A gathering of families for Baptism.

Tonight we had a Gathering of families preparing for the

baptism of their children.

We started the process by having members of our Baptism

team go out to their homes and gathering the information for

the paperwork, and then celebrating the first moments of

the ritual for Baptism: asking what name the parents give

their new child, signing them with the sign of the cross, and

most of all, welcoming "with great joy" into the community

of the Catholic Church!

Soon, the families will be actually baptizing the infants: some

at Sunday Mass, some at times outside of Sunday Mass.

Whether they celebrate at Mass or after Mass, these families

are bringing these little ones to our community of faith, and

it's our responsibility....the entire community.....to support

them, and to nourish them.

At St. Anselm, we're trying to be as welcoming, and as supportive to the real needs of young families as possible.

Maybe we don't get worried too much about actual Mass attendance, but we're trying to get young families to know others in the parish community, and to have new members actually know the names and faces of some members of the parish. We're hoping to be a parish where "everybody knows your name" .....like CHEERS!

It's a challenge with almost 2,000 families, but it's a great challenge. As we prepare for the many celebrations of Baptism in the Easter Season, as we prepare for the many celebrations of the First Eucharist in this Easter Season, as we prepare for the celebration of Confirmation in this Easter Season, let's remember that it is the responsibility of "ALL" of the baptized to form others for the initiation sacraments.

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!