Across Australia this Easter, hundreds of people will enter the Catholic Church, drawn by a desire for faith, meaning and a deeper relationship with Christ. In Sydney alone, more than 450 catechumens will be baptised or received into the church through the Archdiocese of Sydney – part of a broader national movement of Australians embracing the faith.
The Catholic Weekly spoke to several of those preparing to enter the church, asking what drew them to Catholicism and what they are most looking forward to as they begin living their faith more fully.
Liam Nelson, from St Michael’s parish in Nowra on the New South Wales south coast, will be baptised at the Easter Vigil alongside his fiancée, Maddi Burnes. After exploring other Christian traditions, he said he was drawn to the Catholic Church’s authority and continuity.
“I began to look at the Catholic Church because I realised there was a need for an authority to protect the Word,” he said.
Now, he is most looking forward to receiving the Eucharist. “My first Holy Communion can’t come fast enough.”
For Rhys Giles, from St Anthony’s parish in Tahmoor, the journey to Catholicism was shaped by family life. Baptised Anglican but never deeply engaged with his faith, he said becoming a father prompted him to take belief more seriously.
“It wasn’t until I became a father that I wanted to put my commitment into being Catholic,” he said. Married into a Catholic family, Giles said both example and experience drew him closer to the church – particularly the Eucharist.
“Ultimately, I want to live every day with Christ at the centre of my world and my family’s, and we try every day to live in accordance with what Christ wants for us.”
Matthew Daw, from Good Shepherd parish in Plumpton in Western Sydney, also said the Eucharist was central to his decision.
“I can build that relationship with Jesus more just by participating in Communion and feel his presence and speak to him even more,” he said. Raised without religion, Daw first attended Mass last year at the invitation of a friend. After months of regular attendance, he decided to become Catholic.
“What’s been the most important thing is understanding and realising I’ve been chosen,” he said.
“I get the chance to spread the Gospel myself – to plant that seed for others. It’s more than a gift, it’s a blessing.”
For each of these new Catholics, the Easter Vigil is not an end point, but a beginning – a commitment to live out their faith daily, with Christ at the centre of their lives.
