Receiving the Sacraments of Christian Initiation
In September 2023, when I arrived in Toulouse, I joined a team that was accompanying four adults on their journey of faith. Three of them — Patricia, Mathias, and Martin — were preparing to receive the three sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. The fourth, Raphaël, was preparing for Confirmation and the Eucharist.
They had already been walking this path for several months under the guidance of Isabelle, who was leading the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) in our parish, Christ the King. Working alongside her was a real blessing. Unfortunately, due to health issues, she had to step back, and I continued the journey with these four adults, remaining in regular contact with Isabelle throughout.
Over the months, we explored a variety of themes rooted in Scripture and the teachings of the Church, supported by questions, personal reflections, and group discussions. Some of the themes we covered included:
In September 2023, when I arrived in Toulouse, I joined a team that was accompanying four adults on their journey of faith. Three of them — Patricia, Mathias, and Martin — were preparing to receive the three sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. The fourth, Raphaël, was preparing for Confirmation and the Eucharist.
They had already been walking this path for several months under the guidance of Isabelle, who was leading the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) in our parish, Christ the King. Working alongside her was a real blessing. Unfortunately, due to health issues, she had to step back, and I continued the journey with these four adults, remaining in regular contact with Isabelle throughout.
Over the months, we explored a variety of themes rooted in Scripture and the teachings of the Church, supported by questions, personal reflections, and group discussions. Some of the themes we covered included:
- God comes to meet us,
- God invites us to believe in Him,
- God is the giver of life,
- We are created in God’s image,
- Jesus teaches us how to pray,
and many others, particularly around the sacraments and the Gospel passages used during the Scrutinies.
These moments of sharing helped each person to grow in their understanding of who Jesus is, and to experience how He walks with us in our personal lives.
The journey was also marked by significant liturgical steps, reminding us that becoming a Christian is not a private affair, but something that is lived out within the community of the Church.
Among these steps were:
- the Rite of Welcome,
- followed during Lent by the Rite of Election, when the bishop formally calls the catechumens to the Easter sacraments,
- and then the Three Scrutinies, each linked to a powerful Gospel story:
o The Samaritan Woman, where Jesus reveals himself as the source of living water;
o The Man Born Blind, where Jesus opens our eyes to faith;
o The Raising of Lazarus, where Jesus calls us to believe in the resurrection and the gift of new life.
On the morning of the Easter Vigil, the catechumens received the Anointing of the Catechumens and were entrusted with the Creed — a public declaration of the Christian faith.
And then came the Easter Vigil itself — a moment of great joy, light, and celebration, as they received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. The joy of the newly baptised filled the church — a joy that was shared by the whole parish community who welcomed them with open hearts.
Patricia, Mathias, Martin, and Raphaël received the sacraments of Christian initiation during the Easter Vigil in 2024, and each of them continues their journey of faith in their own unique way.
Others are now following in their footsteps, and their numbers are growing.
At the Easter Vigil in 2025, over 230 adults in the Diocese of Toulouse will be and, exceptionally this year, they will receive the sacrament of Confirmation not at the Easter Vigil, but at Pentecost with more than 230 adult confirmands and young people at a large diocesan gathering: more than 800 will be confirmed.
Yes, the Church is alive — and growing year by year through the faith of these new brothers and sisters in Christ.
What a joy!
For me personally, accompanying them has been a profound gift.
Their openness, their questions, their desire to understand and follow Christ — all of this has deepened my own faith and nourished me spiritually.
Their presence is a reminder of how powerfully God continues to work in people’s lives today.
Sister Odile, community of Toulouse.