VANCOUVER – In late June, the parish of St. Christopher celebrated the baptism of five adult members. Their journey to baptism led to the translation of the Book of Alternative Services and baptismal preparation classes into Farsi.
The five baptismal candidates are originally from Iran, and not all of them were fluent in English. The Rev. Jonathan Pinkney, rector of St. Christopher’s, led the baptismal preparation classes in English with a Farsi translator. The parish’s leadership decided they could go one step further and translate the liturgy as well. The parish received a grant from the Diocese of New Westminster to translate the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) into Farsi, launching the book at the baptismal service on June 23.
After the service, the newly baptized were presented with their own copies of the Farsi BAS to mark the occasion and help them in their spiritual journeys. The cover features artwork by Persian members of St. Christopher’s. The original, a mosaic of Mary made of wood pieces of different colours, now sits in the church’s sanctuary.
Topic
Deepening poverty calls for advocacy