BLACKWOOD – In taking the next step in her journey to full communion with the Catholic Church, Kylee McKay couldn’t stop smiling.
“I met the Bishop, and he told me congratulations,” McKay, 14, said at the Rite of Election on March 1 at Saint Agnes Church, Our Lady of Hope Parish.
Since last fall, the parishioner of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing, has been dedicated to the Order of Christian of Adults, preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the upcoming Easter Vigil.
McKay was one of 239 catechumens from 50 parishes to be presented to Bishop Joseph Williams at the Rite of Election.
“What a beautiful view this is for the whole Church,” Bishop Williams said as he looked out at the hundreds present, which also included the catechumens’ sponsors and catechists, as well as families, priests, deacons and religious. “It’s Good News for the Church, and we celebrate that news with joyful hearts.”
Bishop Williams also noted that this group of catechumens is the largest the Diocese has seen in two decades. “You are the proof that the Church is alive and that God is still working in this world.”
One by one, the catechumens processed toward the front of the church to receive a blessing from Bishop Williams. During this time, the parish catechists also presented Bishop Williams with their Books of the Elect, signed by the catechumens and marking their commitment to be Christ’s disciples.
Those in attendance affirmed that these men and women seeking to enter fully into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil have “begun to walk in God’s presence [and are] sufficiently prepared to be received into the Order of the Elect for the solemn paschal celebrations to come.”
Acknowledging McKay’s readiness was her sponsor and godparent, Kristina Longo.
“She’s open to God’s grace,” Longo said. “She goes to 10:45 a.m. Mass every Sunday, and she is dedicated in [OCIA] class. It’s beautiful to watch.”
It was at the weekly Masses at her school, Saint Vincent de Paul Regional, where McKay began growing more curious about the faith.
“I saw my friends getting Communion and said, ‘I want that,’” the eighth-grader said.
Since being in OCIA, she said, “I’ve grown closer to God. I’m praying to God more and speaking to Him.”
Yenifer Cruz Cruz, 22, from Holy Cross in Bridgeton, was one of 50 catechumens from her parish. She was moved to begin OCIA, she said, because “I wanted to open my heart to God.” She expressed gratitude for her formators for encouraging her to keep going.
“God’s always been guiding me to where I need to be,” she said.
Julia Falasca, 30, from Christ the King Parish in Haddonfield, said it was the baptisms of her own children – Charlotte and Daniel, now 5 and 3, respectively – that led her to enter fully into the Catholic faith.
“I began to think about the world I wanted them to grow up in, what values they would have and my part in all of it,” she explained.
With the support of her husband, Danny, who is Catholic, she entered OCIA last fall.
“I love that I’m learning how to feed my children in the faith,” Falasca said. “At the same time, I’m happy with my parish community, which is setting the example for them.”
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