St. Bartholomew’s Church
Park Ave at 51st St
New York City

Sacramental Preparation

Baptism: Welcoming Your Child into the Church Community

“Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body the Church. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble” (BCP, 298).

In the Episcopal Church one formally becomes a member when baptized. Infants, toddlers, children, youth and adults are all invited to participate in the sacrament of Baptism. Because Baptism is a communal event, St. Bart's celebrates Baptism within the context of our Sunday worship services.

In our tradition, four days during the church year are especially appropriate: at the Easter Vigil, on the Day of Pentecost, on All Saints’ Day, and on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. Dates appear on the downloadable 2007 Baptism and Baptism Preparation Schedule (below). Persons desiring to be baptized, or to have a member of their household baptized, are asked to complete and fax (or mail) a Baptism Registration Form (below), on which you will have an opportunity to select a date and time for both Baptism and Baptismal preparation.

Children old enough (and interested enough!) to ask for the Eucharist are permitted to receive Communion in the Episcopal Church. As the Holy Eucharist remains a mystery for children and adults alike, we periodically offer a chance for exploration and questions to any families who desire it. Designed for children aged 4 and older and their families/parents/guardians, the class begins a conversation about how reception of God's bread and wine helps us to know that Jesus is with us—and that taking part in the Holy Eucharist helps us to feel closer to God, to each other, and God's family outside the church walls. Suggested reading: A Child's Guide to the Holy Eucharist Rite II, available at St. Bart's Book Store. Classes are scheduled each fall.

An Early Communion class, designed and led by Kathy Bozzuti-Jones in October for children aged 4 and above, culminated with small, family Eucharistic circles, where family members communicated each other with a mixture of joy and awe. Pictured above are Sarah Queen and her children, Emma and Bennett.

Confirmation Classes

Confirmation classes at St. Bart's are offered to teens (and adults) 15 years and older. High school freshmen are invited to join the "Confirmation Class," which begins soon after Labor Day, culminating in reception of the Sacrament from the Bishop on a date to be announced.

An excerpt from Henri J. Nouwen's
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World
“We are the Beloved. We are intimately loved long before our parents, teachers, spouses, children and friends loved or wounded us. That’s the truth of our lives. That’s the truth I want you to claim for yourself. That’s the truth spoken by the voice that says, ‘You are my Beloved.’ Listening to that voice with great inner attentiveness, I hear at my center [God’s] words that say: ‘I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine and I am yours. You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness and care for you with a care more intimate than that of a mother for her child. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step. Wherever you go, I go with you, and wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench all your thirst. I will not hide my face from you. You know me as your own as I know you as my own. You belong to me. I am your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your lover and your spouse…yes, even your child . . . wherever you are I will be. Nothing will ever separate us. We are one.’”