​Graduating from high school was an amazing achievement for me. As was the day my wife and I got married in 2002. What a glorious day that was! Looking back, my wife and I chuckle at how we were babies compared to the adults we are now. We had 2 beautiful kids, a son and a daughter. We attended the LDS church sometimes and both kids were baptized in the Mormon faith, but that was as far as it went.

​I got a job in the oilfields as a journeyman pipefitter and worked there for 15 years. The job was physically and emotionally stressful. I began drinking to cope with pain from injuries and trauma from accidents I witnessed. It was all part of the ‘oilfield culture’. Because I was gone from home for long stretches of time, I struggled with a new addiction: pornography. In 2013, I was arrested for drunk driving. I don’t remember much, but I do remember the amount of heartache and money it cost my family. This almost destroyed my marriage. So, I decided to get sober. I have a lot of regrets about this period of my life, but the two biggest are that I didn’t get to enjoy my kids growing up and I was a terrible husband. God bless my wife (we have been married 22 years) for being such a strong and wonderful woman.

Eventually, I lost my job in the oil patch due to the industry downturn. I got a job in Medicine Hat, which meant our family was finally together. My desire for pornography lessened but didn’t stop. COVID arrived, and it was hard on our teenage children, especially my son, who fell down the wrong path. He dropped out of school, and there seemed to be total disorder in our home. In June of 2023, when my son got into serious trouble, I felt that I failed as a husband, a father, and a human being. It was a very low point in my life. 

Written by Ray, a parishioner of St. Patrick's, Medicine Hat. Abridged by Alice Matisz. Photos courtesy of Ray and St. Patrick's Parish. For the unabridged story, email [email protected] for a copy.

Rewind to June 2023. Out of pure luck, I saw a posting for a teaching position with Christ the King Academy, a middle school in the same small town where I lived. I happened to know the vice principal, Errin Nelson, and took a chance and emailed him to ask some questions. Fast-forward to the end of that week, and I had accepted a brand-new teaching position in another school division! I was leaving my home division, which brought me to Alberta in 2011. Scared? A little. Excited? Definitely. 

I felt in my heart that I was called to make this big change. My daughter, Anna (8), joined me. She and I are glued at the hip, and she wanted to move to Holy Family Academy to remain close to her momma. This is when I began to notice incredible divine intervention. It sounds so strange to say out loud, but there is no doubt in my mind that I was called to this position. 

Several signs appeared over the next little while that made me know for certain I had made the most incredible choice. Jumping forward again, I learned about RCIA, which was going to begin in October. I have always had a ton of questions and often wondered if there was 'more'.

Out of my personal and very private fear of death, which only grew stronger once I became a mother, I reached out and signed myself and my daughter up. Once my journey of learning about the Catholic faith began, I have not looked back. One particular example illuminated for me was this; my classroom saint is St. Joseph; I was born in Saint Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario; and my grandfather's name was Joseph. 

​This Easter, my incredible daughter Anna and I were baptized and fully initiated into the Catholic Church at St. Mary's in Brooks. We were baptized together and received the Sacraments. My heart is so full and so incredibly grateful to several amazing people who have made me feel more like a family than I can ever express.​

Submitted by Sarah Parkin, Teacher at Christ the King Academy. Photos courtesy of Sarah Parkin.

When I went into a bookstore to buy my first ever physical Bible, I noticed also a Catholic Bible on the shelf. The man who was looking through books beside me saw that I was searching for a Bible and he told me to stay away from “that one” while he pointed at the Catholic Bible.

So I was soon baptized in an evangelical church. On Saturdays, you would find me with a mic and speaker preaching the gospel with a group of people. I had a strong desire to share the love of God with others. I found work at Hope Mission, a non-denominational Christian ministry, working with children and youth.

But then I was introduced to the teachings of the early church and Catholicism through YouTube. I soon became convicted of what I knew to be true and true teachings of Jesus and the apostles. I learned more and more about Catholic theology and saw how beautiful it was, and how it was all in scripture, contrary to what many people would say. I wasn’t shy to share what I learned with others.

