Some 650 men and women across the diocese affirmed their wish to be members of the Catholic Church during the first weekend of Lent. The participants in adult formation programs gathered March 8-9 for the Rite of Election in each vicariate.
The bilingual liturgy was held Saturday at St. Bede, Williamsburg, for the Eastern Vicariate and at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, for the Central Vicariate. Bishop Barry C. Knestout presided at both, as he did on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Andrew, Roanoke, for the Western Vicariate.
“You present yourselves in this rite of election,” the bishop said in his homily. “The Lord receives that gift, that generous gift of your whole self, that you long to follow the Lord in his footsteps, to follow in his guidance, to live those teachings in your life … to live a life of charity for your brothers and sisters, and even for the stranger, and for your enemies, to turn to them in love, manifesting the love of God the Father.”
(Photo/Michael Mickle)
Representatives from 22 parishes in the Western Vicariate, each carrying a Book of the Elect, lined up in front of the basilica sanctuary and faced the catechumens, sponsors, friends and family who filled the pews. The books had been signed earlier by these participants in OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) who will be welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil.
As their names were called, each one stood, including Amanda Witherell from Holy Cross, Lynchburg. A junior majoring in chemistry at Liberty University, Witherell said her path to this day began after her brother became a Catholic. She started attending religious education classes just to learn more about the faith he had adopted. She found she wanted to embrace it, too.
“I’m holding myself kind of to a higher standard, just with all the different things that come along with Catholicism, like the commitment to go to Mass every Sunday – something as simple as that,” she said. “And then also … confession and things like that, just really making my faith a part of my everyday life.”
Christy Hensley from All Saints, Floyd, said attending an Easter Vigil started her on the road to following in Christ’s footsteps. A licensed clinical social worker in private practice, she said she had always had a strong sense of spirituality and healing but hadn’t been to church in ten years. One Easter, a friend said he was going to the vigil Mass and she decided to go with him.
“It felt very reverent,” she said. “It felt right to me, like this is right, this is true.”
She signed up for OCIA and said she has not only gained greater knowledge of the Catholic faith but of herself.
“Now that I have this new knowledge that I can embrace, it can inform me to lead a more fulfilling and purposeful and holy life,” she said. “I feel like I can do a lot more good in the world and my life can be much more meaningful.”
(Photo/Vy Barto)
Among the new disciples taking classes at Our Lady of Nazareth (OLN), Roanoke, is high school senior Nathan Madison. He said he grew up a Southern Baptist but started giving up religion when he was in middle school.
A couple of years ago, he started thinking more about Jesus and felt called to look into the Catholic faith. His dad signed him up for OCIA last fall. “I like being part of the Church, being part of something bigger than just my house, my room, my school, something more important to me than other things,” he said during a break in one class last month.
Retired electronics technician Barry Burgess and his wife, a cradle Catholic, got married at the Basilica of St. Andrew and have been going there since the early 70s. They now live close to OLN and have been going there for a while. He said he had been thinking about becoming a Catholic for about 20 years.
“I think reading the Bible started making me think a little more, to understand better what the priest is saying,” he said. “I thought about joining several years before I got involved with this, and then finally this past fall, I decided I’m going to do it. It’s the best decision I ever made.”
Like the first disciples, these latest ones come from many walks of life. Destiny Layman, one of the elect from St. Andrew, is a pediatric nurse. She grew up in Franklin County and was a member of the Old German Baptist Brethren. She stopped going to any services from college until a few years after graduating.
“And then I was brought to Mass actually by a friend, and that was my first exposure to Catholicism,” she said. “The experience of the Eucharist for me at first was what drew me in to exploring the faith some more.”
Adult formation classes, she said, have helped her reflect on the teachings of the Church. “It is a big commitment,” she said. “But during that time, you’re able to really decide if this is the way you want to [live] your life.”
Fellow catechumen John O’Brien is a real estate appraiser, married with three daughters. The eldest, who’s in her 20s, went through adult formation at St. Andrew and that led her father to become one of the elect this year. “Some of her outlooks definitely changed,” John said. “I think going to church on a regular basis … reinforces good beliefs, and we saw that change, and I just think it’s important.”
Nick Arrington is a college freshman who went to a Christian school from second to twelfth grade and attended a non-denominational church. Bible study classes prompted him to become curious about Church history and that eventually led him to OCIA at St. Andrew. He’s found the sessions rewarding. “I think one of the most important things is having a community of people that are like-minded because I don’t know any friends or family that are Catholic,” he said. “So to have so many resources is super helpful.”
In each vicariate, Bishop Knestout signed each Book of the Elect and posed for group photos. A new resource this year for all the neophytes is a journal with reflections for Lent and Easter provided by the diocesan Office of Christian Formation (OCF).
“The parish initiation leaders and teams already do a great job of helping the elect in their final preparation period for the sacraments, but I thought this would be a nice way to offer our support,” said Chi Aquino, OCF associate director.
She also noted that there are 100 more catechumens this year than last, and that each vicariate saw an increase (35 more in the Eastern Vicariate, 20 more in the Central Vicariate, 50 more in the Western Vicariate). And just as they were led to their new life in Christ by other faithful Catholics, so they may someday lead others on the same path.