Life Events
The Episcopal Church welcomes people to celebrate major life events with prayer. There are some events which we consider sacraments (outward signs of an inward grace we receive from God), these include baptism, marriage, the anointing of the ill, and confirmation or reception into the church. There are other life events which we celebrate with prayer as well. We hold funeral services for any family who comes to us. We offer a change of name service for Transgender or non-binary folks who are embracing a new gender identity. Each week in our Sunday service we also offer personal prayers for birthdays, anniversaries, or other occasions for prayer.
Baptism
In our tradition we recognize baptism as full initiation into the life of the church. Baptism is available for infants, children, or adults of any age. There are certain days of the year which are particularly appropriate for baptism: The Baptism of our Lord (early January), the Easter Vigil service (Saturday night before Easter), Pentecost, and All Saints' Day (Sunday after Nov …
Read More »Confirmation & Reception
Confirmation is a chance for young adults and adults who were baptized as infants to make an adult commitment of faith, and to affirm membership in the church. We only confirm those who have not made an adult commitment of Christian faith already in their lives. We fully accept and affirm confirmation in the Catholic Church or other Protestant denominations, as well as adult bapt…
Read More »Weddings
Congratulations on your engagement! St. Mary's historic church in the heart of the Napa Valley may be the perfect place for you to enter into the profound blessing and promise of a Christian marriage. If you are interested in being married at St. Mary's, please consider the following:
- Couples should contact church office to make an appointment with the Rector to discuss their…
Other Life Events
We offer other prayers as requested.
- Reaffirmation
- Reaffirmation of baptismal vows is for people returning to the church after a long time away, or wanting to recommit themselves to faith.
- Child bearing
- Blessing of a pregnancy
- Prayers for the loss of a pregnancy
- Blessing of an infant, if the parents want to wait to baptize the child until later.
- Name…
Funerals
Our funeral liturgy is a celebration of the person's life as well as prayer. We believe funerals are important for those who are grieving. We offer our space for funerals regardless of whether the person was a member of our church or a Christian, and regardless of the circumstances of their death. We do not charge for funerals (fees are applied for optional music, recording, a re…
Read More »