KAPIT: Seventeen new Catholics comprising six children and 11 adults were baptised during the Easter Vigil mass at the Roman Catholic church of St. Mary Immaculate Conception here on Saturday evening.
Among the new converts were Josephine Entuyan and her son Alexandro Gomez, Elizabeth Itau and her two children Tiffany and Tatiana, Maria Magdalina Sading, Teresa Ensingan, Alexson Aying, Felicia Pura, Nicholas Nick, Richard Henry, Adriana AryannaHillymia, Louisa Simbah, Catherina Claudia Renny, Adriana Poyang, Victor Tungku and Yvonne Regina.
Officiating at the baptism ceremony was Father Philip Obaso. The baptism ceremony began with the blessing of the baptismal water followed by a renunciation of sins and profession of faith by the new brothers and sisters.
It was later followed by the anointing of the Holy Chrism Oil and the presentation of a lighted candle to each and every one of them as a sign of being reborn in Christ.
Earlier, the Easter Vigil mass began with the blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Easter Candle held at the amphitheatre of the church followed by a procession to the church.
The unfriendly weather did not dampen the spirit of the congregation who waited patiently until the procession to the church was over.
Present at the mass were catechists Kenneth Kayan and Edward Antas, Marian Guild chairperson, Angelyana Lee PuiLan, Parish Council chairman, Dewis Lidek, parish council members, wardens, Marian Guilds members, pastoral group members and more than 2000 Catholic faithful.
Meanwhile, to coincide with the Easter Week, various masses were held throughout the Holy week that began with Palm Sunday on April 14 followed the Holy Thursday Mass on April 18, Good Friday service on April 19 and the Holy Saturday Mass on April 20.
The climax of the Holy Week activity was the Easter Sunday Mass that saw the presentation of Easter eggs to all the faithful.
In his message to the congregation on Easter Sunday Mass, Father Philip thanked all the faithful for their kind participation and contribution towards the church throughout the Easter Week celebration.
