The Church's new members have been asked to play their part in helping to bring back into parish life those who have stopped practising the faith.

That was the message from Archbishop Edward Gilbert as he preached the homily at the annual "Neophytes" Mass. Concelebrating last Sunday's Mass, celebrated on the Feast of the Ascension, as has become the custom, was Cathedral administrator Fr Kenneth Assing and Msgr Urban Peschier.

It took at least ten minutes to seat the "neophytes" - those received into the Church at the Easter celebration - as they processed into the cathedral according to parish, many of them dressed in white. The Cathedral choir led the singing.

In his homily, the archbishop said while, as has been reported in the media, some Catholics have left the Church for other Churches or faiths, most have simply just stopped attending Mass and practising the faith. "This is our pastoral challenge... Something just died within them. It's up to you, me, synod, parishes, religious, to begin to draw them back.

Your responsibility and mine is to pray for them, and to help them respond, as you have, until they return home." He told the neophytes: "Your presence here is a reaffirmation of your commitment", adding that their previous life was now over and now was not the time "to step back and disappear".

"I need you," said the archbishop, "to keep your word, to breathe new life in your parish, in your vicariate, to support your priest, to support the ministries, to make Church alive".

Neophytes of St Francis of Assisi process into the Cathedral

He challenged new Catholics to accept the responsibility "to make Church alive and attractive", to celebrate community, and so respond to the many people searching for meaning in their lives.

He said the Church, the people of God, were the living stones to build the Catholic Church and failure would come only if they returned to a secular lifestyle.

The Church needed to be more aggressive in ministry and to help people live, he said. "There are many signs of hope...If you are faithful to the call; your fidelity will lead you to eternity, in relationship with God, in heaven".

Archbishop Gilbert said while the Church was present on every continent and had more than a billion members, Islam was now, numerically, the number one religion in the world today, because Christians have stopped practising their faith. 

"We are living in exciting times...and we can turn it around, and allow witness and ministry to greatly touch people's lives. Leave here missioned," he ended.

The liturgy continued as usual, with neophytes participating by doing the intercessory prayers, assisting in the collection, and carrying the gifts to the altar.

After the meditation hymn, Archdiocesan Catechetical Director Sr Columba Byrne, HF, thanked catechetical coordinators for their work, and welcomed all to the Catholic Church.

She encouraged them to continue growing in their faith at their own pace by registering for the correspondence course. The course was introduced a few years ago.

Before giving the final blessing, Archbishop Gilbert commended Sr Columba and her team for their ministry.

All were invited over to the Catholic Centre car park for eats, drinks, music, entertainment and conversation. – RS