SURPRISE!

North Carolina School Baptizes 100 Kids Without Parents’ Permission

The head of the parochial school apologized for the spontaneous event.

A parochial school in North Carolina baptized 100 students without permission from parents—some of whom were left angry by the surprise. “My daughter calls me from the school and says, ‘Mama, can you bring me some dry clothes? I got baptized today,’” the parent of an 11-year-old told the Fayetteville Observer. “I said, ‘WHAT?’” At least three parents complained to the Northwood Temple Academy principal, who said a handful of students were scheduled to receive the sacrament and the others “just began to respond to the presence of the Lord.” In an email, she said: “In hindsight, we would do it differently and give the students an opportunity to contact their parents and ask permission to be baptized. We were not expecting such an overwhelming response to the message that was spoken, but as a mother I certainly can empathize with why some parents were upset.”

This has been updated to reflect that the school is in North Carolina.