Baptism, Marriage & Funerals

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Assisting people with significant life passages is part of what we do, as clergy and as a community of faith.

Baptism

We’re glad you’re interested in Baptism at St. Mary’s! Whether infant, child, youth, or adult, all are invited to experience the grace of God through the waters of new birth. As one of two principle sacraments shared throughout the Christian church around the world, Baptism is a powerful and important occasion in both the life of the individual and the community.

Through baptism we are made “children of God” and “member’s of Christ’s Body, the Church.” Both are important. Both are highly valued at St. Mary’s, as we take very seriously the community’s promise in the Baptismal liturgy to “do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ.”

The sacrament of Baptism is celebrated in a public rite on Sunday mornings, and is especially appropriate on those days, such as Easter, Pentecost, All Saints or the Baptism of Christ, when the meaning of baptism can be particularly highlighted. Baptisms are not normally celebrated during the season of Lent.

If St. Mary’s is not already your spiritual home, please consider coming by one Sunday to join us in worship and fellowship. Baptism can be a wonderful first-step in becoming part of the St. Mary’s community.

Interested in learning more or in speaking with our priest about baptism? Please send us an email.

Marriage

All Christians are called to bear witness to the good news of God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are empowered for such witness by our covenantal relationship with God. Our covenantal life with God is expressed in relationships of commitment and faithfulness, including those of same-sex couples. It is the Church’s joy to celebrate these relationships as signs of God’s love, to pray for God’s grace to support couples in their life together, and to join with these couples in our shared witness to the gospel in the world.

To strengthen these relationships, we encourages those seeking the celebration and blessing of their marriage by the Church to also enter into relationship with St. Mary’s by regular participation in the life and worship of the parish prior to the ceremony.  All weddings held at St. Mary’s must be approved by our Rector, the Rev. Scott Monson. Contact the church for more details and to find out availability of our clergy to assist you, or the availability of the church or Guild Hall.

Learn more about our current Mariage Policies and Fees.

Funerals

St. Mary’s clergy can assist you in remembering and celebrating the lives of your loved one. Using the beautiful liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer, we thank God for the life that is passed, and commend the dead to the never-failing love of God that reaches beyond this life and will never let us go.

The Book of Common Prayer states:

The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all its meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised.

The liturgy, therefore, is characterized by joy, in the certainty that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This joy, however, does not make human grief unchristian. The very love we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted by death. Jesus himself wept at the grave of his friend. So, while we rejoice that one we love has entered into the nearer presence of our Lord, we sorrow in sympathy with those who mourn.

Contact the church for more information about funerals at St. Mary’s.

End of Life Planning

One of the great gifts that we can give our families is to talk with them about our wishes surrounding death and burial, and to leave plans for our funeral. The Episcopal Church Foundation has prepared an excellent planning tool to help you stipulate medical care wishes at the end of life, prepare your estate plan and will, and record your wishes regarding your funeral. You can view or download the planner below.

Cemetery and Memorial Garden

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Interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery or Memorial Garden is open to members of the parish and their families.

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