Pastoral Notices
Pastoral
Notices
Baptism
¤ Marriage ¤ Ministration to the Sick ¤ Holy Communion ¤
Death
Grace Episcopal Church
Oak Park, Illinois
Baptism: Holy Baptism is the rite of initiation
by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the Church.
One makes the choice for the Christian life as an adult or on
behalf of infants and children whose parents are active and
committed members of the believing community. The sacrament in
the Episcopal Church is celebrated only within the context of the
principal Eucharist on Sundays and, in the Diocese of Chicago, on
the following feast days: The Great Vigil of Easter, the Day of
Pentecost, the Sunday closest to the Feast of the
Transfiguration, All Saints’ Sunday, and the Feast of the
Baptism of Our Lord. Families are urgently requested to
anticipate these liturgical expectations in their planning for
the baptisms of their children. Baptism is offered at other times
only at the discretion of the Rector and requires demonstration
of weighty pastoral cause. In any case, the clergy must be
notified of the need for pre-baptismal instruction at least three
months prior to the desired baptismal date.
Weddings: Weddings of persons active in Grace Church, or for
those who have historical connections to the parish, are events
of great community celebration. Involvement of the entire
congregation is proper and expected. Weddings of persons newly
active, or for couples actively exploring a commitment
possibility with Grace Church, are also occasions of
congregational celebration. In these cases, a financial
contribution to the parish is expected, in addition to normal
fees and honoraria, if the couple has not already made a pledge
to the ongoing fiscal needs of the congregation. Requests to
perform the weddings of persons not active in the life of Grace
Church, or for those who have no intention of being active in the
Episcopal Church or any other Christian community, are ordinarily
denied. Click here to
see our wedding page for more information.
Scheduling of all services, including weddings, is done by the
Parish Administrator, at the discretion of the Rector.
Announcements of a wedding date at Grace Church should be made
public only after having received the Rector’s approval for
any such celebration. For those seeking to be married in the
Church who have been previously married, a special procedure to
obtain the Bishop’s permission must be followed. Details are
available from the Rector.
Ministration to the Sick: Please call the parish office to inform
us of any illness or hospitalization or to place someone on the
Prayer List for inclusion in the Prayers of the People at the
Sunday Eucharists. Anointing of the sick by one of the priests is
available by request.
Holy Communion is available by request and may
be administered by a member of the clergy or a Lay Eucharistic
Minister.
Death: For faithful people, life is changed, not ended, by death.
Death is the gateway into the larger life of the age to come and
is thereby an appropriate time for the believing community, in
the context of the Holy Eucharist, to celebrate both the life of
the deceased and the promise of the Resurrection. Thus, funeral
home liturgies are discouraged. Please phone the office or the
Rector directly when a death has occurred. The clergy are
available twenty-four hours a day for administration of the
sacraments to the dying.