priest, Chanter and Altar assistant).
If an adult who has not been baptized Orthodox sincerely wants to be received into the Orthodox Church, then this holy process and journey can be initiated, but it will take at least 6 months. You will need to get to know your Parish Priest, and write to the Archbishop, explaining why you want to be accepted into the Orthodox Church. Your letter to the Archbishop should start:
Your name and address
Date
Your Eminence
Archbishop Makarios
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA
242 Cleveland St, REDFERN 2016
archbishops.office@greekorthodox.org.au
Your Eminence,
Your blessings. [Your reasons for wanting to become Orthodox]
Sign
The Archbishop will likely recommend that you attend talks on the Orthodox Church that are held regularly for just this purpose, for those wishing to enter the Orthodox Church.