My friends and co-workers, who were mostly Baptists and Pentecostals, were confused that a non-Catholic would hold to Catholic beliefs. “Why is this guy talking about Mary and defending the idolatrous Catholic worship of Mary?”
While my entire theology was being tested, something odd happened at work. I kept seeing a rosary in my workplace. I told myself, “This isn’t the right place for it.” One day, I found it on my work desk and I took it home. As I wrapped the rosary around my hands, I was hesitant to pray the Hail Mary. Then I thought to myself; I can defend the intercession of Mary with scripture, so why couldn’t I pray the prayer? Then I slowly began to pray the rosary and lots of it. It led me to see the Blessed Mother in a new light.

As I went on, the Lord revealed to me his presence in the Eucharist. As I learned more and more of scripture and the faith, I started to see the truth of the Eucharist and the Lord’s true and real presence on the altar. After this, I didn’t want to be anywhere other than in front of the altar of a Catholic church. He truly did answer my prayers. I inquired with the RCIA at St. Mark’s Parish in Calgary, and went to morning masses as much as I could.

Written by Rooben Aurumugam, St. Mark's Parish, Calgary. Photos courtesy of Rooben.

Growing up, the Catholic Church was a feature in my life. My grandparents were regular Parishoners and my father, though lapsed in his own faith, made reference to the Church as a moral framework.

I attended a Catholic school in my formative years out of pragmatism, but was transfered to public school at the impressionable age of 6 and remained in it until graduation. This presence of the Church but separation by a membrane of apathy and intangibility led to my belief that I understood the Church, when in reality I was utterly oblivious to the depths of its grace.

This changed during the pandemic. In that time of struggle I was met with various hurdles, challenges that contributed to a deep malaise that overtook my life. It was within this climate of paranoia, uncertainty, and restriction, that I first began to take comfort in the stability and universality of the Church. I could find solace that cut through the pervading doubt that surrounded pandemic in the Truth of God. Apostolic succession, unchanging virtue, all surrounded by the vitality of the Church embodied in Christ. These were things that I did not know in my secular life, and graces that were absent in my other religious forays.

I sought a way to unify with the Church, with the way and the life that was a hope in the oppressive darkness of the world. However, my lack of living ties, and the fact that at that time I was only 16, impeded my ability to join. In 2023, following my High School graduation and rapidly approaching my 18th birthday, the potential of a new chapter in my life emboldened me to pursue the fullness of the Church. So I did. I found my way to RCIA, and was met with the spiritual and temporal benefits of the Church that began to impact my life.

Catechumenate life connected me with a fantastic array of people experiencing the ongoing journey of faith, people who were indispensible as guides along an uncertain bridge of intake into the Church. It was an honour for me to be able to undergo baptism with such a wonderful group of people, and to have the privilege to be assisted by the faculty of my Parish.

​Since becoming a Neophyte and I have received further blessings of faith, a galvanization to fulfill my duty as a Catholic and as a follower of Jesus Christ. I foresee a bountiful and happy life in the Church, so I hope that others can hear my testimony of its greatness to come and understand God.

We have a beautiful special needs daughter who brought new meaning to “joy”.  Hannah never learned to speak our language, but I could feel her love and her enthusiasm every minute I was with her. Hannah completed her earthly ministry in July of 2022 and left me with the biggest hole in my heart. Fortunately, a student and a wonderful friend of mine helped me see that where there is death, there is new life also.

I had been happy in my faith and was not looking for more. But when I attended Mass with my friend I was totally blown away. I could not believe how close I felt to our Lord during the Eucharist. I had thought that Catholic worship was pomp and ceremony, but what I saw and felt was a conduit to my Lord. I could not stay away. I started attending Mass every morning on my way to work. Twenty-four hours seemed like such a long time to wait to come back again.

A year ago, on Holy Thursday, I had accepted an invitation to a banquet at the Petroleum Club. At that time, I had not yet begun RCIA. So, when I accepted the invitation, I did not realize that I would miss the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. During the evening, something told me that I was at the wrong banquet. I got up and ran to my car, drove to St. Mary’s, miraculously found a parking spot and was just on time for the beginning of the Mass. I was not sure why I was there, but when Bishop McGrattan started washing the feet of those who had been chosen, I felt the most overwhelming spiritual sensation and nothing else mattered. It was like a river cascading in my head. At that moment, I knew that I would be baptized the next Easter.

I must admit that my baptism at the Easter Vigil this year was a bit stressful – it was a departure from my past and I was confused and anxious. Now I realize that baptism is not simply an event, it is the beginning of a new life. While I didn’t feel an overwhelming sensation when I was baptized, I have felt a peace that is so beautiful and continuous since then. Something else happened as well – at my first confession. I needed to go, and I thought confession would be miserable with the priest scolding me. I didn’t want to go, and I rehearsed what I would say many times. But it was the most amazing experience – a loving priest understood me and gave me just the guidance I needed (and not what I had expected). 
 
