With a new bishop yet to be named for the diocese, Msgr. Carl Kemme, diocesan administrator, presided at the liturgy, ratifying the enrollment of the names of catechumens in the parishes’ Book of the Elect, and recognizing the parishes’ candidates for conversion.
Sponsors, godparents, priests, deacons, RCIA leaders, family members and friends joined the catechumens and candidates, who represent 70 parishes and the Newman Center at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The distance from Springfield is factor in as to which service day a parish’s catechumens and candidates attend.
“We don’t know why we have found our way to this Cathedral Church to be elected, chosen, as the beloved sons and daughters of God. We cannot explain the mystery of this divine love,” Msgr. Kemme said in his homily. “We can only acknowledge with profound humility and gratitude that for some reason, which may remain hidden to us until the end of our earthly lives, God has set his heart on each of us and has called us by name to share his life through the life-giving, transforming sacraments of the Catholic Church.”
Msgr. Kemme was assisted at the Saturday liturgy by Deacon James Ghiglione, parish life coordinator at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion, and Deacon Lawrence Smith of Cathedral. Assisting him at the Sunday liturgy were Deacon Smith and Deacon Jerry Cato from St. Cecilia in Glen Carbon. Father Christopher House was master of ceremonies for both celebrations.
While the Saturday evening service at the Cathedral looked comfortably crowded, “the Cathedral was packed at the Sunday afternoon service,” said both Msgr. Kemme, and Eliot Kapitan, director of the Office for Worship and the Catechumenate.
“The fact that the service this year was back in our beautifully restored and recently dedicated cathedral was just ‘icing on the cake’ for everyone who was there,” Kapitan said.
Following the Election and Call to Conversion, nothing stands in the way of these people becoming Catholic. For them, Lent is a period of purification and enlightenment, when they and their parish communities focus on conversion and reflect on their decision to join the church.
The elect and candidates will celebrate sacraments at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 3.