BLACKWOOD — Catechumens preparing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church in a little over five weeks were joined by their family, priests, sponsors, catechists and Bishop Dennis Sullivan at the Rite of Election this past Sunday at Our Lady of Hope Parish here.
The 116 men and women, representing 38 parishes, affirmed publicly their desire “to enter fully into the life of the church through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist” at the Easter vigil.
The Rite of Election is part of the Rite of the Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), the process taken by individuals who want to become Christians in the Catholic tradition. The day was one of excitement, but also a day of jitters for some, including Branden, from Our Lady of Hope, who has recently been taking RCIA classes twice a month with Father Rene Canales.
He attended the ceremony with his sponsor and fiancé, Michelle. Their wedding is in August, and the young couple can’t wait to be a household fully committed to serving the Lord.
“It’s heartwarming to know that when we raise our children, we will raise them Catholic,” Michelle said.
William Lau, from Sicklerville’s Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, was joined by Maryann Mohan, his RCIA director; sponsor Sue Nevins; and his wife of 20 years, Sung.
Still with the effects of a stroke suffered four years ago, William, said, “This process has been enlightening, growing in the faith.”
Sung agreed, adding that her husband “wants to be with God.”
Admitting that “he hasn’t taken off the training wheels yet,” Timothy Merrill, from Saint Joseph the Worker, Haddon Township, knows there is still work to be done before April 11.
Supporting him on his journey last Sunday were Florence Rotondo, his sponsor; his wife of 19 years, Jane Macey; and his pastor, Father Walter Norris.
“We’re looking forward to growing old in the Catholic faith together,” Jane stated after the ceremony.
Father Norris, praising Timothy and Jane’s “wonderful love,” noted how important the catechumen’s “dedication and eagerness have been to the church; he’s been a joy.”
In addition to catechumens expressing their wish to receive the Easter sacraments, their supporters like Michelle, Sung and Jane acknowledged that they were “sufficiently prepared to be enrolled among the elect” and have “faithfully listened to God’s word proclaimed by the church, (and) responded to that word and begun to walk in God’s presence,”
The catechumens, with their respective parish catechists, then met Bishop Sullivan at the altar, receiving his blessing and presenting him with the Book of Elect, signed by the catechumens to mark their commitment to become disciples of Christ.
Telling the catechumens gathered that their presence was a sign of others’ love and prayers for them, and a response to God’s working in their lives, Bishop Sullivan urged them to “look around you and be encouraged; there are others like you, from many other parishes, seeking to grow spiritually.”
“May April 11 be a glorious night for you all — a night of the Spirit,” he said.
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