The Tsukioka Family Becomes Orthodox!

Well, we finally did it! After nearly 3 years of attending the Orthodox Christian Church, we finally took the plunge (literally for Lily) and converted. This past Saturday Lily was baptized at St. James Brother of Our Lord Orthodox Church in Gladstone, MO, and on Sunday morning before Divine Liturgy, Lily, Koichi and I were all chrismated and received into the fullness of the faith of the Orthodox Church. I first started attending the Orthodox church at St.s Constantine and Helen's Orthodox Church in Colorado Springs, and since November of 2005 I have been a catechumen, preparing to enter the Church. Last spring, after Lily was born, I had planned on joining the Church with Lily, and then Koichi asked us to wait for him. So now a year later, we've all become Orthodox together. It's been a crazy ride, but I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Here are some pics of Lily's baptism.

First, I get her all naked and hand her over to the priest, Father Gregory.

Then Father Gregory and his deacon, David, take her over to the baptismal font (in this case a bucket placed on the icon stand) for dunkin'.

Lily is placed into the font where she is supposed to be immersed three times. However, short bucket plus tall baby equals this...

Seeing that Lily isn't going to be dunked anytime soon, Father Gregory instead laps the blessed water over Lily's head three times.

Pretty unorthodox for an Orthodox baptism!

Afterwards we all go to the parish hall for some cake and goodies.

Our good friend, Kathy, who helped us immensely as we prepared for joining the Church over the past few months, gave us this icon of Christ.

When a person becomes Orthodox, they choose a patron saint. Here are our patron saints.

Koichi's patron saint is St. Nicholas of Japan. (He was actually Russian, not Japanese.)

My patron saint is St. Mary of Egypt.

Lily's patron saint is St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, Grand Duchess of Moscow.