PORTLAND — Bishop Robert Deeley will celebrate the annual Neophyte Mass on Sunday, June 18 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.
The Mass is an opportunity to celebrate with those who received the sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil. Neophytes from around the diocese, their family members and friends, and all from around the diocese are encouraged to attend. To register for the Mass as a neophyte, click here. The Mass will also be livestreamed at www.portlandcatholic.org/livestreamed-liturgies.
A neophyte is a newly initiated person who is going through the final period of Christian Initiation, the post-baptismal catechesis called mystagogy. The Neophyte Mass invites the neophytes and the newly received, along with their families and friends as well as parishioners and community members, to rejoice in their initiation together.
While the neophyte Mass is a time for the Church to celebrate its newest members, the Mass reminds all that faith is much more than reaching an achievement. It is something that must be lived.
“To grow in faith is something we are all called to do. The ceremonies which took place at Easter were part of a journey of growth in faith,” said Bishop Deeley. “This ongoing conversion is not just for those who have been baptized or received into the Church; it is for the whole community. Together, we grow in our appreciation of God’s work in our lives. Together, we grow in an appreciation of God’s love in our lives.”
