36 adults from 11 countries to be baptised at Easter vigil in Malta
Vigil will include the traditional blessing of the fire outside St John’s Co-Cathedral
A total of 36 adults from 11 different countries will be baptised into the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil celebrations on Saturday evening.
The ceremonies, led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, will take place at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta and the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Paul in Mdina, due to the unusually high number of catechumens this year.
The group includes individuals from Malta, Albania, India, Spain, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Hungary, Malaysia, Mauritius and China, with the latter accounting for 20 of the candidates.
All have completed the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a programme that prepares adults for entry into the Catholic faith.
Among those to be baptised is Eralvjo Dhoska, an Albanian who grew up in an Orthodox family but was not a practising believer.
“I felt empty before. In Malta, wherever I went - like the Mosta Dome – I experienced a warm feeling. My wife and I decided to give it a try, and everything gradually started falling into place.”
Dhoska said he now feels “more at home in the Catholic faith”, adding that his journey was shaped by “a series of experiences” that he believes led him to Malta.
During Lent, the catechumens met Archbishop Scicluna as part of their spiritual preparation for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion.
Starting at 8pm, the Easter Vigil will include the traditional blessing of the fire outside St John’s Co-Cathedral, followed by scripture readings, the singing of the Gloria and Alleluia, the Gospel proclamation, and the blessing of water.
The candidates will be baptised using blessed water and confirmed with chrism oil consecrated on Maundy Thursday. They will also receive Holy Communion during the same liturgy.
The vigil will be broadcast online here.