At the 11am Eucharist on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Bishop Dietsche makes his visitation to Saint Thomas to confirm and recieve 25 new Episcopalians. Congratulations to all of them, and welcome aboard!
This service occurs annually at Saint Thomas on a Sunday in May. Confirmation is a sacrament for baptized Christians who want to affirm their faith within the apostolic tradition, and who have not previously been confirmed by the laying on of hands by a bishop of the apostolic tradition (such as Roman Catholic bishops and Eastern Orthodox bishops). Reception is a ceremony for baptized Christians who have already been confirmed by a bishop in apostolic succession, and who want to become Episcopalian.
One way to think about this is that baptism makes a person a Christian, and Confirmation/Reception make a person an Episcopalian. Therefore, on May 10 at 11am, we are welcoming 25 newcomers, but we are not welcoming 25 new Christians. Instead, 25 Christians will be welcomed into the Episcopal Church.
If you or someone you know would like to be baptized, confirmed or received, let’s talk. Email us and we’ll set up a time to meet.
