By Suresh Abboodass
Fourteen persons were formally accepted into the Catholic Church with their confirmation and nine were baptised by the Archbishop at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday just before dawn of Easter at the St. George´s Metropolitan Cathedral, Southwark, London.
These included four men and ten women. Preka Sokol, Roasamond Mammah Okafor, Beatrice Tabansi, Johanna Maimela, Sian Tickner, Sarah Agasna Stephens, Arron Cummings, Lucy-Anne Marke and Amir Rezaeyan were baptised by Archbishop John Wilson at the Holy Mass.
They along with Villanueva Cerdan, Ursula Monika Osobja-Leszczynsak, Caritas Tavonga Kimberley Nyaguyo, Steven Long, Marcel Abaloo, Doe Katui received their confirmation at the hands of the Archbishop.
Elizabeta Mary Grace Rose was received into full communion with the Catholic Church.
It was a joyous evening when a packed cathedral gave a standing ovation to all of these new members who were received into the Catholic Church on the day when the church celebrated Christ´s Resurrection.
Earlier the Easter Vigil began with the blessing of the fire and preparation of the Paschal Candle outside the Cathedral by the Archbishop. The Archbishop blessed and prepared the paschal candle by reciting the following prayer:
“Christ yesterday and today the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. All time belongs to Him and all the ages To Him be glory and power through every age and forever. Amen”
After inserting five grains of incense into the candle, the Archbishop lit the paschal candle from the new fire saying: “May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.”
After the congregation made its way into the cathedral in a procession, singing “Lu-men Christi (The Light of Christ) De-o Gra-ti-as (Thanks be to God),” the Easter Proclamation was made with the congregation holding the lighted candles.
Then came the Blessing of Baptismal Water. After that the Archbishop lowered the paschal candle into the holy water three times, saying:
“May the power of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, we pray, come down through your Son into the fullness of this font, so that all who have been buried with Christ by Baptism into death may rise again to life with Him, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, Amen.”
Then the whole congregation along with the new candidates took the oath of ´Renunciation of Sin ´.
“Church Universal prays for all those who have entered the Church today. We are one family in one Body of Christ. Receive the gift of his power,” said Archbishop John Wilson in his homily.
“When our Dean Michael Branch proclaimed ´Most Rev. Father, I bring you a message of great joy, the message of Alleluia, ‘it gave me immense joy, as it reminded me that we are God´s holy people and that we must announce the Good News of Christ´s Resurrection to the whole world. We are the Light of Christ. Let it shine to the glory of the Lord.
“We must live as light. Our faces glisten in the face of the risen Lord. When we say He is risen, we are all bound into each other. When we say He is risen, we believe that God sent His only Son into this world. He lived among us, He talked and healed many people. He met with sinners. He died and then rose from the dead.”
“If there is any anxiety in your lives, open up your hearts to the Lord. Your Lord touches you, gives you peace and brings you deep consolation,” he said.