Nearly 200 catechumens received as the Elect

BLACKWOOD – “The spirit of God is at work in each of you, opening your hearts to the Gospel.”

Such were the words of Bishop Dennis Sullivan on March 9, where, in a sign of life springing forth into the Church, he celebrated the Rite of Election, welcoming 194 catechumens seeking admission into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil on April 19.

“You are here to respond today to your friendship with Jesus Christ, and to declare your desire to be a member of His Church,” Bishop Sullivan said.

PHOTO GALLERY: Rite of Election

Held every year on the First Sunday of Lent, the Rite of Election is the process taken by individuals who want to become Christians in the Catholic tradition, like 19-year-old Jacob Torres from Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, Haddon Township.

“What I’m doing here is the right thing to do; I can’t deny the Lord,” he said.

Raised in the Protestant tradition, it wasn’t until he stepped into Camden’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for a graduation ceremony in 2023, that “I felt there was something tugging on my heart, telling me to knock and see, and join the [Catholic] faith.”

Torres soon found his way to Saint Joseph the Worker Parish and its pastor, Father Mark Matthias, who helped him to enroll in the parish’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. In those classes, he has found meaning in the commandments and in the lives of the saints.

Both Father Matthias and Torres’ sponsor, Zachary McShane, were present at the Rite of Election.

“My heart is racing, but I feel a sense of peace, like I’m home, where I’m supposed to be,” Torres said.

Supported by Bishop Sullivan; Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Williams; sponsors; godparents; catechists; pastors; family and more, Torres and his fellow catechumens affirmed during the Rite of Election that they have “begun to walk in God’s presence, treasuring the word [and] persevered in fraternal communion.”

After the catechumens received a blessing from Bishop Sullivan, the parish catechists also affirmed their students’ readiness to serve as disciples of Christ. They presented Bishop with their respective Books of the Elect, signed by the catechumens.

Bishop Sullivan urged the catechumens to thank their families and friends for their powerful witness, those “whose encouragement, example, words and prayers have helped you to respond [to God’s call] and find your way. … They introduced you to the Church. God bless them.”

Looking ahead to the Easter Vigil, Bishop Sullivan told the catechumens he hoped that on that night, “in front of a roaring Easter fire, the faith you have been introduced into, and are growing in, will be burning in your souls, yourselves and in your hearts.”

For Christina DeAngelo, from Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing, the day marked another milestone on her life’s journey.

DeAngelo and her husband, Leonard, were married last September. For years, she explained, she had been seeking a relationship with God, and looking for a husband. “Both of my prayers were answered.”

More than a year ago, “Lenny invited me to attend Mass with him, and it felt right. It felt like home.”

DeAngelo noted that she felt comfortable at the church, thanks to Father John March, pastor, and parish staff. In addition, “the more I read, the more I listened, the more I knew this faith was right. I’m a believer.”

Smiling at her husband, she said she has felt blessed by their connection during her faith journey. “We’ve learned and grown together through this process, and it’s made our bond so much stronger.”