On Easter Saturday at the Vigil Mass our Catechumen Zaneta received the three Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist. She was fully received into the Catholic Church after a year of committed preparation.

The final stage of Zaneta’s journey is coming to it’s end. This period after receiving full communion with the church is called “Mystagogy”. It usually lasts for 50 days. During this time the newly baptized person is known as a “Neophyte”. This word comes from Greek origins and means a new sprout of the limb or branch of the plant. The “Neophyte” continues to discover more about their Christian faith by remaining and working within the community of faith who are represented by the RCIA Team.

The community experience is central to RCIA. Becoming a Christian is not just about knowledge, it is about the lived experience of being part of a church community. It is about a faith that is shared within a community at the Sunday Eucharist and most of all in the everyday where we try to live out our Christian values and try to understand where God is in our experience. It is a faith that increases as it is lived.

The RCIA Team would like to thank the community of Ballygall for their support in prayer for Zaneta over the past year, those who attended the Pro Cathedral for her Election and all who greeted her and welcomed her on Easter Saturday.

Most of all we would like to thank Zaneta for the privilege of sharing this journey with her. Each one of us has been deeply touched by her desire, commitment and faith on this journey. We have each been truly blessed and enriched to have been part of it.