Baptism and bright beginnings
News
While baptisms are up significantly across the Archdiocese of Adelaide this year, every story remains personal. Vicki Thomas talks about the challenges and hopes that will lead, finally, to her baptism this Easter.
Easter is a time of transformation for all Christians but especially for those men and women being baptised into the Catholic Church.
There are more than 100 Elect preparing for baptism this year, an increase on 50 last year. Each participant in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), has a path that is deeply personal and varied.
The process is used to welcome adults who want to become. There is no fixed timeline as conversion is individual but the culmination is usually at the Easter Vigil.
Participants are supported by sponsors, parish members, and clergy while they explore faith, community, and spirituality.
For Vicki Thomas, the journey was one of love and heartbreak. Vicki spent most of her life keeping faith at arm’s length, even as her mother’s unwavering Catholic devotion carried the family through unimaginable loss.
“I didn’t set out to become Catholic,” Vicki says. “It’s more like something has been quietly changing inside me. Mum lost two grandchildren and a son, but she never let go of her faith. I think that’s what’s slowly bringing me back.”
Vicki’s mother Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Fairlie converted to Catholicism in 1979, after time in the Methodist and Uniting traditions. Initially she attended St Therese Catholic Church in Colonel Light Gardens where her parish priest was Fr George Nader.
After moving to Port Vincent on the Yorke Peninsula in 1995, Beth was very involved with the St Malachy Catholic Church, Minlaton which involved a round trip journey of approximately 50 kilometres.
“Mum befriended a couple, Elizabeth and Graham Cowell whilst attending Mass,” Vicki says. “It turned out they also resided in Port Vincent so their weekly journey to Mass was shared.”
Beth threw herself into parish life; cleaning the church, joining the Catholic Women’s Association, and building a strong bond with Fr Paul Mwaura.
Supportive: Beth and Vicki are looking forward to a future full of hope
Back then, Vicki believed in God and Jesus but kept her distance and resented being sent to Sunday school. Life moved fast for the teenager. She married at 16 after falling pregnant and the tumultuous relationship resulted in two beautiful daughters.
When her first husband died of cancer at the age of 48, she met her second husband within a year. He was a man of quiet faith who once prayed for, “Someone blonde, beautiful and who would love me for who I am”. He wasn’t a churchgoer, but believed God answered that prayer in Vicki.
Tragically, in 1997, Vicki’s daughter died by suicide at age 20. Not long after, her nephew – who was very close to her daughter – also took his life. Then Vicki’s anguished brother did the same. Heartbreak ran deep, but her mother’s faith was unwavering.
“Both my husbands died of the same cancer, my daughter and nephew died by suicide, and then my brother,” Vicki says, “Somehow, Mum’s faith survived it all.”
A breast cancer diagnosis in March 2021 was another a blow. “It was two years after my second husband’s passing and I was operated on in August of that year,” Vicki says.
“I wasn’t able to do any physical activity for at least six weeks so I was restricted to resting, watching TV and looking at YouTube on my phone.”
An advertisement for a multi-series television drama called The Chosen caught her eye.
“It was about the life of Jesus and I decided to watch it,” she says. “Something moved me and I seemed to want more but I wasn’t sure what.”
When Beth reluctantly moved to Adelaide due to health issues, Vicki found herself back in the pews at St Therese’s Catholic Church. “Initially I thought I would drop Mum off to Mass, go home and return to pick her up when it ended. Due to her decreasing mobility, I knew this was unfair and realised she needed my assistance.”
Week after week, Vicki watched the Mass unfold. The Eucharist – particularly – intrigued her. “Reflecting back now, my eyes, ears and heart were opened,” she says.
“Was Mum’s move from the country in July of 2022 part of the Lord’s plan for me? I believe it was. I used to keep faith at arm’s length. Now I find myself walking up for a blessing every Sunday, arms crossed over my chest.”
My life has transformed to one of belief and faith
It’s been a blessing for more than just their mother/daughter relationship.
“Grief made me angry for a long time,” Vicki says. “The Church is where I’m slowly learning to let some of that go.”
It also helped her overcome the battle with alcohol that ensued after so much personal loss.
For years, Vicki drank heavily from late morning into the night, hiding the truth from loved ones. Worn out and desperate, she prayed for a way out. Then, something shifted. Her dependence loosened its grip, her drinking fell away, and she slowly replaced cans of alcohol with soda water. Looking back, she believes it was the Lord answering her plea.
“Even my daughter says, ‘Mum, you’ve changed so much’.”
The welcome from the community at the Church of the Nativity in Aberfoyle Park was a warm one and Vicki was deeply moved by the hymns. “All the people there are so welcoming, and it’s a beautiful community.”
After her decision to embark on the RCIA path, the support of Vicki’s RCIA sponsor (aka “godparent” Rita) was invaluable. Sponsors are an important part of the journey.
As she prepares for her momentous Easter baptism at the Church of the Nativity on April 4, Vicki spends her mornings caring for Beth, whose battle with heart failure is ongoing.
“Mum keeps on saying, ‘Thank you, thank you’. And I say, ‘Mum, you don’t have to thank me. You used to look after us… now that’s what I’m here for’.”
Vicki sees this season as a return to faith and a chance to give back the love and care she received.
“I’m really looking forward to my baptism at Easter,” Vicki says.
“Mum is very excited. Now that I look back on it, I think the Lord did come down and help me. I used to just believe in God and Jesus from a distance. Now I’m starting to see them as one loving presence in my life.”
Vicki’s next chapter is one of hope.
“I pray my journey may inspire others to know that God guides us in mysterious ways,” she says.
“I believed I was unable to pull myself up and that everything was a daily burden. My life has transformed to one of belief and faith. I pray that this will reach out to desperate souls who believe their lives do not matter and they are stuck in helplessness.”
