By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor
CASEY — When Debra Ross of Casey came to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield in February of 2021, during the Rite of Election, she said she was so nervous, that if you simply tapped her shoulder when she was standing, she would have fallen over. These nerves became most apparent when Bishop Thomas John Paprocki ratified, with his signature, the enrollment of names of the catechumens in the Book of the Elect. Ross was a catechumen at the time, someone who is unbaptized.
A few weeks later at the Easter Vigil at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon, Ross was fully initiated into the Catholic faith, receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first holy Communion from Father John Titus.
“To feel finally a true feeling of worth, God’s presence, cleansing, a marriage — whole!” Ross said, describing what she felt that day.
The journey to Catholicism was a long road — 66 years. Raised Pentecostal, Ross had some connection to Catholicism with family on her mother’s side being Catholic. She remembers her family taking her to Mass, but “No one truly explained what the Mass was.”
Despite feeling drawn to the faith, she says what held her back was that she didn’t want to disappoint her family and not understanding what everything was about.
Decade after decade went by, but after each year, the nudge to become Catholic became stronger. So, Ross stopped by Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon and met their RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) team who answered questions, provided her materials to learn more about the faith, but most importantly, Ross said that the team was always there for her. While going through the RCIA process, Ross thinks back and now laughs because of what surprised her the most.
“How much I felt at home, Ross said. “I guess I also really had a Catholic core and really did not know it!”
As she learned more about the richness and treasures of the faith, Ross says she developed a devotion to Mary and St. Michael the Archangel. “It’s such an honor to talk to her,” Ross said. “I feel safer with St. Michael.”
Today, the retired mother of three girls is enjoying time with her nieces, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, going to Mass, and spending time at her parish. When she looks back over her journey to the Catholic faith, what stands out the most to her is a simple five-word answer.
“Why it took so long.”
Debra Ross has a conversation with Father John Titus, her pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon. At the Easter Vigil last year, Ross received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first holy Communion from Father Titus.
Submitted photo