Font of wisdom

The St. Al's building project of a few years back included a baptismal pool just inside the entrance to the "worship space". Such pools for baptism by immersion were all the rage way back then. (At St. Al's, I've been told, there was a miscalculation and a tall adult climbing in risks a concussion on the low ceiling. Perhaps that can be corrected after the project mortgage is paid off circa 2028.)

With our pastor declining to deal with an associate pastor from the current crop, see Time of Change, even more baptisms are done during Sunday Mass. Since the pool is near the entrance, it's behind us when we're seated at Mass. The attempted fix has been to set up a video camera and projector so we can watch the baptisms on the big screen.

The font location thus virtually defeats (or defeats virtually) any non-workload purpose of having baptisms at Mass, so our pastor, in the August 24, 2008 bulletin, tells of possible Baptismal Procedure changes ahead.

each family having a child baptized would take some water from the font and carry it in a pitcher into church during the entrance procession and pour the water into a suitable container in the front of church. This water from the font would be used for the baptisms. By doing this we would incorporate the font into the baptisms while still enabling family and congregation to view the baptisms directly.

Watch for the next generation of liturgical consultants to tell us it's essential to build a Baptistry.