Baptismal Railing

The Baptismal Font had been in place for awhile, but because the granite walls were so low it became a safety issue. Karen Schmidt was asked to design railing using copper for designs. Octagonal baptismal fonts have been in use since the early church. The eight sides represents the eighth day of the week on which Jesus was resurrected. The Holy Water font takes up one of the eight sides, and there are seven remaining sides, including the gate. The Catholic church recognizes seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Anointing the sick, Reconciliation, Marriage, and Holy Orders (Ordination.) The symbol for baptism (the shell) is on the gate, because baptism opens the door to all the other sacraments.