GARY – In declaring more than 40 Diocese of Gary catechumens as “the elect” at a joyous Rite of Election service on Feb. 26, Bishop Robert J. McClory also issued the soon-to-be-baptized Catholics a challenge to use their journey to full membership in the Catholic Church as an inspiration to lead others into a lifesaving relationship with God.
“My prayer for you is that you will be that spark for someone else – wife, parent, friend – as someone was for you,” said Bishop McClory. “Being a (follower of Christ) is a beautiful way to live (in God’s love), and you can share that love with others.”
Referring to the day’s first reading (Romans 10:8-13), the bishop noted that Jesus died to save all of us: “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
“This is about nothing but the saving of your life – like a first responder who responds to a fire and goes in to battle the flames and pull people to safety, saving their lives,” said the bishop.
Bishop McClory explained that from the beginning, “God intended us to have perfection, but Adam and Eve turned away from God. But God still loved us, so he sent the prophets, but people didn’t believe them.”
When Jesus became man, added the bishop, “He lived a perfect life, which made up for all of our sins, and through his death and resurrection, all the sins we committed (were washed away) by the saving waters of salvation.
“(God) not only didn’t say we were going to die (by turning away from him in the Garden), but he gave us a beautiful way to live …
“We say thank you, thank you Jesus, for saving me,” Bishop McClory said. “(We say) I want to follow you and live that kind of life, the best life I could live.”
The Rite of Election marks a turning point in the catechetical instruction, prayer and spiritual practice of unbaptized adults committed to becoming Catholics. The rite, ordinarily held on the first Sunday of Lent, is the third of four rituals observed as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
After completing the Rite of Election, “the elect” continue a period of purification and enlightenment throughout Lent, the final preparation for the reception at the Easter Vigil Mass of the sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation, and Holy Communion.
For elect Cody Triscik, of Valparaiso, the RCIA instruction has been largely an affirmation of his early upbringing in the Catholic faith by his paternal grandparents, whose move to Georgia ended his formal relationship with the Church. “Years and years went by, and more and more I personally wanted to return to the Church,” Triscik said. “My girlfriend Andrea Wick, who I hope will be my fiancée someday, is Catholic and I hope we will raise our children together as Catholics.”
Participating in the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels had special significance for Triscik since it will be his home parish, where he has been taking formation classes with Father Mike Surufka, rector, alongside sponsor Raynald Grady of Gary.
“Father Mike teamed us up; it is my first time (as a baptismal sponsor),” said Grady, who called the best part of the process “meeting Cody, who is like my extended family now. Getting other people’s perspectives on the Word at our faith formation meetings on Sunday mornings has been great.”
Grady added that he would “absolutely” serve as a sponsor/godparent again.
Lisa Maciejewski, a parishioner at St. John the Evangelist in St. John, her hometown, agreed that meeting Michelle Hanrahan, whom she is sponsoring, has been the best part of the RCIA process. “I had been helping my parish with the Discovery to Catholicism program and we were attending meetings together before we were paired up,” she said. “I love my faith, so the thought of bringing Michelle into the faith is wonderful.”
Hanrahan, a Schererville resident, grew up in Calumet City, Ill. with parents who were non-practicing Catholics, but occasionally attended CCD classes with friends. “I loved it, but had no family involvement. It has been a lifelong journey to get to this point, and being able to receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time is what I look forward to most. My three sons are baptized, and I’m hoping my baptism will encourage my parents to come back to the Church.”
Brandi Wheeler, of Merrillville, will be surrounded by family when she is baptized at St. Mary in Crown Point, as she was at the Rite of Election.
Her stepmother, Ramona Wheeler-Arocho, of Valparaiso and Our Lady of Sorrows parish, and her grandfather, Xavier Rodriguez, of Crown Point and Holy Spirit in Winfield, are Wheeler’s godparents/sponsors.
“I had always attended Mass, and Brandi was raised as a Catholic, but somehow was never baptized. Later, I stopped attending church, but when she asked me to be her godmother, I felt I had to go to confession and come back to church, and now I feel back at home again,” said Wheeler-Arocho.
“Learning more about the religion,” has been the most rewarding part of RCIA instruction for Wheeler, who added, “I didn’t know how good I would feel going to church (again).”
Rodriguez said he and his granddaughter “have more ties to each other” now that he is her godfather. “I am more than glad,” he said.
One of the youngest members of the 2023 class of the elect is Nicholas Hurst, 10, a fifth-grader at Aquinas Catholic Community School in Merrillville, which has a history of celebrating new Catholics among its student body.
The son of Mike and Marisa Hurst, of Merrillville, will be joining Holy Martyrs parish after his baptism at the Easter Vigil liturgy, and he knows why he wants to be a Catholic. “When God got tempted by the Devil, God said no to all the temptations. He always loves us, no matter what,” said Nicholas Hurst.
Smiling proudly next to the youngster was his sponsor, Marie Wilson, the office/finance manager at Aquinas School. “I’ve known him since his first day of school, and he asked me to be his sponsor,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see so many young people (at Aquinas) becoming Catholic,” added Wilson, who supports students’ interest in the faith along with principal Lisa Gutierrez.