St Alban’s Student Received into Full Communion

On Sunday 18 May, a dedicated student from St Alban’s Catholic High School in Ipswich experienced profound joy as he was received into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Noah Witkowski received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist for the first time, expressing his deep desire to embrace the Catholic faith.

At the beginning of the Mass, Fr Jude Belnas gave a warm welcome to Noah and his family and invited the congregation to pray for him as he took this important step in his journey of faith. Fr Jude also offered the Mass for Noah and his family’s intentions.

Noah’s desire to be baptised into the Catholic faith grew from his involvement in the school chaplaincy and the SVP group. He played an active role in services and school Masses, frequently reading and serving. The more he engaged with the daily life of the school, the more at home he felt within the Catholic tradition.

With the support of the school chaplain and the RE department, Noah undertook weekly sacramental formation classes. His enthusiasm was so great that he chose to attend the school’s Lenten confession service, wanting to understand and participate in the practices of the Catholic Church.

Since joining St Alban’s in 2024, Noah has experienced a life-changing transformation. He shared, “St Alban’s has given me a new start, a sense of belonging, and it has given me my faith. Without the support of Paul and all the other teachers, I would not be where I am today. I owe this school so much; it has provided me with a future I did not think was possible. I owe the staff and other students so much, and it means the world to me that they are here with me today, for that I am truly grateful.”

He continued, “I would never have imagined this, it’s incredible that my family and friends and staff from school are here surrounding me. My faith has grown in ways I could never have imagined.”

As part of his sacramental preparation, Noah was invited to research a saint. He chose Pope St John Paul II as his confirmation saint, inspired by a family connection — one of his relatives had met the late pope. Unbeknownst to Noah at the time, 18 May was also the birthday of St John Paul II, adding a beautiful layer of providence to the occasion. Remarkably, the date also coincided with the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV.

Staff at St Alban’s described the occasion as a shining example of what makes the school a place of faith, hope, and growth. They were delighted to witness the joy radiating from Noah as he was welcomed into the Church.

To mark the special day, school chaplain Paul Gilbert arranged a surprise for Noah. During the reception that followed the Mass, he was presented with a gift wrapped in gold paper — a papal parchment from Pope Francis himself, congratulating him on his baptism and First Communion. Noah was overcome with emotion, deeply moved by the unexpected blessing.

He never imagined he would receive recognition from the Holy Father — and the moment clearly left a lasting impact on him.

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