Derek's Christening Day

Friday November 27, 1992 "Derek's Christening Day"

Up early and ready before 10 a.m. to leave at 10:40 for the church. Donna, Bob and Leah are there when we arrive at 10:50. Ric's mom, Carmen, is there with some family. Derek looks so cute in his white suit and hat.

The priest gives them quite a lecture about being Catholic. Ric says he believes in Christ, though he told us he is atheist. Chris agrees to bring Derek up Catholic though she is Protestant. I am very upset. This seems so wrong to me. I thought about it all night.

Back at the house Chris puts out a lovely lunch. Gary and Maria as Derek's new godparents pass out favors with money in it. Maria is taking this christening very seriously.

Later at 7 p.m. Gary and Maria go out to buy pizza and salad for all of us. We play cards with Donna & Bob. They sleep in their motorhome. I feel good.

What a big weekend, first hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and then hosting a big party for Derek's christening. The photo above is again taken on our front porch with the party guests. In the front row from the left are Carmen's granddaughters Crystal and Sabrina, Donna's (Mom's best friend from Pollock Pines) granddaughter Leah, Ric's friend Scott's two boys Nash and Mason (Scott is the photographer). In the middle row from the left are Carmen's grandson Daniel, Carmen, Justin holding our dog Jessie, and Joe, holding our dog Chewy. In the last row standing from the left are Carmen's brother Armando and his wife Ligia, Mom's best friend Donna and her husband Bob, Frank, Mom, Maria, Junior, my brother Gary, me holding Derek, and Ric.

The christening ceremony was held at Carmen's insistence. She was raised Catholic and believed that Derek would go to purgatory if he was not baptized, so even though I was not Catholic and Ric did not even believe in God, we agreed to the christening to make her happy. Mom was right, this was so wrong. The priest knew that I was not Catholic, but he addressed Ric during the ceremony and lectured him that he must raise his son in the Catholic church. We never went to that church again. I started attending a Protestant church when our second son Ryan was born 3 years later and Derek and Ryan both attended youth group and church camp (in fact Ryan just left for snow camp today), but I put my foot down with Carmen on having Ryan baptized in the Catholic church. It was fraudulent to go through that ceremony with Derek. I believe baptism represents being reborn through putting our faith in Christ and that the decision to be baptized is a personal one to be made by the person being baptized when they are old enough to understand that decision. I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was 15 and was baptized at Van Nuys Baptist Church. When my boys are ready to make that very personal decision someday, they will do the same.