Mass baptism at the pool in Prince Islands, Kinaliada, Istanbul - July.2011

In 2011, I was invited to a mass baptism ceremony in Kinaliada Prince Islands, Istanbul. There were 8 children in a wide age range waiting to be Christian. When I asked the reason for the collective baptism, they said that the children of families living in Anatolia but hiding their identity were picked and brought to Istanbul by the Patriarchate and were baptized collectively. Baptism was performed in a special cruciform pool in the garden of the Church. Eight children descended from the steps of the pool one after the other between the ages of 5 and 15 were washed and baptized by the priest.  After this ceremony, they gained a Christian identity. They witnessed one of the important moments of their lives.