Baptism in the Traditional Manner: Dying with Christ and rising again with Him, the old way

You might enjoy these photos of a Baptism August 25 in the Traditional Rite by ICKSP priest Fr. Michael Wiener.

The baptism shown in these photos took place at St. Margaret Mary Church, Oakland, CA., using the traditional rite. As it happened, I witnessed another Baptism the next day at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto, where I was singing the usual Sunday Noon Novus Ordo Latin Mass with The St. Ann Choir. That new rite Baptism of an 18 year old young man who converted to Catholicism too was performed reverently at St. Thomas Aquinas by a wonderful conventual Franciscan priest. Fr. Nahoe. But it lacked the richness and depth of the ritual used for Martha's Baptism.

For her, the ritual of Baptism started outside the church door.. Martha was asked for her baptismal name (Martha Philomena), salt was put on her tongue, she was exorcised, many prayers were said for her, she was annointed, all before Father Wiener covered her head and led her into the Baptistry.



Once she was at the font, there were many more prayers, another exorcism, several more annointings, and finally the Baptism.

In 1989, the Most Rev. John S. Cummins, former Bishop of Oakland, granted St. Margaret Mary Church permission to use the 1962 Roman Missal for Mass, so they have been offering it ever since. In 2005, he Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron, Bishop of Oakland, appointed Fr. Michael Wiener of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, as Episcopal delegate for the Latin Rite of 1962 in the Diocese of Oakland, where he ministers at St. Margaret Mary. The Traditional Latin Mass is said at a daily low Mass at 6:00 p.m. Every Sunday the High Mass (Gregorian Schola, Children's Choir, Adult Choir, and Organ) is offered at 12:30pm.

Fr. Wiener also ministers at the Santa Clara Oratory of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, established by Most Reverend Patrick McGrath. Bishop of San Jose, and exclusively dedicated to the traditional form.

After many years of trying to convert to Catholicism and many misadventures and diversions along the way, including off the wall RCIA programs, Martha Wilson found Fr. Wiener, who instructed her in the Catholic faith. And so it came about on August 25, 2007, he baptized her at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. She received her first Communion the next day at the Santa Clara Oratory. Her confirmation will be performed this Fall by Bishop Vigneron -- in the traditional Roman Rite.