Lentorama 2009: Great(?) Moments in Catholics on Television

March 29, 1977: Fonzie gets baptized

When Fonzie survives a wreck during a stock car race, he begins to think about what might happen if he were to not survive the next one. He seeks guidance from Al, who suggests talking to his brother, Father Anthony Delvecchio, the preist at St. Barnaby's. Fonzie takes him up on the offer and, after talking with the father, decides it's time to get baptized.

With Howard and Marion Cunningham as godparents (which I assume makes them Catholic, too), Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is given his dousing, after which he makes a small speech. Richie, Potsie, Ralph and Joanie provide musical accompaniment, singing the hymn "Faith of our Fathers."

This episode ended the fourth season of Happy Days, the season which saw the start of the wussification of the Fonz. In this season the Fonz sees a shrink for anger management, is outed as being afraid of beef liver, gets his high school diploma at night, and gets a small white dog named Spunky. From there it's not long until we get the Fonz jumping sharks and working as the Dean of Boys at the George S. Patton Vocational High School.