Baptisms, weddings
& funerals
Baptisms
Baptism is the process of initiation into the Christian community and way of life. Because of its importance in the life of the Christian community and of the Christian believer, baptism is celebrated on major feasts of the Christian year:
the Baptism of the Lord (the Sunday after January 6)
Easter; the Day of Pentecost (fifty days after Easter)
the Sunday after August 6
the Sunday after September 14
the Feast of All Saints (Sunday after November 1)
In order to give adequate time for preparation, we ask for at least three months’ notice for any baptism.
Weddings are celebrated in the church, using the forms of service provided by the Anglican Church of Canada, and in accordance with the church’s rule on marriage (Canon 21). Sixty days’ notice is required, and at least one of the parties to the proposed marriage must be baptized. Couples seeking to be married in the Anglican Church receive instruction in the Christian understanding of marriage and in the meaning of the vows which they are preparing to make.
Weddings
Funerals
Funerals are celebrated in the church, and whenever possible in the presence of the body of the deceased. The church is generally available on short notice for funerals, which can be held on any day of the week except Sunday. The church service is one event in a series of rituals which often extend over several days, and the ministry of the church is available to families during the illness preceding death, at the time of death, and in the days and weeks following death.
If you wish to organize a funeral or memorial service at St. Thomas, please contact the parish office.