Lenten Campaign 2025
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“I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” These are the words that thousands of catechumens around the world are preparing to hear on Easter night when they are baptized. Throughout Lent, Aleteia is sharing with you the stories of some of these men and women, who are happy to become children of God. Read all of the testimonies here.
Zineyda Enriquez always knew she was Catholic, but for years, that identity was a label rather than a lived experience. The 18-year-old first-generation college student from Chicago was baptized as an infant, but that was about as far as her family went in practicing their faith.
“I was baptized very early in my life, although my family didn't teach me about the Catholic faith,” Enriquez said. “I didn't know what Catholics believed in, I just knew we were Catholic.”
Growing up in a predominantly Catholic community in Chicago began to present challenges for Enriquez. As she watched her peers celebrate First Communion and Confirmation, she began to wonder if she had missed her opportunity.
“Growing up in a mainly Catholic community seeing my peers receive their sacraments made me feel like I was too old to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at 18. I truly thought it was too late for me,” she said.
But two years ago, something changed. Enriquez experienced a deepening of her faith that led her to seek out the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. During this pivotal confession, she shared her situation with the priest, who offered guidance that would transform her spiritual journey.
“When I went to my first confession where I told the priest my situation, he told me to join the OCIA course at our church,” she said.
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), formerly known as RCIA, provides a pathway for those seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. For Enriquez, this recommendation was the invitation she needed.
“Hearing this from the priest meant a lot for me and I did it, and I have no regrets,” she said with evident joy.
Now, as Enriquez prepares to receive the Eucharist for the first time, she carries a message of hope for others who might feel disconnected from their Catholic roots or hesitant to seek out the sacraments later in life:
I'm very excited to finally receive the Eucharist with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want people to know it's never too late to receive the sacraments that strengthen that bond and bring us closer to Christ.
Enriquez's story reminds us that our walk with Christ doesn’t have to follow a standardized timeline. Christ's invitation to follow him is always open, to each and every one of us.
