Saint
Patrick Catholic Parish
Sunday
Bulletin
I BAPTIZE YOU...
Every
Saturday and Sunday, we baptize a goodly number of children and young people.
We celebrate the sacrament by individual family rather than in large groups of
multiple families. It is labor intensive, but it is much better than the way I
did it in my earlier years as a priest.
In those
days, I worked in a parish on the weekends where I would perform the ceremony
in a chapel filled with approximately 35 families. If one child started to cry,
it seemed that all the rest joined in creating disharmony. I would anoint 45
children with the Sign of the Cross, symbolizing the parents’ desire to teach
their children who Jesus is and why He came into the world like we all did, as
an infant. Every part of the sacramental ritual was repeated 45 times, one by
one.
At the end
of doing that every Sunday, I thought to myself, it would be easier to turn the
hose on them all at once and just get it done. This was the way the parish
wanted to celebrate baptisms, so I just did it. But in my mind, when I could
decide how to do it, I would prefer one family at a time rather than large
groups of families. It would be more personal and less chaotic.
What a world
of difference! Labor intensive for sure, but it is respecting the sacredness of
the sacrament.
God Bless, Fr. Michael, O.S.A.
We, the church of Saint Patrick, in the community of
North Park, of the Roman Catholic Diocese and City of San Diego, declare this
to be our primary mission:
to come together to celebrate the Eucharist, hear
God’s word proclaimed, give praise and thanksgiving to God, and develop a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that by freely sharing our
faith, talents, and treasures, we discover Christ’s presence among us and bring
Him to others. We have a strong desire to give and receive love, service,
peace, support, and fellowship, within our families, our parish, our community,
and the world. Open to the power of the Holy Spirit, we pursue this mission
faithfully and lovingly.
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