On the weekend of Feb. 17-18, which was the first weekend of Lent, 274 people from 53 parishes and one university came to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield to take part in the Rite of Election and of the Call to Continuing Conversion. They were accompanied by priests, deacons, RCIA leaders, sponsors, godparents, families and friends who traveled with them.
Since the Cathedral isn’t large enough to hold all the people scheduled to come to the see city that weekend, people from Springfield and the immediate surrounding areas took part in the Saturday evening liturgy. Those who reside more than 50 miles away were there on Sunday afternoon.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki welcomed the visitors, and because many of them had never before been inside the Cathedral, he gave a brief catechetical introduction to the building. The Cathedral, he said, gets its name from the cathedra chair, which is the symbol of a bishop’s teaching authority in the church.
In his homily, Bishop Paprocki said the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion is “one of the most profoundly inspiring manifestations of the Holy Spirit.”
“As bishop I have the great privilege of welcoming you to this magnificent cathedral, the mother church of our diocese, as well as presiding over this part of your journey that will not only bring you to the Easter sacraments, but also, through God’s grace, to a full and active participation in the life of the church.”
Bishop Paprocki added, “This milestone event in your spiritual journey is a visible sign that men and women, young and old, from all walks of life, are continuing to respond to the Lord’s invitation as he says to you, ‘Come, follow me.’ Jesus invites you to come, see where he lives and share with him in the life of the Spirit.
“In this ancient ritual of Holy Mother Church that we celebrate today, you will be invited to step forward into the sanctuary,” he said. “As you do so, remember that you have been moved in a profound way by the power of the Spirit and that you are making this journey, not just on your own, but because Our Lord has stirred your heart and has led you to desire to know the mystery of the divine purpose, as least in part, for we have come to know that the Lord desires to bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth, including you and me.”
He also read a number of letters of testimony — some in English and some in Spanish — that were written by sponsors, Godparents, pastors, family members and friends. He called those letters “powerful testimonies of faith by people who know you well.”
During these weekend liturgies, in which the assemblies participate, Bishop Paprocki ratified the enrollment of the names of the catechumens in the parishes’ Book of the Elect. From now until they are baptized these individuals will be known as “the elect.” He also recognized those baptized candidates who will complete their Christian initiation.
Now that the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion has taken place, nothing stands in the way of these people becoming Catholic. For them — as it should be for all Catholics — Lent is a time for purification and enlightenment. It is a time when the elect and the candidates and the people in the parishes will focus on conversion and reflect on their decision to join the Catholic Church.
The elect and the candidates will become full members of the church through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist at their own parishes during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, March 31.