Being Riley: Baptism

We finally baptized Stella on March 09th! I say finally because it was a long drawn out ordeal, but I won't go into any of those details on here because they just aren't necessary. My brother was the godfather, or nono, like we say in Greek. It was a very small affair, just immediate family. My parents, Dalton and I, my Aunt Phyllis, cousin Tori, baby #2 in her belly, and her little girl Gabby, Dalton's dad, my brother, my niece Jaeden, and my brothers girlfriend Carrie. Things all really came together when I found out that Father Stelios, who we have known for a very long time, was the new priest at the Greek church in Galveston. He had actually baptized my niece years ago and we had driven all the way to Corpus Christi to have him do it. As much as I had wanted to do it in the church where we were married, things just weren't working out that way, and I wanted to have her baptized before our Lent started because otherwise we would have to wait till after our Easter on May 5th to get it done. The older the child, the more difficult imo.

I won't bore you with the details, but a Greek baptism is steeped in traditions, and it isn't as easy as just picking someone to be your child's Godparent. There are a lot of responsibilities a Godparent has to tend to both before, during and after a baptism. I am very thankful that my brother was able to do it otherwise this post might not have been happening right now. I am also very thankful that I found out that Father Stelios had moved closer to us. I really wish they would move him back to Houston. One of the most important things in a priest in my opinion is being down to Earth. If people don't feel like they can talk to you, they will shy away from the Church and its teachings. The whole point is not to feel like you are being judged, but accepted and that the Church is your home. After all, aren't we taught that only one person can truly judge you? Rant over. Anyways, the service was very nice, intimate, and afterwards we went over to my cousin Nicky's restaurant The Original Mexican Cafe. I am so grateful to everyone that was able to join us in witnessing such a wonderful thing. Photo dump below. :)