We believe that every child has inherent worth and dignity. We, therefore, offer a special rite of passage for children called Baby or Child Dedications – an alternative to traditional christening, or brit milah ceremonies.
We welcome children into the world with a Ceremony of Naming, Dedication and Blessing. Unitarian Universalists believe every child is born in goodness. In this ceremony, we dedicate children to the highest purposes in life, and acknowledge and recognize the child’s parents and god-parents, if any. And we dedicate ourselves as a religious community to actively supporting children and their families.
A Child Dedication ceremony can take place as a part of a regular Sunday worship service, or it can be done at another time and place if the family prefers. For a baby or very young child, we celebrate his or her arrival into the world by proclaiming the uniqueness of this new life and our connection with the wider human community. A family whose older children have not been dedicated before can celebrate and be formally welcomed with a Dedication Ceremony appropriate for the family and the age of the child(ren) as well.
As poet Nancy Wood (from “What to Leave Behind”) reminds us:
The only gift to leave children is example.
The only road to show is awareness.
The only blessing to give is responsibility.
The only memory to take is one of love.
If you and your family are interested in holding a baby dedication, please contact us.
If you are interested in holding your dedication in the chapel, there is an additional fee of $350.
Contact Us for More Information
PARKING INFORMATION
Located in Center City Philadelphia within the Rittenhouse-Fitler Square Historic District, our neighborhood embodies the distinctive architectural diversity of several centuries, and is home to many of the city’s finest hotels, shops, and restaurants and accessible via public transportation and located with a few block radius of a dozen parking lots.
We offer parking permits at the Greenfield Elementary School – Sansom St. between 22nd & 23rd St.
These permits are for evenings during the week (Monday – Friday, after 5:30 PM), and all day Saturday and Sunday. If using, please keep the following in mind.
- All cars must display an Greenfield Elementary School Parking placard from First Unitarian Church.
- Parking lot is set up in rows of cars. If you park in the back, you may be parked in.
- Parking lot is available to the neighborhood on the weekend – please be considerate and leave a line open so that others can leave.
- Greenfield Elementary School and School District of Philadelphia are not liable for any damage or theft to your vehicle