“Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 122
GARY – “Congratulations … as you go one step further along the way to receiving the sacraments,” Bishop Robert J. McClory greeted 47 candidates to The Rite of Call to Continuing Conversion on Nov. 20 at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels.
All previously baptized as Christians, but have yet to receive subsequent Catholic sacraments including Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation, the candidates were accompanied by their sponsors and family members as they were presented to the bishop by Deacon Michael Halas, affirmed by their sponsors and formally recognized by Bishop McClory.
“I want to commend all of you for the preparations you’ve taken so far, coming to Catholic Mass, your experiences and saying ‘Yes,’ this is what I want for me,” the bishop said. “You may have been influenced by a friend, neighbor, fiancé, husband, wife or grandparent, and that’s a beautiful place to be.”
Likening their position to that of a friend who recently became a U.S. citizen, the bishop noted that the Solemnity of Christ the King “is a good time to reflect on the citizenship to (the) Kingdom of God – not citizenship in a civic way – but as you receive more of the sacraments you’ll understand more, realize it’s a better way to live, and say ‘Yes’ to the Kingdom of God.
“There are not many places where we are asked to stand up and publicly state our intention like you are doing today in this beautiful cathedral,” Bishop McClory added. “Continuing conversion is something all of us should want, but we don’t all have to stand up (as you have been asked to do).
“There is a better way (to live), and today you take one step closer to that beautiful reality. This is a beautiful encounter with God.”
Candidate George Barceinas of Summit, Ill., who is joining St. Francis Xavier in Lake Station, said he was baptized Catholic as a child and recently “felt a calling to have Jesus Christ in my body and soul, to be forgiven by Him, and to be received in His Kingdom.”
He said he prayed to God when he was “pretty sick with a lung condition, and he helped me heal, so now I have to continue praying.”
His aunt, Luz Anaya, a St. Francis Xavier parishioner, said she feels “very happy” to be Barceinas’ sponsor. “I am learning a lot in the classes, too.”
Bob Kallen, a cradle Catholic from Valparaiso and a member of St. Paul, admitted to being “very happy” his wife Cindy Kallen will soon join him in full communion with the Church. “My grandfather was the custodian at St. Joseph in Hammond and lived in the rectory, Kallen recalled. “I would come over and ring the bells. It will be great to complete our family of Catholics.”
Cindy Kallen raised their children as Catholics, she said, and now feels it is time to join them. “I want to be able to receive Holy Communion,” she said. “I like all of the Catholics that I know (who) are so committed to the Church, and I’ve learned the reasons behind the rituals. I have also grown stronger in prayer” while studying the faith.
Emily Kelly, of Chesterton and St. Patrick, was baptized Methodist but looks forward to joining her husband, Jon Kelly, as a Catholic. “I’ve gotten a wonderful appreciation for the Church by joining his family of Catholics, and I look forward to joining them,” she said. “I have learned a lot of interesting things in the Bible and about the history of Catholicism, and I’m still learning. It is all so new to me, but the way it comes together makes sense.”
Chris Hooks, of Valparaiso, also joining St. Patrick, was baptized Methodist but wants to be united in faith with his wife, who was raised at St. Patrick, as the couple get ready to start a family.
In his studies, Hooks added, “I have really been impressed and learned a lot about the Church as a global organization. “It’s nice to have that unification and know that no matter where you go, the Mass is the same and the rituals are the same. It makes me feel part of a greater community.”
Hooks’ sponsor is Paul Neely, who belongs to a ministry at St. Patrick that supports candidates to the faith. “I always say that I learn more than I give to the ministry; leading others to the faith has a way of bringing us back in, too,” he said. “Chris is a solid guy and has been faithful to his studies.
“We grow by helping others know,” Neely noted.
Gloria Foldenauer, a Portage resident planning to join Our Lady of Sorrows in Valparaiso, was baptized into the Nazarene church and is joining the Catholic Church along with her sister, Cynthia Kolivas. “We decided to do it together,” she said.
Foldenauer’s sponsor, Sue Delhaye of Portage, is part of Our Lady of Sorrows’ ministry to guide new Catholics. “This is my third time, and I just want to help people,” Delhaye said. “I didn’t know Gloria before, but she is very enthusiastic about the Catholic faith and eager to learn.”
Foldenauer said her husband is Catholic and she has “always wanted to join the Catholic Church. When I was young, the church was always open and was a place of safety. It gave me peace.”