Thursday, January 14, 2016

A Traditional Churching and Baptism in Oxford

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'Churching' is the blessing of a woman after childbirth. It is involves leading the new mother into the church, and many beautiful prayers of thanksgiving and blessings. No new mother should miss out on it.



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The traditional Rite of Infant Baptism uses a series of three exorcisms, including the use of specially exorcised salt (above), and a number of anointings (below).

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The godmother is holding the baby.

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St Augustine defended the honour of married women against the exaggerated claims of consecrated virgins, pointing out that whereas the latter imitated Our Lady by their virginity, married women imitated her by their fecundity. That while virginity might be the higher calling, the raising of new Catholics for the Church was a necessary and honourable work. This is something we should never forget, as parents: that the next generation of Catholics is, literally, in our hands.

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