By Michael Motes

We have heard of the revision of the rite of Baptism and last Sunday visited one of our oldest churches, Sacred Heart in downtown Atlanta, to witness a Christian community celebrating the baptism of Carrie Melissa FitzGibbon.

Her father chose a reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminding the divided Christians present, both Catholic and Protestant, that despite differences, “We have but one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all.”

Her mother read with great emotion the familiar words of Mary known as the Magnificat: “From generation to generation to those who know him….” Four generations were welcoming young Carrie into the Christian community –her parents, her grandmother in Atlanta, her great-grandfather in Smyrna and her great-great grandmother, who lives in Toccoa.

The new Baptism rite is only slightly different from the old. Today’s changes, however, allow a believing congregation to express individual faith in and commitment to the Risen Christ. That is why Carrie Melissa’s baptism was the same as our authentic tradition of baptism.

Yet it was different, for it was Carrie Melissa’s baptism and the entire ceremony reflected that fact.

Carrie’s godfather is different also. He is a priest—Fr. David Patterson of Christ the King Cathedral. When Carrie’s mother, the former Sherry Williams, became interested in the Catholic faith, she was directed to Fr. Patterson and became his first catechumen. Shortly afterward, Sherry’s mother, Mrs. Janelle (Jan) Collins Williams, became upset over her daughter’s new religious interest and telephoned Fr. John Mulory, Pastor of Sacred Heart where Sherry was taking instructions at the time.

“What are you doing to my daughter,” Mrs. Williams asked the priest. His wise reply was, “Come and see.”

Mrs. Williams responded to the pastor’s invitation and on Easter Sunday 1969, Sherry’s mother was baptized into the Church by Frs. Patterson and Mulroy. Sherry had been received into the Church the preceding December.

It was also Frs. Patterson and Mulroy who concelebrated at the ceremony when Sherry married Gerald Edward FitzGibbon of Sioux City, Iowa, whose mother had once warned him, “Never fall in love with a southern girl. All they want to do is dress up and go to parties.”

The FitzGibbons now live in Madison, Wisc., but came to Atlanta for their daughter’s baptism because of the role Frs. Patterson and Mulroy have played in their lives and because of the young couple’s great devotion to the venerable old Ivy Street Church. They have many friends and relatives in Atlanta.

The baptismal gown that Carrie wore on Sunday, representing the third generation of her family to be baptized at Sacred Heart, was made by her grandmother from an old surplice, a gift to the family from Fr. Mulroy. Carrie’s godmother is Miss Frances E. Royal of Sacred Heart.

And how did Carrie’s Protestant great-grandfather, C. Eugene Collins, a member of the Green Acres Baptist Church in Smyrna, feels about the new Catholic Baptism rite?

“It was the most beautiful and touching ceremony I have ever seen,” he said. “I want to go and hear that Catholic preacher speak one Sunday.”