Baptisms a cause of great joy for West Coast Parish

By Catherine Sheehan

The West Coast Parish recently celebrated four baptisms, a significant and joyful event for the whole community. During morning Mass on 26 June, Noah, Rilee, Lucas, and Scarlett were warmly welcomed into the Catholic community at St Joseph’s Church in Queenstown, as the four candidates received the sacrament of Baptism.

In his homily, Parish Priest Fr Arokia spoke about the grace that God provides through baptism.

“Baptism is a symbol of identification,” Fr Arokia said.

“A symbol of resurrection and it is also a symbol of becoming members of the Church.

“St Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage observed: ‘God’s mercy and grace should not be refused to anyone born’.

“Christians believe baptism is a means of grace for the one being baptized. Baptism is also ‘a means of grace for believers as they observe the baptism of others’.”

Fr Arokia also said that grace was “God’s free and unmerited favour given to a person to help him or her attain eternal life”.

“Grace is God’s divine life in our souls, his movement in our lives,” he said.

“Baptism is the first sacrament we receive. All the sacraments are outward signs instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church to give us grace.

“They are not mere symbols but are efficacious, meaning they have an effect on the soul. The soul touched by grace is a soul changed by grace. Baptism introduces grace into our souls.”

At the conclusion of Mass Deputy Principal of St Joseph’s Catholic School, Tammi Crosswell, distributed certificates to the newly baptised who were joyfully congratulated by the whole congregation.