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THE RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: Lighting the Way on the Journey to the Catholic Church
We will soon celebrate Easter, the most important day in the liturgical year. Here at Blessed Sacrament, we are blessed to have five people who are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. This will be a very special celebration for them and their sponsors. All five are currently going through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process.
The classes started in September 2021 and have continued each Wednesday. RCIA will culminate at the Easter Vigil when three catechumens will receive Baptism, the Eucharist, and Confirmation. Two candidates are already baptized, so they will receive the Eucharist and Confirmation.
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“It’s so neat to go through this process because we form a strong community with the group,” says Deb Wetzel, Director of Religious Formation.
Each of the five has one sponsor who has been attending classes with them. It’s preferred that their sponsor not be a spouse or fiancée. Ultimately, each gets to choose their sponsor.
Deb invites anyone who wants to learn more about the Catholic faith to attend RCIA classes — and it’s not just for those new to the faith. While she was raised Catholic, Deb stopped practicing for 18 years. When her grandmother, Marie Wetzel, passed away, Deb was sitting in the front row at the funeral. Marie had helped teach Deb the Catholic faith. Realizing her grandmother would be disappointed, Deb started attending RCIA the next week and was asked to join the leadership team. And even Deb’s mother, Genevieve Wetzel, joined the Catholic church at age 78.
“I’ve been trying to make my grandmother proud ever since,” Deb says.
The Easter Vigil is Deb’s favorite Mass of the year — she hasn’t missed an Easter Vigil in 29 years! It’s always rewarding for her to see the catechumens and candidates receive the sacraments after walking with them through the RCIA process over the previous months. She most enjoys teaching about Mary, the Eucharist, and the Communion of Saints.
“It means a lot to me to be present when they receive the sacraments,” she says. “We are a very sacramental church. It’s fun to teach them some of the ways we stand apart as Catholics.”
However, RCIA doesn’t end with the Easter Vigil. Deb tries to encourage all of the participants to get involved in a ministry at Blessed Sacrament.
“When RCIA is over, it can be a letdown,” Deb says. “We want to encourage participation so they don’t get disconnected. Your faith means more to you when you are involved.”
The participants and sponsors will meet for one more week after the Easter Vigil to enjoy ice cream and cake and to discuss the Vigil. Deb asks that we all pray for the catechumens and candidates as we get closer to Easter. If you see them at church, be sure to make them feel welcome!
Please visit blsachurch.net/sacraments to learn more about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process, or call Deb Wetzel at 308-395-8521 for more information.
Gabe Milhon enters the church at Easter Vigil 2021.
Alexis Ronquillo-Perez was baptized at Easter Vigil 2021.
