Church welcomes more than 3,500 candidates for Rite for Election

Bishop John Arnold, Canon Stuart Wilson with parishioners outside Westminster Cathedral

More than 3,500 people came together in Catholic cathedrals around England and Wales over the weekend for the Rite of Election, in which catechumens and candidates make a public commitment to entering into full communion with the Church. At Easter they will be be received into the Catholic Church in their own parishes.

Bishop Kieran Conry national Chair of the Bishops’ Department that oversees the work of Catholic evangelisation said: “This is one of the most joyful and expectant times of the year for those adults, and some children, who have chosen to prepare to become Catholics at Easter. It marks the approaching culmination of a unique moment on people’s journeys of faith. It’s important that we celebrate with them, that we share their joy, and are also attentive, if and when the moment presents itself, to invite those we know to consider finding out more about the Catholic Faith.”
 
In Birmingham, the Archbishop the Most Reverend Bernard Longley welcomed more than 200 candidates for election on Sunday at the Mother Church of the Archdiocese, St Chad’s Cathedral.

The candidates came from 47 parishes - a snapshot of the whole picture – there are 220 parishes in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, so many more candidates who were unable to come to the Cathedral on Sunday will be received into the Church at Easter.
 
In his homily, the Archbishop said: “The Catholic Church embraces you today and your lives are to reflect what it means to be Catholic. You will be part of a universal family of believers held together by Christ through the faith we proclaim, the sacraments we celebrate and the pastors we follow. Pope Francis is the Church’s supreme pastor and we sense our communion with him very powerfully in this celebration.”
 
He highlighted that the candidates had been especially chosen: “You are already united with all of us in a special way as we begin our Lenten pilgrimage, but you can feel strengthened by the knowledge that through our prayers and sustained by our actions the Church elects or chooses you in a way that expresses the choice of Christ himself. That is what lies at the heart of today’s Rite of Election.”
 
And reminded them that: “You are entrusted with an apostolate to go out and bear witness to your faith in the communities where you live and work, among your families and friends by the example of holy and generous lives.”
  
At Westminster Cathedral, 712 people from 119 parishes celebrated the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults’ (RCIA) Rite of Election, at a ceremony in Westminster Cathedral presided over by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Bishops John Arnold, John Sherrington, along with four Episcopal Vicars and many Deans from the Diocese.
 
In a message to those celebrating the Rite of Election, Cardinal Vincent wrote: “Today marks one of the largest gatherings of people from parishes across the diocese, who join me in giving thanks for the great work that God is carrying out in your lives. We give thanks to God for the ways in which our parishes and diocesan family will be enriched by you and we promise to continue to support you and your families with our prayers and the example of the Christian life that you experience in our parish communities.” 
 
Speaking about the process Mary Crowley, Catechetical Adviser, said: “RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is an exciting process by which adults become members of the Catholic Church, and through the Church deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a process of prayer, discussions, study and celebration.
 
“The RCIA process helps assimilate adult men and women into the Catholic way of life so that they can comfortably pray and serve with the Catholic community. It is an unhurried, deliberate, personal process of growth and understanding. Typically, it takes about 9 months to one year - but each individual takes it at their own pace.
 
Their journey of faith will include several elements forming an integrated whole: A deepening personal faith, a response to the Gospel of Christ, worship of God in the liturgy, a growing spiritual and social participation in the life of the Christian community, a knowledge of the beliefs and teachings of the Church and a participation in the Mission of Christ’s people to the world around us.”
 
One of the Westminster candidates, Connie Casey from Our Lady's Parish in St John's Wood, said: “I came to Catholicism via the RCIA, despite being from a large Irish Catholic family. My mum left the decision on religion to us children to make. The desire to do something about my strong leanings towards Catholicism followed a dreadful personal experience. My fiancé was murdered in Australia whilst we were backpacking. Despite all the support from my family and friends I needed something stronger and deeper and the Church, thankfully, answered my call.”

Karen from Shrewsbury Diocese said: “I didn’t have any religious upbringing, and prayers and church were not part of my experience at all. There wasn’t much of anything faith wise, to be honest. I went to the occasional baptism, wedding and funeral, but didn’t have any spiritual awareness… The decision to become a Catholic has come about gradually over two years, and my faith has been growing. There has been a massive difference in me as an individual… I would recommend exploring becoming a Catholic to anyone!”

Oliver from Leeds Diocese, who also attended a celebration at the weekend, said: “I was a militant atheist during the rest of my school years, until I went to university where I became more interested in God and explored different faiths… The more I thought about the message of Christianity, the more I realised that everything I had been looking for since I was young, was to be found in my own culture and upbringing: I had been searching in the wrong place.”

For Michelle, who took part in a celebration in Nottingham Cathedral, it was something of a family affair: “My fiancé decided to join with me… Then my two sisters also decided to do the same as well, and one of my sisters’ fiancé’s followed suit, so we’re all going! I also have a little girl who is nearly eight and she’s following the children’s version of the Rite too, so all-in-all it’s quite a family thing!”

Source: CCN