HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL
Keener Family Shares Inspirin A
The Keener family 4
few years ago, when Ron Keener was in the Army, Christ reached His arms out to him in an extraordinary way. “Our journey to the Catholic faith began when I was training Air Force pilots, and a couple of them were faithful Catholics who did a very good job at explaining and living out the Catholic faith,” Ron says. “They were really stewards of the Church, and they were willing to answer all of my questions. This really lit a fire in my heart that I took back to my wife and son.” Divine Providence worked its wonders, and other people were also put into their path to help carry the Keeners “home to Rome.” “My sister and brother-in-law were also Catholic, and he died about a year ago,” Ron says. “Soon after going to his Catholic funeral service, my son said he really wanted us to consider becoming Catholic, so we decided to seriously look into it.” Although little seeds of faith had already been planted in their souls, the Keeners wanted to nurture them and bring them to fruition. “We tried several different parishes, and we just happened to visit Holy Family the same time they were having their Becoming Catholic classes,” Ron says. “We felt at home here, and we started coming to the classes right away that August. We are very happy with what we have found!” Becoming Catholic is Holy Family Cathedral’s program for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA. The process of RCIA was established for the universal Church for individuals to become Catholic and receive the Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. This initiation process also involves a parish community experiencing a renewal in faith as it prepares and welcomes new members into the Church. “The weekly classes brought us through a good, long journey,” Ron says. “We covered a lot of information, but I know there is room for a lot more. I am very interested in the Catholic faith and I plan on studying a lot more about it, and maybe even going back to Becoming Catholic classes next year as a sponsor, or just to learn more.” Throughout the Becoming Catholic process, the Keener family eagerly looked forward to the Easter Vigil. After receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time,
