Throughout the Lenten season, catechumens and candidates take their final steps to prepare to enter the Church, deepening their faith as they journey toward full communion through the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.
One of those steps is participating in the Rite of Election of Catechumens and of Calling the Candidates to Continuing Conversion, a time when the Church makes its “election,” and catechumens and candidates inscribe their names in a book that lists those who have been chosen for initiation.
This weekend, March 8-9, 706 people preparing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church this Easter will be welcomed and blessed by Archbishop Nelson Pérez and Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre during Rite of Election liturgies at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.
There are 322 catechumens preparing to enter the Catholic Church through the reception of the sacraments of baptism, Eucharist, and confirmation. In addition 384 candidates who were validly baptized in another Christian denomination will receive their First Holy Communion and be confirmed at the Easter Vigil Mass, April 19.
Christian initiation programs are offered at parishes across the Archdiocese for people who want to become a member of the Catholic Church. Catechumens typically attend weekly classes for nine months to a year, while candidates may need less instruction time, depending on their previous faith education.
Sarah Contrucci, a member of a team of catechists who facilitate the Christian Initiation program at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, said the Cathedral Parish usually has around 15 people who go through the program every year.
This year the Cathedral Parish has six catechumens and 11 candidates in its Christian Initiation program.
“They’ll all sign the Book of the Elect, and their sponsor will also sign it, and then that book goes with them to the Rite of Election and is carried up and presented during the rite,” she said.
Contrucci, who has been a catechist at the Cathedral for seven years, said that when a person expresses interest in joining the Church, they are paired with a mentor.
“We try to assign a mentor to them while they’re still in that early inquiry process so that they have someone to guide them through the process and answer questions and be a support person for them,” she added.
The weekly sessions with the catechumens are usually held from September through Pentecost, and they receive instruction on the Trinity, the seven sacraments, the Ten Commandments and prayer, among other topics.
“The basic tenets of the Catholic faith are covered throughout the program,” Contrucci said. “It’s kind of a nice trip through the Catechism (of the Catholic Church) and going over the key tenets of the faith.”
Contrucci welcomed the opportunity to become part of the faith formation team at the Cathedral Parish.
“I’ve always loved being involved in the Church and feeling like that’s where I belong,” she said. “I had been involved in similar programs in Pittsburgh before I came here and wanted the chance to do something similar here.”
As a cradle Catholic, Contrucci has found her experience as a catechist to be affirming of her own faith.
“I have been so encouraged by the numbers we’ve had joining the faith and expressing interest in the faith,” she said. “It always helps me to renew my faith to see how much it means to the people, especially the catechumens, and to see how sincere they are in their faith. It helps refresh my faith.”
Contrucci explained that the newly baptized adults are asked right after their baptism what they felt during their baptismal experience.
“It’s really beautiful to hear people’s experiences of being baptized as an adult and how they’re aware of the Lord working within them,” she said. “It’s obviously a different experience than I had in terms of being baptized as an infant, but it makes me treasure that and be thankful that my parents did that for me from the very beginning.”
Learn more about Christian Initiation for Adults in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia through the Office for Divine Worship here.
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