Community› The Bump Message Boards› Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Babies: 0 - 3 Months
New Discussion

Speaking of christening . . .

jaejaeveejaejaevee
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months
I don't come from a religious family, but DH does so we will be doing it with DS.  Can anyone tell me what is expected?  Do you invite people to the church?  I assume you have some kind of party or meal after?  I'm clueless and my ILs are crazy, so I don't really want to take their word for what is "normal".
{Chaos and Love}
Report Reply to Post

Re: Speaking of christening . . .

  • janine228janine228
    We sent out invitations or ours.  It told the people the time of the church and that there will be a dinner to follow and the restaraunt's information
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • hersheykisshersheykiss

    Depending on the church and religion, they are usually done during the regular Sunday service. You usually invite your closest friends & family to the service to see the christening. Also, you will need to designate 1 or 2 people as "Godparents." These are usually 1 or 2 people (can be a couple) that will help guide the child during their Christian life. Whoever you designate as godparents, they will need to be at the service and will stand up next to you.

    You can have a party or luncheon after the service, but it is not necessary or required. We plan to just go out to lunch as a family, but nothing big.

    Report Reply
  • SarahMay77SarahMay77
    We invited siblings, parents and grandparents to both church and to brunch after the service.  We paid for brunch at a restaurant near our house, so we didn't send invites to extended family or friends.
    Report Reply
  • CMDR513CMDR513 member

    imagejanine228:
    We sent out invitations or ours.  It told the people the time of the church and that there will be a dinner to follow and the restaraunt's information

    We're doing the same w/ the invites. We're having a party at a hall afterwardsl. Most people will not attend the actual Christening/Baptism. 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker 


    image
    Report Reply
  • jaejaeveejaejaevee

    Thanks for the input.  We do have godparents chosen, but nothing other than that.  I keep telling DH that this is his thing, so he should be dealing with it, but at this rate our LO won't be christened until he's 21.

    {Chaos and Love}
    Report Reply
  • CMDR513CMDR513 member

    Our parish does it the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. It's after the usual 12:30 mass. I'm assuming you're going through ILs parish. I would see how they handle it. Some will have it during their actual church service. Also you may want to look into if you have to take any preparation classes. I had to attend a Pre-Jordan class. The Godparents may need a letter of eligibility, too.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker 


    image
    Report Reply
  • bnljane1988bnljane1988
    If it's Catholic, the Godparents don't have to be there if they are not available.  You can have a proxy stand in for one or both of them (my mom and FIL had to stand in for ours as they were out of state and unable to make it.)  How you celebrate it is a personal decision (although, sounds like you might just want to go along with what DH wants to do, as he's probably more familiar with his family traditions.  My father did our baptism (he's a deacon) and we only invited the godparents, my parents and DH's parents.  (We kept it small as most of our families live out of state and most of our friends are not Catholic or church-going, so many wouldn't really understand the importance of the ceremony and sacrament.)  We also just wanted it to be more intimate - that's our style for such occasions.  My sister, however, invited tons of friends and family to her oldest daughter's and had  a large party at our parents' house afterwards.  It's totally up to you guys.
    Report Reply
  • jaejaeveejaejaevee
    My FIL has refused to go to church for many years, so we are having to find somewhere near where we live.  Thankfully, we have a chaplain where I work that is helping me find one that we like.  It's just really hard to figure all of this out when it's not something I am familiar with.  I appreciate all the advice.
    {Chaos and Love}
    Report Reply
  • Lara_LuLara_Lu
    We didn't send invitations, I just told my side of the family and had DH have his parents tell his side of the family. My dad is a pastor and he baptized Corinna. The congregation kind of watched me grow up so my dad announced the baptism at church and some of them came. Then we had a luncheon (sandwiches and salads) at the church's parish hall and cake. I think this is a little different but we asked my sister's family to be her sponsors/Godparents, so my sister, BIL, nephew (17), and neice(14) all stood up with us during the service.
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"