As the Church prepares to celebrate the Easter Vigil, catechumens across the Archdiocese of New York are preparing to receive the sacraments and enter fully into the Catholic faith.
For Kejsi Saraci, a catechumen at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in the Bronx, the journey to the Church has been deeply personal and transformative.
Raised without a religious background, Saraci said she began searching for something more as she grew older, especially after experiencing a serious car accident in college that she believes changed the course of her life.
“In that moment, I just said, ‘God, don’t let me die,’” she recalled. “And I came out of the accident completely untouched. That’s when I started to believe there was something more.”
Her journey continued during her time at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, where she encountered the Sisters of Charity. Through their witness, prayer, and encouragement to trust in God, Saraci said she began to feel drawn to the Catholic faith.
“That’s when it really occurred to me… I feel something, and I want to become Catholic. I want to receive my sacraments and be all in.”
Now, as she prepares to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil, Saraci says her relationship with God has grown in a profound way.
“Before, it was more about asking God for things. But now, I seek a real relationship with Him in my everyday life… and that has given me peace.”
At the Easter Vigil, she looks forward especially to receiving the Eucharist for the first time.
“To have the Body of Christ within you… I feel like that’s going to be a life-changing moment.”
Saraci also hopes to one day pass on the gift of faith to her future children, something she did not grow up with but now deeply cherishes.
Her story is one of seeking, encounter, and ultimately, a new life in Christ, as she prepares to take her place in the Church this Easter.