I still feel the same way – every Mass is a spectacular adventure where I get to feel His love. I miss my beautiful Hannah, and I go and say a prayer at her grave each day. I know that “those who sow with tears will reap with shouts of joy” and I look forward to seeing Hannah again. And I am so thankful for my new life. I know that He died that we might live.

Submitted by Mark Anderson, from St. Mary's Cathedral Parish. Photos courtesy of Maria Hernandez. 

Before I became a Catholic, I led a fairly ordinary life as an independent woman in the secular world. I didn’t see much need for church-going or God’s help unless there was a snowstorm or a personal crisis. I was raised by Christian (Protestant) parents, my Father by Mennonites in the First Evangelical Free Church here in Calgary, and my Mother was raised Baptist. When they divorced, they stopped attending church regularly, and so did I. I was generally relieved to leave the hypocrisy of my upbringing behind and tackle life without much thought to the condition of my soul.

Somewhere in my late 30s, I started noticing one particular question that kept coming up repeatedly: ‘How do I know what ‘right action’ is?’ I began searching for the answer to this question because it seemed to be at the root of both the suffering and the happiness in my life. I desired more happiness and less suffering. I asked more and more people this question and studied different philosophies, trying to understand how humans figure this out. It was fascinating!

Around this time, I also wanted to quit smoking and went into a thrift store and picked up something that I could wear on a necklace to fiddle with when I felt the ‘itch’. It was a silver Miraculous Medal of the Virgin Mary, but of course, I did not know this at the time (I’m still wearing it today).

A few years later, I met a friend in Montana who was a Catholic with a sound intellectual faith, and I asked him a little differently: ‘How do you know you are doing God’s will?’ He told me to write it down, and he would ask his priest on my behalf. The reply I received piqued my interest and appealed to my Protestant roots: ‘It is written on your heart.’

When I returned to Calgary, I looked up the closest parish to my house and contacted St. Joseph’s Parish about RCIA.

Without over simplifying a rather deeply transformative process over several years, today as a Neophyte of one week exactly, I feel quite different from the woman who didn’t see much use for God before. I feel like I belong. 

The tradition of the Catholic Church holds the knowledge that intelligent Christians require to build faith. It succinctly and articulately addresses any and all questions that arise when it comes to inquiry about God. Anything that can not be explained is called a ‘mystery’ and fulfills a just purpose, as it is aptly named. I explain the Catholics to my Protestant kin as God’s scientists, my relatives, of course, are God’s ‘Hippies’! 

I had many questions about God growing up and into adulthood that no one could answer, other than to say that ‘I should pray about it’. So I did, and was confused, and then dropped out. (How does one know what thoughts are mine and which are God’s?) Since becoming a Catholic, I don’t worry about this question as much anymore. I don’t know if that means I have found the answer or the fruits of the Holy Spirit or, if it even matters which?!

I also don’t really care too much about what secular people think anymore. The endless cycles of anxiety and depression driven by superficial pursuits are soul-crushing and stressful. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel that way, it just means I approach reprieve differently now. I read my bibles now (they’ve surprisingly multiplied!) and look forward to attending Mass. I don’t pray for solutions to the problems anymore, rather I think of what gifts from God I could really use to help me see things differently, if it is His will to reveal his plans.

So far, I don’t have any more insight about what God's plans are for certain or His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). However, I can recognize Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-Control, Chastity, and Love all around. 

I’m on the lookout for these graces now. How I feel is less important than before, when it seemed to be all I had to go on. Who I am, my purpose now, and the way in which I live this truth is rooted in something Great and I am not afraid.

Written by Michelle Thiessen, baptized on Easter Vigil 2024 at St. Joseph's Parish, Calgary

I first experienced Catholicism at a Catholic hospital in South Korea. My mom and I accompanied my younger sister, who had to pay frequent visits to the hospital because of her lung ailments. Our family lived in a poor neighbourhood, where I had two direct-hit car accidents. During all this chaos, the hospital was a sanctuary, and the nuns were the kindest people I’d ever met. I felt such lightness and peace there as if the very air in the hospital garden was purer than the one outside it. The difference was so surreal even to my young mind that I remember it still to this day. 

