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| A catechumen in 2019 signs the Book of the Elect during the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21, at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee with safety measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
WAUNAKEE — The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion will be held on Sunday, Feb. 21, at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee.
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison will preside.
In this Church season of Lent, its primary purpose intensifies the time of preparation for those seeking Baptism.
Now that Lent has come upon us, it’s time to start this sacred work.
A call to join the Church
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (no. 64), which was promulgated during the Second Vatican Council, called for a revision of several of the rituals of our Church.
Part of this included the Baptismal rites for adults and children.
In 1988, an adult ritual was promulgated called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults which is commonly called RCIA.
Since that time, some or all of the RCIA has been used in parishes throughout the world.
There are a number of possible ways that the RCIA can be used, regarding a person’s status (never baptized, baptized but never catechized, etc.)
The Church tries to maintain a distinction between those who are not yet baptized and those who have been baptized even if another denomination.
At the beginning of Lent, the men and women seeking Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are presented to the bishop by their godparents who testify to their readiness.
After the testimony of the godparents, the gathered community adds their assent and support.
Finally, the bishop asks the catechumens if this is what they desire.
If so, he asks them to sign their name in a large Book of the Elect.
In our diocese, this large book has over 20 years of handwritten names of the elect.
Once a person is declared a member of the elect after signing the book of the elect, their initiation is only a few weeks away.
Were they to die, God forbid, they would receive a full Catholic funeral.
‘Chosen’
The word “election” or “elect” is not used in a political sense in any way during the liturgy.
Here elect is used in a sense of “chosen.”
God has chosen these people to become part of his community.
The phrase “Call to Continuing Conversion” makes up the second major part of the liturgy and is for those, usually from other denominations, who already have been baptized.
These people are called “candidates.”
As a person baptized in the name of God, Father, Son, and Spirit, we acknowledge the dignity and validity of their Baptisms already, so we don’t treat them as if they haven’t been Baptized.
Preparations because of COVID-19
Preparations for COVID-19 have been made.
Congregants will be spaced according to a seating chart.
The church seats about 1,000 and we will have about 250 participants.
Participants must wear masks.
Each person who signs the Book of the Elect will get a clean pen which they may keep.
There will be music but, unfortunately, no singing.
Patrick Gorman is the director of the Office of Worship in the Diocese of Madison.