By Jeanne Marie Miles
Special to The Texas Catholic
As the Diocese of Dallas prepares to welcome its newest members more fully into the life of the Church, Bishop Edward J. Burns is inviting neophytes to gather once again — not as seekers but as newly planted Catholics — at the annual Neophyte Mass, a celebration designed to deepen the faith that takes root at the Rite of Election and is strengthened through prayer, the sacraments, and perseverance in a challenging world.
A neophyte is a recently initiated Christian, someone who has been recently baptized (or, if previously baptized, has recently made a profession of faith in the Catholic Church), confirmed, and received first Communion. The word “neophyte” can be traced back to the Greek word “neophytos,” meaning “newly planted” or “newly converted.” So, a neophyte is a newly planted Christian!
The diocesan bishop is considered to be the principle celebrant of the sacraments of initiation, even if he is unable to actually celebrate the sacraments with all the persons within his diocese. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults instructs that “to begin pastoral contact with the new members of his Church, the bishop, particularly if he was not able to preside at the sacraments of initiation, should see to it that at least once a year… he meets the recently baptized neophytes and presides for a celebration of the Eucharist.” (OCIA 251) In the Diocese of Dallas, Bishop Burns will celebrate a Neophyte Mass on the vigil of the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi) at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Neophyte Mass is an opportunity for all those who were present at the Rite of Election to come together with the bishop again, this time as fully initiated Catholics. It is an opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist, the only repeatable sacrament of initiation, and to enter further into “mystagogy,” that is, deeper reflection on the sacramental mysteries recently experienced. For new Catholics, the Sundays of the Easter season are the first and most important opportunities for mystagogical reflection. The Neophyte Mass is their opportunity to continue that reflection with their bishop, looking back on all that has happened since the Rite of Election and seeing how Christ has been at work in their lives throughout their journey of faith.
All those newly initiated into the Catholic faith are invited to join Bishop Burns for the Neophyte Mass at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe at 5 p.m. June 6 in order to celebrate and strengthen the faith that God has planted in their hearts!
Jeanne Marie Miles is the director of the Diocese of Dallas office of Worship.
Cutline for featured image: Deacon Ruben Vargas and his wife, Evangelina, stand for prayer during the celebration of the Diocese of Dallas Neophyte Mass on June 7, 2025, at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (BEN TORRES/Special Contributor)