The second brief encounter was the beautiful scene of ladies praying in the church with their veils on. As a little girl, I thought it was the most beautiful happening I’d ever witnessed. Putting aside my initial exposure to Catholicism, our family generally believed in the idea of God but did not belong to any religion. After our family immigrated to Canada I suffered immensely difficult trials and setbacks in my school, health and relationships. So, I sought out God or some benign and powerful being that could rescue me.

My search for God began in high school when I was see-sawing between self-destruction and reading the Gospels for the first time. I prayed so fervently to the point of sweating. I asked God to let me experience Him in any way so that I, a mere human with so many limitations, could come to believe in His existence. One night, after one of my intense prayers, I went to bed. Sometime after falling asleep, I felt that my body lifted to somewhere very high, perhaps not even our planet or universe. 

I had the most vivid and unusual dream where I was praying to God with many other people on our knees on top of a great mountain. Although the mountain was very high, the top was a very large flat area filled with green pastures. Sun or light beamed down on this pasture. All of a sudden, the person praying next to me tapped on my shoulder and pointed to a horrendous female spirit figure standing on the edge of this mountain. This figure is a typical Korean spirit that wears a white night gown with long unkempt black hair flying all around her face. She looked blank with no distinguishable features.

I knew that she was waiting for me to be alone. I also knew that I had to fight her, even to the death if such was to be my fate. I walked toward the figure and the battle began. I was defending myself with a small cross necklace that came into my possession not too long before my search for God began. As one might expect, defending oneself with a small necklace around one’s neck against a demonic spirit was next to hopelessness. Soon I began to tire and feel so afraid for my life. Then I remembered Christ’s holy sacrifice for all humans and how He let himself be tortured because He firmly believed in God the Father’s love and mercy. 

That’s when I, in the midst of this fight, put both of my arms up and put my legs together in the same way our Jesus died on His Cross. All of a sudden, the images of His pierced hands and feet flashed before my eyes as if they were powerful blows of light and also as if my own hands and feet were being pierced too. I thought that I was going to die, but everything became white. The spirit existed no more. I was in this whiteness for a brief moment. I felt so strong and happy in this whiteness like I had never experienced in my entire life. Perhaps that’s how we feel in Heaven. 

This dream experience was the exact point of conversion of heart for me. If believing can be compared to gardening, this was the seed in the soil. The actual process of this seed sprouting to a baby plant took much longer and many more sinful and painful acts of evil resistance. This sprouting phase took about a decade. Even though I rebelled, broke promises and couldn’t feel any goodness, God never abandoned me. All this while, God watered my mustard seed even though nothing surfaced. I was discouraged for a long time. But when the time arrived, the amazing baby plant sprouted out of the earth and I became a full-fledged Catholic. Going to RCIA was the only thing I could do for those two years due to a health condition. My RCIA sponsor named Cathy was very helpful and gave me the perfect card. When the baby plant came out was when I could finally consciously follow God and proudly present myself as such to others.

Written by Mina from St. Patrick's Parish in Calgary.

My journey to Catholicism formally began in the fall of 2002 when I entered into the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and culminated with my baptism and confirmation at the 2004 Easter Vigil, Saturday evening, April 10.
​
Practically speaking, though, my journey started many years earlier when I married my wife, Dina – an Italian ‘Cradle-Catholic’ at St. James Catholic Church, here in Calgary in 1991.

Taking our Marriage Preparation classes was really the beginning of a long period of enlightenment, where I began to experience and see more clearly what the spiritual aspects of the joining of our souls would really mean.

We both promised in our wedding vows to raise our kids in the Church, too, and so we regularly attended Mass and the Holy Days of Obligation. It was through this exposure I – then unwittingly – continued my Faith Journey.
​
When our family was young, we attended St. James and St. Michael’s in Calgary, and Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church in The Woodlands, TX. In December 1994 we purchased our first home in Somerset and began attending St. Patrick’s Parish and this became our home church.

As I progressed on my journey I started to be overcome with a desire — a strong, spiritual need — to go to Confession and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I went to see “Merv” at St. Michael’s (I believe he was a Deacon there at the time) and inquired about receiving the sacrament. He explained to me I would need to become Catholic first before I could receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Several years went by and then a close family friend asked Dina if she would sponsor her in her journey through RCIA to become Catholic. I took this as a strong sign to stop procrastinating and I made my own appointment with Sister Pauline at the church to begin my journey to Catholicism and becoming Catholic.

