Day. That evening a special Mass is celebrated at which the catechumens are baptized, then given confirmation, and finally receive the holy Eucharist. At this point the catechumens become Catholics and are received into full communion with the Church. Ideally the bishop oversees the Easter Vigil service and confers confirmation upon the catechumens, but often -- due to large distances or numbers of catechumens -- a local parish priest will perform the rites. The final state of Christian initiation is known as mystagogy , in which the new Christians are strengthened in the faith by further instruction and become more deeply rooted in the local Catholic community. The period of mystagogy normally lasts throughout the Easter season (the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday). For the first year of their life as Christians, those who have been received are known as neophytes or "new Christians." Preparation for Christians The means by which those who have already been validly baptized become part of the Church differs considerably from that of the unbaptized. Because they have already been baptized, they are already Christians; they are, therefore, not catechumens. Because of their status as Christians, the Church is concerned that they not be confused with those who are in the process of becoming Christians. "Those who have already been baptized in another church or ecclesial community should not be treated as catechumens or so designated. Their doctrinal and spiritual preparation for reception into full Catholic communion should be determined according to the