Baptism is our entrance into the community of the Church, a new birth into a spiritual family defined by love and faith. The baptism of your child is a blessed and joyous event, and we at Holy Trinity look forward to celebrating it with you.

When a child is born, a series of prayers and services are appointed by the Church in preparation for the Baptism. These include the prayers on the day of birth, prayers on the eighth day after birth, and the forty-day entrance into the Church ("churching").

It is recommended that the baptism be celebrated at some time after the forty-day blessing, and before the child's first birthday.

Here are a few guidelines to help you in planning for your child's baptism at Holy Trinity:

Setting the Date: To set a date for the baptism, contact the Cathedral Office at (503) 234-0468 and speak to the Cathedral Secretary. The Secretary will check the requested date with the priests' schedules and then contact you to confirm the date. It is recommended that you plan the date of the baptism at least two months in advance.

The Godparent/Sponsor must be a practicing communicant of the Orthodox Church. If he or she is not a member of Holy Trinity, the Godparent is required to have his or her Parish Priest send a letter confirming his or her good standing in the Church.

Items Needed for the Baptism: The following items are necessary for the baptism, and are usually supplied by the Godparent:

• One white bath towel and two white hand towels
• One white sheet (flat)
• An all-white garment ("onesie")
• Small container of olive oil
• 1 bar hand soap
• Two white candles (one decorated if you prefer)
• Baptismal Cross to be placed on the child as a witness of his/her faith in Christ (available in Ethos Bookstore)
• Martyrika or "witness ribbons" (optional). These are given to those present at the baptism as special mementos of the sacred occasion (available from Ethos Bookstore)
• Pamphlets which explain the meaning and symbolism of baptism in the Orthodox Church (available from Ethos Bookstore)

For information on the use of church halls for your baptismal reception, please contact the Cathedral Office at (503) 234-0468, or .


Baptism in cases of emergency (baptism in extremis)
The service of adoption