Meeting with Sister Pauline, I shared with her the impetus for wanting to become Catholic and explained that I came from a family who didn’t really practice — or have — a sense of faith. My now-late father was raised Catholic in Holland and we would say grace before meals when we visited with my grandparents on my mother’s side in BC, but we really didn’t have any other faith upbringing — other than the ‘Golden Rule’.

Sister Pauline accepted me into the 2002 fall intake of St. Patrick’s RCIA and you could say the rest is history — but it isn’t! The journey NEVER ends; we’re always expanding our understanding and our relationship with God.
​
My time in RCIA was so very special! Those I travelled with on the journey and all those who invested their time in — and shared their faith with us — took us all to previously unfathomable levels of faith and spirituality. We shared, we laughed, we cried, we broke open the Word, we prayed! It was an education and a coming alive all at the same time. It was a beautiful experience!  

Written by Peter Poos from St. Patrick's Church, Calgary

God is always waiting for our conversion to his mercy and love. For a large portion of my life I was haunted with the darkness of childhood abuse. This is my journey into God’s call and falling into His overflowing grace. As a five-year-old child I was playing in our local playground with children from the local church. When they left, I went home and asked my mother if I could go to church. My mother said I could go with the neighbours, but I wasn’t brave enough to go. 
Later, I attended a Catholic high school because my mother believed in academics. In Grade 12, I completed a water pollution project for a Religion class and received a mark of 98%. From that moment, I believed that my vocation would be in the Sciences. That same year (1972), at the age of 17, I became pregnant and consented to an abortion supported by both sets of parents (Catholic and non-Catholic). The day I had the abortion I shut the door on God! I believed I was not worthy of His love; I had killed my own child. By this time, the darkness of my childhood abuse and the weight of an abortion had left my soul in complete darkness. The mask I continued to wear could not hide the pain, and I struggled. I knew one day that the darkness would envelope me and I would end my life: the pain of my soul too unbearable. 

With a husband and my daughter my world was unravelling; filled with anger, guilt and darkness. I was asked to become a Catholic so my daughter could continue to attend a Catholic school. To me, it was nothing more than a course, I was never going to be a Catholic. But God had other plans. What I could not or would not do for myself, I would do for my daughter. It was the 3rd scrutiny during the Purification and Enlightenment process that things began to change. Prior to this Scrutiny, I had gone to Reconciliation and confessed my sins. God has an eraser of grace; He forgave me; the door of grace flooded opened. During the 3rd Scrutiny, in his fatherly love, the late Fr. Keith Sorge let me touch his vestments and I fell into the wellspring of God’s love. The search out of the darkness of my soul began, but it was only after a severe leg injury (run over by an ATV) that I could face the overwhelming pain and terror of childhood sexual abuse. The cry of the poor—that is what God hears in our prayers. 

In gratitude for God’s grace, I became involved with the RCIA, Project Rachel, CWL, Hike for Life, Eucharistic Ministries and Lector ministries. I obtained a Master’s from Newman Theological College (Edmonton) focusing on Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’. Today, I am currently raising the awareness of Care for Our Common Home and Food Loss and Waste (FLW) through a CWL resolution and presentation to politicians and Catholic organizations. God had never left my side nor stopped calling me into His grace as I am a testimony to His love.  

“I was raised in the People's Republic of China. I had no religion because it is a communist country. Then, God found me. He called me. 

My family was going through a challenging time as my nine-year-old son was hospitalized for a year. From birth, he was diagnosed with bleeding in the brain. A vein in his brain burst, and he almost died. My life was work, home, hospital for that year. We were so tired and desperate. One day, someone gave me a wooden cross. That was my first time trying to get in touch with God. 

My friend said, there is nothing you can do but ask God for help. Every day I went to work, and in the evening I stayed in the hospital with my son.  I prayed daily, ‘God please don’t let him die.’ My son recovered and was released from the hospital. However, he had brain damage and many problems.  

One day, in a box, I found the wooden cross again. And I realized that I didn’t keep my promise to God. I had prayed that if he saved Eric’s life, I would follow Him. Not having any idea of where to start and what to do, I contacted Ascension Parish. I learned a lot from going through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The more I learned about God, the more I listen to him, the better my life gets. We still have a lot of problems with Eric’s recovery, but God supports me. My life is getting much better. 

