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Orthodox Baptism in Tampa Bay, Baptism and Chrismation at St. Michael

If you are searching for an Orthodox baptism or christening in Tampa, welcome. St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Pinellas Park celebrates Holy Baptism and Chrismation for children and adults from across the Tampa Bay region. Families drive in from Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Wesley Chapel, and the cities along the inner Pinellas peninsula. Our doors and our hearts are open to you and your child.

This page covers what you need to plan a Tampa Bay baptism at our parish: the first call to Fr. Stephen, who can serve as godparents, what to bring, when baptisms are celebrated, and what happens during the service. For the full theology of the Sacrament and our complete FAQ, please read our main Orthodox Baptism page.

Start with a phone call to Fr. Stephen

The first step is a phone call. Fr. Stephen Siniari, our Parish Priest, will sit down with you, learn about your family, and walk you through the preparation that lies ahead. For an infant baptism, please reach out at least a month or two before the day you have in mind. The fortieth day after the birth is the traditional moment, and many Tampa Bay families plan around that date, but baptism can be celebrated at any age.

Fr. Stephen’s parish line: 727-777-4450. Parish email: st.michael.uoc.pinellas@gmail.com.

If neither parent is currently a member of an Orthodox parish, Fr. Stephen will also want to talk about how to anchor your family’s life in a parish home after the day of the Mystery.

Godparents, the role and who can serve

Godparents (in Ukrainian tradition, кум and кума) are not honorary uncles and aunts. They make a lifelong promise to lead your child in the Orthodox faith, they recite the Creed on the child’s behalf, and they receive your child out of the baptismal font into the life of the Church. Choose them with prayer.

Requirements for a godparent:

  • An Orthodox Christian in good standing, baptized and chrismated, who attends the Divine Liturgy and receives the Holy Mysteries
  • At least sixteen years old, and not a parent of the child
  • A practicing believer the family trusts to walk with this child for the rest of their life

One Orthodox godparent of the same sex as the child is the minimum; a second is optional. A Christian friend who is not Orthodox may serve as a civil witness alongside the Orthodox godparent, but the spiritual role belongs to an Orthodox sponsor.

When we celebrate baptisms

Most baptisms at St. Michael fall into one of three patterns:

  • Saturday morning, giving families time to gather afterward for a meal
  • After the Sunday Divine Liturgy, with the wider parish present as witnesses
  • On a major feast or its eve, especially the Theophany of our Lord (January 19 on the New Calendar), the historic baptismal feast of the Church

We do not generally serve baptisms during Holy Week, but Lazarus Saturday and the Vigil of Pascha are ancient and beautiful days for the Mystery. Fr. Stephen will help you find a date that works with both the church calendar and your family’s schedule.

What to bring on the day

The parish provides everything that belongs to the Sacrament itself, the font, the Holy Chrism, and the candles. The family and godparents bring:

  • A baptismal cross on a chain or cord, which Fr. Stephen will bless and place around the newly baptized. This cross your child will wear for life.
  • A white baptismal garment (крижма), a small robe or wrap signifying the new life in Christ. Traditionally the godmother provides and keeps this garment.
  • A clean towel and a change of clothes.
  • For an adult baptism, modest dress the candidate is comfortable being immersed in.

If anything is hard to find or to afford, please tell Fr. Stephen. Nothing on this list is allowed to stand between your child and the Holy Mystery.

What happens during an Orthodox baptism

The service lasts about forty-five to sixty minutes. The candidate (or, for an infant, the godparents on the child’s behalf) turns west to renounce Satan and east to confess Christ, and the Creed is recited. Fr. Stephen blesses the water of the font with prayer, oil, and the sign of the cross. The candidate is then immersed three times, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and emerges a new creation in Christ.

The newly baptized is immediately anointed with Holy Chrism with the words The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the Sacrament of Chrismation, what Western traditions call confirmation; in the Orthodox Church it is given at baptism. A small lock of hair is cut as a first offering to God, the new Christian is led three times around the font with candles, and the child is presented at the royal doors.

The service may be celebrated in English, Ukrainian, or bilingually. Many Tampa Bay families choose bilingual so grandparents on both sides follow along comfortably.

After the service

Most families gather afterward for a meal, either in our parish hall (please ask in advance) or at a venue or home of their choosing. A Ukrainian-style table traditionally opens with bread and salt offered to the new Christian and the godparents, followed by toasts and blessings.

A Certificate of Baptism is issued by the parish and signed by Fr. Stephen. Keep it safe; your child will need it years from now for marriage in the Orthodox Church or to ask the prayers of a bishop on the road of life.

Adults coming home to Orthodoxy

Adults already baptized in another Christian tradition with water in the name of the Holy Trinity are typically received into the Orthodox Church through Chrismation alone, after a season of catechesis (instruction and prayer) with Fr. Stephen. Adults who were never baptized, or who were baptized in a way the Church cannot recognize, are received through full Baptism and Chrismation.

The path begins with a phone call and a quiet first conversation. Read Becoming Orthodox and The Catechumen Journey for the full road, and call when you are ready.

Tampa Bay families we are glad to welcome

If you are driving in from elsewhere in the region, our drive-time guides are organized by city. See Tampa and Brandon for Hillsborough County, Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes for Pasco County, and Largo, Seminole, Dunedin, and Palm Harbor for inner Pinellas. Each page covers route, parking, and what to expect on arrival.

A note on the donation

The offering for a baptism is discussed quietly between the family and Fr. Stephen. Financial circumstances are never a barrier to the Holy Mysteries. If money is tight, please say so. The Sacrament is the gift of Christ to His Church, and the Church gives it freely.

Begin the conversation

Fr. Stephen Siniari, Parish Priest Parish line: 727-777-4450 Email: st.michael.uoc.pinellas@gmail.com

St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church 9201 60th St, Pinellas Park, FL 33782

Call when you are ready. We will be glad to meet your family.

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