Baptism Celebration at Queenstown : Neophytes born for West Coast

St.Joseph’s Catholic School

It has been a great moment of joy for the community at Queenstown on 20^th June, 2025 where Five candidates of St.Joseph’s Catholic School received the life of God through the sacrament of baptism at St.Joseph’s Catholic Church. It’s an amazing time for all of us as this event marked a blessing for the families those who offered their children to God and at the same time for the church at West Coast. At this time, lets recall the sayings of St. Vincent Ferrer who said that every baptized person should consider that it is in the womb of the Church where he/she is transformed from a child of Adam to a child of God.

Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature," member of Christ and coheir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. The five neophytes born for the West Coast are : Tory Ann North, Charlotte Jane North, Ameliah Jade-Tenille North, Jac Joseph Taylor and Chloe Jean Margaret Henning. They are a new creation and adopted children of God who are now partakers of the divine nature. Congratulations to all of you!!!

The event of the Sacrament of Baptism took place at St.Joseph’s Catholic Church with the Holy Eucharist at 8.50 am on 20th June 2025, in the presence of the parents, God-parents, teachers, students, friends and well-wishers. The event was organised by Principal Teresa McLeod and Mrs.Carmen Drake, the Religious Education Teacher. In the Holy Mass, Fr.Arokia welcomed all the neophytes of the West Coast for this great divine life and gave the homily on “God’s Special Child” calling five candidates by name and God making them very special as priests, prophets and kings. After the Holy Mass, the Sacrament of Baptism rite continued by calling the candidates, parents and God-parents to the altar of God to offer them for the sanctifying Grace. Fr.Arokia proceeded with the Rite of Baptism and symbols of water, Oil of Catechumens Sacred Chrism, White Garment and Baptismal Candle making Tory, Charlotte, Ameliah, Jac and Chloe as God’s children and a new creation.

This new life is the presence of God, who is life itself, within a person’s soul. We sometimes speak of this presence as “sanctifying grace” or as the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” This reality begins at Baptism and continues to be present from that moment forward in a person’s life. Because of this, a person who has been baptized is rightly called a “Temple of the Holy Spirit”: they become, in their very person, a place in which the Holy Spirit is present and active. St. Augustine said reflecting on the pierced side of Christ on the cross, “Here was opened the gate of life from which the sacraments of the Church flowed without which we cannot enter into that life that is the true life.”

Thanking God at this moment, let us all pray and bring people to this new life in Christ and become the coheirs of God’s life on earth.  

Congrats!!! To all Neophytes of West Coast!!!!

Fr.Arokia can be contacted for any Pastoral Care Assistance to the following email : westcoast@aohtas.org.au and Phone Number : 0364711731