My relationships with others was a mess. I complained all the time. I would get so angry; now my relationships are better. I am a different person. Every day I ask God for forgiveness, and I also forgive others. Eric can see the change in me. He is now 14, and he goes to the youth sacrament. He can no longer use one of his hands. Daily, he lives with a four per cent chance of bleeding in his brain. We pray to God and figure a way to deal with each situation, day-by-day. There is nothing more the doctors can do. But God hears my prayers.”

Bill Yin,
An elect from the Ascension Parish, Calgary (2019).

I’ve always believed that I get put somewhere for a reason. I went through all these steps—losing a job, applying for another one—so I could be where I am supposed to be. God put me here. Now I am looking forward to being baptized. To make sure that I continue learning about God on my faith journey, I’ve added apps to my phone, and I go to Church more. It has been so rewarding. I used to be fearful, but now I feel incredible love and acceptance. I have a big sense of family that I never had before.

Robert Rowland
Kindergarten teacher, St. Anthony's School 
Christ the Redeemer Catholic School Division

 
​What do burst pipes and penmanship have to do with being chosen by God? There are two things I remember about my first Rite of Election as a catechumen. The first is the sound of rushing water at St. Mary’s Cathedral as the backdrop to the celebration. The Rite of Election normally takes place at the start of Lent, the period of the liturgical year that helps Christians prepare to reaffirm their baptismal promises at Easter. In this particular year, the sound of the water came from a pipe in the Cathedral that had burst due to cold weather! No doubt it was memorable for the Cathedral staff, but for me, it was a poignant foreshadowing of the baptism I was preparing to undertake at Easter as a member of the elect, one chosen by God to receive the sacraments of initiation. The second thing that I remember is inscribing my name in the book of the elect, in the rite of enrollment of names. These two things are the namesake of this liturgy, the Rite of Election and Enrolment of Names. 

Rite of Election
The Rite of Election is about being chosen by God to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. In this ritual, the Church chooses those who have the dispositions that make them fit to take part in the sacraments of initiation. Before the Rite of Election the priests, deacons, catechists, godparents, and the entire community arrive at a judgement about the catechumens’ formation and progress in the Christian life. In the liturgy, they present the catechumens by name to the bishop and the entire assembly and give testimony about the catechumens’ readiness. The catechumens then express personally their intention to receive the sacraments of initiation and live as missionary disciples. 
 
Enrolment of Names
With these testimonies, the bishop accepts the judgement of the Church and invites the catechumens to offer their names for enrolment. One by one the catechumens inscribe their names as a pledge of fidelity in the book that lists those who have been chosen for initiation: the Book of the Elect. Once the catechumens have inscribed their names, the bishop declares the Church’s approval of the catechumens saying: I now declare you to be members of the elect, to be initiated into the sacred mysteries at the next Easter Vigil. From this day until they receive the sacraments of initiation those who were catechumens are now called “the elect”. Historically they have also been called competentes or co-petitioners because together, they are asking for the sacraments and the gift of the Holy Spirit. They have also been referred to as illuminandi, those who will be enlightened, because in their baptism they will be filled with the light of faith. 
 
Holy Season of Lent
The period between the Rite of Election and the Easter Vigil is known as the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. It is to be a time of intense spiritual preparation for the elect. The time for catechesis has ended, so the elect now join with the entire Christian community in fruitfully employing the Lenten season to prepare for Easter. The readings, music, and prayers for the Rite of Election are generally taken from the First Sunday of Lent. The bishop urges the godparents and the entire community to be an example and support for the elect during this time and then they are surrounded by prayer before being dismissed to “set out with us on the road that leads to the glory of Easter.” 
 
The Grace of Baptism
As for those already baptized who are planning to make a profession of faith and/or complete their initiation at the Easter Vigil, they have already been made ready for discipleship through the dignity and grace of their baptism. These Christians have already been chosen or elected; they cannot be chosen again. Becoming Catholic is an expression of God’s choice and a choice of the individual, but it is not a new choice by God. The community of faith recognizes their desire to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and take their place at the Lord’s table. At this time, they affirm their readiness to more fully express their election by God that took place at their baptism. Then, with the whole Christian community, they join in uniting themselves more closely to Christ and coming to know in a deeper way the power of his resurrection in us during this holy season of Lent.  ​

Written by Dr. Simone Brosig, Liturgy Consultant / Director