BAPTISMS, BAPTISMS, BAPTISMS!

17 children — including 11 students —­ baptized in historic day at Blessed Sacrament Church.

Father Daniel Quinn baptizes Kya’Niyah Harris at the baptismal font on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, at Blessed Sacrament in Albany, N.Y. Harris, a first grader at Blessed Sacrament School, was among those who were baptized after Mass. (Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist) (Courtesy photo of Cindy Schultz)

In a white dress covered in sparkles, Imani, 6, skips down the aisle of Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany. As families of the church’s adjacent school file into the pews, Imani greets them with a wave. There’s an excitement buzzing amongst the kids as they enter the church, many of whom are also adorned in white dresses or white suits, ready for what was truly a historic day in the Albany Diocese.

On Dec. 3, 17 children were baptized in the Catholic Church. Of that, 11 students attend Blessed Sacrament School. In addition, two teachers, also from Blessed Sacrament, received the Sacrament of Confirmation. The church received special dispensation from Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger to have the confirmations performed the same day as the baptisms. 

Two more students and a teacher from Blessed Sacrament also were baptized at the 9 a.m. Mass on Friday, Dec. 8, bringing the total of baptized students to 13.

Father Daniel Quinn baptizes Melanie Frias, 15, at the baptismal font on Dec. 3 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany. (Cindy Schultz) 

It was a day of hope and fresh beginnings, which was exactly what Alexandra Morazán, principal of Blessed Sacrament School, was hoping for. 

“We are very different than the other Catholic schools in the sense that a majority of our kids are not Catholic, or have not gone through the sacraments of the Catholic Church,” she said. 

Morazán, who joined Blessed Sacrament last January, took the position with the hope of helping “to strengthen the bond between the church and the school and re-establish their Catholic identity,” she said. Because so many students at the school aren’t Catholic, Morazán was curious if it was because nobody had directly invited them to join.

Morazán sent a message out to families asking if they would be interested in having their children baptized. She was shocked by the replies. 

“I was expecting between three and five,” she laughed. “And we would have been very happy with three or five, but as it came about people were very behind this.” 

And for a school of around 130 students, 13 baptisms is a “significant number,” she added. 

Newly baptized Eric Reyes, 10, poses for a picture with his parents and godparents. (Cindy Schultz) 

Sisters Isabella, 12, and Vanessa, 13, students at Blessed Sacrament School, were both excited about their baptisms. Mari Dalzell, their mother, said her girls heard about the opportunity and decided for themselves to take the step. 

“The kids just grew up learning the Catholic faith and learned it really well and they enjoyed it,” she said. “They enjoy the whole Blessed Sacrament community, it’s just a natural transition they would want to be a part of the church.” 

Isabella Burgess, 15, a student at Mohonasen High School, grew up in Blessed Sacrament Church attending Mass with her grandmother, Mary Burgess, who also teaches fourth grade at Blessed Sacrament School. 

“I’ve been coming since I was probably 2, and I’ve just loved it so much,” she said. “I’ve just come for so long and I really like it, so I figured why not!”

Blessed Sacrament teachers, Dali Damian, middle-school Spanish, and Ben Sinkora, English, both held off on being confirmed in their churches so they could have their confirmations align with their students’ baptisms.

“I spent a really long time not being close to church, so once I started working here it felt like a calling, like I should get closer to God now that I’m working with kids,” Damian said. “It felt special, and it felt like the right time to do it.”

Father Daniel Quinn confirms Ben Sinkora and Dali Damian, teachers at Blessed Sacrament School, on the same day their students were baptized. (Cindy Schultz)

Morazán hopes that the day will continue to serve as a catalyst for more faith-filled opportunities between the school and its church community. 

“I hope it can bridge the gap,” she said. “By strengthening that school and church connection we’re re-establishing the purpose of a Catholic school. That’s what makes us different from public and charter (schools) is that faith-based education. It’s one thing to be in class and do it every day and it’s another thing to go through with receiving the sacrament, and hopefully it will lead to them continuing on in the Catholic Church. This is a big deal for them, so we’re very happy for them and to truly welcome them into the faith.”