A former Muslim who found Christ at Hillsong and spent more than a decade in a Pentecostal church, Adlina Schneider is now preparing to be confirmed Catholic – and pouring her gift for music into the choir at St Joseph’s Parish, Enfield.
There is a moment, Adlina Schneider says, when her fingers find the piano keys and everything else falls away. “When I play music – in a church setting or just by myself – I’m right at home,” she says. “It’s magic.”
That sense of homecoming has taken on a new depth. Adlina is now on the threshold of full communion with the Catholic Church, preparing for her confirmation at St Joseph’s Parish in Enfield, where she plays piano with the choir twice a month. It is the latest chapter in a spiritual journey that spans continents, faiths, and a profound transformation of heart.
Roots in Islam, a life reimagined
Adlina grew up in a Muslim family, shaped by its traditions and expectations. “Growing up in the Muslim faith, we didn’t eat pork, we practised certain traditions, we understood the expectations: not to drink, not to gamble,” she recalls. When her parents decided to migrate to Australia, the family settled in Perth, still attending the mosque each week.
“I loved Perth so much,” she says. But life had other plans. A career in insurance with Suncorp brought a transfer to Sydney and it was there, in the ordinary course of a working day, that everything changed.
“I met a girl who was a Christian and she told me all about Christ, that’s how I learned about him.” The woman took Adlina to different churches, and one Sunday at Hillsong, Adlina accepted Christ. It was the beginning of a new life.
Fourteen years, a marriage, and a growing restlessness
It was also at church that Adlina met Brendan, who would become her husband. Their pastor married them, and the couple settled into Pentecostal life for twelve to fourteen years. Yet something quietly gnawed at Adlina during that time.
“Brendan always had leadership qualities,” she says carefully, “and I often felt invisible.” She struggled to accept the role she seemed confined to – “for lack of a better word, my life sentence. I felt I couldn’t breathe.”
Like Adlina’s church at the time, many Pentecostal communities held an active disdain for Catholicism. “Mary was mocked on stage,” she says quietly. “I think it was out of ignorance. But to the point where Brendan and I became just as brainwashed against Catholics.”
A miracle named Brendan
Then came what Adlina can only describe as a miracle. After a period of quiet discernment – “a month or two,” she thinks – Brendan told her he felt called to lead their family into the Catholic Church.
“I was in shock, because I never thought that would happen,” she says. “It really blew my mind that God would change Brendan’s heart.” But when her husband spoke, Adlina listened. “I trusted in God’s process. And I always trust that Brendan will take care of his family. So when he said we’re going to change – there was a miracle.”
Discovering the Blessed Mother
What Adlina did not anticipate was how deeply the figure of Mary would move her. One night, praying alone, she invited Our Lady into her prayer for the first time.
“I learned about the Blessed Mother, and then the Hail Marys – and I remember inviting her into my prayer one night when I was praying by myself. I felt like my prayer level had just changed.” Her confirmation name, she has decided, will be Mary.
Music ministry: serving with joy
Now, twice a month, Adlina takes her place at the piano alongside the choir at St Joseph’s. The notes she plays are not so different from what she played before – but something essential has shifted.
“It’s more… freedom,” she says, searching for the word. “I serve with so much joy. I love being with other Catholics. I love that we can sing the songs together. I love being in the house of God in the Catholic Church.”
For a woman who once felt she could not breathe, the air in that church hall is very sweet.
“I feel I’m in a place of peace right now,” Adlina says. “There is a certain freedom in the Catholic faith that I find I can embrace God fully. And I can’t wait to use my musical talents for the house of God.”
