The Churching of a Mother and Child After Forty Days

The Forty Day Blessing takes place at the conclusion of regular Sunday Divine Liturgy. It consists of prayers of thanks for the safe delivery of mother and child. Parents along with newborn are asked to wait in the Narthex until the end of Divine Liturgy and any additional services that might be scheduled on that day.

The service blesses the mother who has been absent from the sacramental life of the Church for forty days and formally presents the newborn child to the Church family for the first time as the priest formally brings the infant into the Sanctuary. During the 40 days between the birth of the child, the mother and newborn should refrain from regular sacramental life/attending church services.   

The blessing is done exactly on the fortieth day of the child’s birth or on the Sunday before the fortieth day. Both parents along with the newborn must be present for the forty-day blessing.  It is also welcomed to invite Grandparents and if they have been selected the newborns Godparents.   

In imitation of Christ’s forty-day blessing (Luke 2:22-38), the parents of the newborn bring the baby to the church for the child to be dedicated to the Lord. This beautiful tradition is practiced throughout the Orthodox world. The parents become a symbol of the Virgin Mary and Joseph, while the priest symbolizes St. Symeon, who held Christ in his arms at the time of the presentation.