PORTAGE – The parish community of Nativity of Our Savior is preparing to celebrate with 15 individuals who will be receiving sacraments for the first time during the upcoming Easter season. Seven of those will be students of Nativity of Our Savior School, bringing the total number of elect and candidates to the highest seen from the church.
Tatiana Williams, a seventh grader, began attending Nativity in the fourth grade. Her parents were Catholic but allowed her and her siblings to choose their own beliefs. They placed her at the private school in Portage for the education, but explained that it was her decision if she chose to practice the faith.
Although she was interested in being baptized, she kept putting it off until this year. Her desire to receive the sacraments of baptism, Eucharist and confirmation increased with the recent passing of her father.
“I knew I needed to do this,” she said. “I wouldn’t say it was a coping mechanism, but I knew if I got closer to God, he would help me, and I would begin to heal.”
Williams said her family has been a big source of support, as they always hoped she would enter into the Church. She feels that going through the preparations helped her become a better person and gave her knowledge she can use to spread God’s love to others.
“Without forcing religion too hard, I hope to turn more people to Christ and continue to grow as a person,” she said.
Classmate Alan Velazquez was baptized but wanted to receive the Eucharist and be confirmed. The coronavirus pandemic and scheduling conflicts prevented it from taking place.
“I’ve been wanting to do it, and got the chance to do it this year, so I went for it,” he said.
Velazquez said that while he always felt close to God, his faith has grown since attending Nativity. He has enjoyed learning more about Jesus and appreciates the help of his parents and teachers during the process. He sees receiving the additional sacraments as a responsible step in his faith journey.
“If I want to get married in the Church, it’ll be easier,” he said. “And if someone picks me as their sponsor, I would be ready.”
Student Josh Selio said he was introduced to Catholicism by his uncle and grandma. His grandma watches Mass on TV every Sunday, and he wanted to watch it with her to better understand.
Selio stated he was excited to receive the Body of Christ in church and be part of the faith community. But that was not the only thing he was looking forward to.
“I'm gonna be protected by all the saints and by God,” Selio said.
Niko Reyes, a seventh grader, was introduced to the faith through his family and recalls his dad taking him to Catholic Mass in Spanish. Now, during his first year enrolled at Nativity, Reyes has become more active within his faith. He said there are many aspects of the faith he likes, but studying Bible stories that involve miracles is his favorite.
“I like seeing how cool it is that God could do those things,” he said.
Reyes shared that after receiving the sacraments, he plans to continue using the power of prayer. He looks forward to increasing his prayer life – praying for any family member or friend who may be going through a difficult time, in addition to asking for peace in the world.
“I will ask God to give them love, peace and physical strength,” he said.
Reyes’ brother, Noah, likewise watched members of his family, including his mom and great aunt, share the faith together and wanted to learn more. Upon =moving from Whiting to Portage prior to the school year, the fifth grader said he was able to make lots of friends at his new school and stated it wasn’t hard to learn about the Catholic religion.
“I still go to Mass, and the OCIA class helps a lot,” he said. “I’ve learned more about the faith and about what I should do and shouldn’t do.”
Oscar Lopez, also in fifth grade, shared that he became interested in the faith by watching his friends. He now enjoys seeing those friends at Sunday Mass and learning more about the history of Jesus’ time.
“It’s not how it was in public schools where there are a lot of bullies,” he said. “There are nicer kids here.”
When he was younger, student Karl Harnisch was watching TV when he came across Bible stories for kids and started watching them. The shows prompted discussions with his mother about the faith, and they began watching more movies about Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Harnisch said his religious beliefs grew slowly over time. As an eighth grader, he appreciates how the faith encourages people to be open and share their feelings with one another.
“I feel like God has his path for me,” he said. “I feel it’s important to trust in him.”
Marian Weeks, coordinator of Christian initiation for children, praised the group of students for their commitment to attend class and Mass each Sunday and their willingness to volunteer for church activities like the Santa’s Breakfast in December and Souper Bowl collection in February.
Principal Sally Skowronski applauded the efforts of Weeks, who takes the time to personally reach out to students and families who might be interested in completing the sacraments.
Skowronski also gives credit to Father Kevin McCarthy. She said the pastor’s energy and excitement about the faith are infectious and stated he welcomes all of the children to be active participants. She noted that his homilies at school Mass are engaging, and the students are eager to answer questions.
In addition, Skowronski said the teachers at Nativity are wonderful role models of the faith.
“We are intentional about our Catholic identity being at the core of all we do, and it gets the students excited to explore their relationship with our Lord even more,” she said.
Last year, three students were baptized for the first time at an all-school Mass, creating a special moment for the entire school. Skowronski believes Nativity is a welcoming faith community, and “that is what draws people in.” She remains proud that these students have answered a call to their hearts and is grateful that their families also support them in this journey.
“This is just another reason why Catholic education is so special,” Skowronski said. “The opportunities to grow as a person beyond academics and making this commitment to spiritual growth is life-changing.”
