On one of the most sacred nights of the Church’s year, sixteen adults were received into the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil at Galway Cathedral.
Bishop Michael Duignan presided at the celebration in the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, where the darkness of the Vigil gave way to the light of the Resurrection. In that setting, the Dioceses of Clonfert and Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora marked a joyful occasion as the sixteen men and women were welcomed after months of preparation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
Fr John Gerard Acton of the Cathedral said: “There was great joy in the cathedral on Easter night as we welcomed these sixteen adults into the Catholic Church. It was a deeply emotional moment for them, for their families and for our whole community. Their presence among us is a real sign of hope. On the night when we celebrate Christ risen from the dead, to witness people come forward in faith in this way was profoundly moving and a reminder that faith continues to find fresh expression in the lives of people today.”
The RCIA is the path by which adults prepare to become Catholic. Over a number of months, those taking part are accompanied in faith, reflect on the Gospel, and come to know more deeply the teaching and life of the Church. Their journey reaches a special moment at Easter, when they are received through the Easter sacraments into the life of the Church.
In his homily, Bishop Michael invited the congregation to reflect in a personal way on the meaning of the Resurrection. He said: “For a moment, may I invite you to ask yourself - what does this mean to me? Do I believe this? Do I experience the living person and presence of Jesus in my own life? Or is he simply an interesting historic figure from the pages of history. Do I know the Risen Christ – deep in the depths of my heart? Is he a reality in my life?”
