On the warm and sunny afternoon of March 2, catechumens, candidates, sponsors, and families from across the Diocese of Madison traveled to Waunakee.
They filled the sanctuary of St. John the Baptist Church there, part of St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate, to take part in the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion liturgies led by Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison.
In total, more than 800 were present for the two liturgies, recognizing the journey unbaptized catechumens and non-Catholic, Christian candidates are taking to enter the Church this year.
Of the more than 800 attendees, approximately 270 were unbaptized catechumens or non-Catholic, Christian candidates, and in his homily, Bishop Hying said to them, “I praise God for every single one of you.
“God has moved your heart so overwhelmingly, Jesus Christ has entered into your life so deeply, you have been led to this decision to give your life to Christ and become a member of the Church with us.”
Bishop Hying also thanked the priests, deacons, catechists, sponsors, and families who “reveal Jesus’ love”
when they support catechumens and candidates who intend on joining the Church at the Easter Vigil.
During the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion liturgies, catechumens and candidates were called forward with their sponsors to greet the bishop.
Additionally, catechumens signed the Book of the Elect.
From the crowd
Jessica Clifton was one of many in the crowd supporting a loved one.
She said that after 14 years of marriage her husband, Jon, was converting to Catholicism.
Jessica said, “I have prayed for this day for years, and he has finally decided to become Catholic.”
Sitting in the pew with their four sons, Jessica continued, saying, “We are here to support him today in his journey,” mentioned that one of their children will receive First Communion with his father at Easter, and said that they are parishioners of St. Augustine University Parish in Platteville.
Another attendee, Moriah Bauman, traveled from a northern part of the diocese with her pastorate, Nativity of the Lord.
“I want to be able to receive Communion,” Bauman explained and said that she had tried many Protestant churches before finding the Catholic Church.
She added, “I want to have Mass at my wedding,” as a major motivation to join the Church.
Affiliated with Saint Paul’s Catholic Student Center in Madison, Jonah Naatz and Zach Storbakken are young professionals coming into the Church.
Storbakken said that he had grown up in a Protestant family and that it was “friends that were put in my life, a bunch of Catholic people that I was surrounded by” who had opened the door to Catholicism for him.
“They kept on poking at me a little bit and sparking conversations,” and their arguments “started to make more and more sense in my head,” Storbakken explained.
“My reason started to widen and then a lot of good support” helped him “push” towards the Church, he continued.
Naatz also described his upbringing.
Growing up Lutheran, Naatz said that he was Baptized and confirmed there and “my whole family is Lutheran”.
“After that, I didn’t dive into faith much, kind of put it aside,” he continued.
While at UW-Madison, Naatz “started reading the Bible again, diving into it, and somehow, I was introduced to Saint Paul’s,” he said.
“What attracted me to the Catholic Church is the history,” Naatz explained and said that he’s learned “it really is the true Church of Jesus Christ” because of apostolic succession.
At Saint Paul’s, Naatz said he has greatly appreciated “the reverence during the Mass,” which “is something I’ve never really experienced before,” adding, reverence was “something that I was very attracted to”.
‘Do beautiful and holy things’
At the end of the liturgies, Bishop Hying invited all in attendance to the Neophyte Mass, which will be held in the Holy Name Heights Oratory on Sunday, May 4, at 10 a.m.
This Mass will celebrate the “fresh infusion of life” the catechumens and candidates represent in the Church, said Bishop Hying.
He added, “You’re going through all this not just to come to the end, but, so beautifully, to come to the beginning of your life in Christ.
“Go, set the world on fire. The Holy Spirit is going to turn you loose to do beautiful and holy things with God.”