RCIA Summer Conference offers help in reaching the faith-seekers

By Gabrielle Nolan

The Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Christian Formation hosted its annual RCIA Summer Conference at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City on June 24.

The conference theme was “Leading them Home: Catechetical and Pastoral Insights for the Divorced and Seeking,” and speakers Tyler Ross and Deacon Bill Jacobs discussed evangelization methods to reach out to those who desire full communion with the Catholic Church.

Deacon Jim Bello, diocesan director of Christian Formation, welcomed nearly 50 RCIA catechists and deacons to the summer conference.

“The reason today is so important is because I think a lot of us hear all the time that we as

And while state standardized tests reveal that a majority of third-graders in public schools are lagging in reading, Dr. Prater said that isn’t the case in diocesan schools.

“Our students are being assessed,” she said. “Our Catholic school students have done better than the rest of the nation during the pandemic, especially in reading and math.”

A choice of schools

Dr. Prater has for years sought to make school choice available across the state, and for the past decade she has been actively working for universal school choice or an educational savings account program.

And as she left the superintendent position, she saw the partial fruit of her labor as the state of Tennessee approved an educational savings account program for Hamilton County schools, which include Notre Dame High School, St. Jude School, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School.

She is hopeful and confident that in time the state’s school choice program will be adopted statewide, something she believes will be a victory for parents and students.

“In our faith, our Catholic Church, we’re the only Christian church that actually has documents that say parents are the first educators of their children. It is a parent’s responsibility to educate their children. We’re the only church with documents that spell that out. This is a belief tenet that we hold as Catholics, and I am very proud of that,” Dr. Prater said. “I also believe that all children have a right to a good education. As a country, that is what we need to strive for. It is the government’s responsibility to provide avenues for that, to provide funding, to provide help. But it’s the parents’ responsibility to figure out what that looks like for their schools, whether it’s homeschooling, whether it’s faithbased schooling.”

Dr. Prater explained that the program now available to the diocesan schools in Chattanooga is not a voucher program, it is an educational savings account. She noted that Arizona and West Virginia were leaders among states in doing universal school choice.

The Diocese of Knoxville’s new schools superintendent, Mary Ann Deschaine, formerly was superintendent for Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston schools in West Virginia from 2018-23 and superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Saginaw, Mich., from 2011-18.

Dr. Prater also explained that universal school choice means parents receive a set amount of money that can be used for educational purposes. Funds can be

Assisting those seeking the faith Deacon Bill Jacobs gives a presentation during the RCIA Summer Conference on how to engage people inquiring about Catholicism and encourage them in their faith journey

Catholics have a way of telling people they can’t come into the Church,” Deacon Bello said. “I know as the director of Christian Formation for the diocese, and as an RCIA coordinator in my parish, when that announcement is made every year that if people are still in the process of seeking a decree of nullity, they can’t come in at the Easter Vigil. And that’s generally been what we’ve told people. So, today I would like for us to open our minds and our hearts to be able to say, how can we say yes to people and help them and minister to them as they try to come back into or come to the Church. And that’s what today is about. It’s about welcoming people into this beautiful faith.” where the government can help families. That’s why I wholeheartedly believe in these educational savings accounts, and I believe that it is something that is needed to advance our students and our families across the nation,” she added. used for school tuition, books, and fees at a private school, or could be used for therapy services in speech, occupational health, or mental health. The funds also can be used for tutoring, or for a micro school that is akin to the Chesterton Academy that is beginning to serve Catholic students in the Knoxville area.

‘The one Body of Christ’ Mr. Ross, a canon lawyer and judge for the diocesan tribunal who is a parishioner at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, led two presentations for the conference.

Dr. Prater pointed out that while academics is a primary reason parents send their children to the schools they choose, safety is another important reason as are self-discipline, school environment and culture—“whether they feel safe and loved,” extracurricular and co-curricular activities, and whether students are more successful in college and their careers.

She described micro schools as small education centers that serve a smaller number of students in all grade levels. Micro schools became very popular during the pandemic when parents were looking for options as their children were learning remotely. Micro schools have been popular with homeschool parents, who have joined together to form education co-ops.

Educational savings accounts are managed by the Tennessee Department of Education and the state comptroller, but the parents are in charge of their own, Dr. Prater explained.

She noted that participation in the school choice program means responsibility for the child’s education begins with the parents. Schools taking part in the program do not have to accept a child and do not have to keep a child who is not meeting requirements.

And Tennessee’s school choice program limits the number of students who can attend each school that is taking part. Statewide, only 5 percent of students can now be enrolled in the school-choice program.

Also, she said concerns that participating students will be taking money away from public schools are not necessarily valid. The amount Tennessee is giving each student enrolled in an educational savings account is $8,179 per year. Tuition per student at Tennessee schools involved in universal school choice in many cases exceeds what the state is paying. The state also sets poverty guidelines for families taking part.

Dr. Prater said the average Tennessee expenditure per public school student per year is approximately $16,000, according to 2022 numbers. New York spends the most per public school student per year at $29,877, followed closely by Washington, D.C., Vermont, New Jersey, and Massachusetts all at more than $20,000 per public school student. She is concerned that Tennessee is well below the average.

She emphasized that the state dollars going to the Tennessee school choice program will not impact Tennessee’s public schools.

“What it will do is provide parents an opportunity to have more control over the educational services their children are getting,” she said.

She also emphasized that the program offers parents an opportunity to transfer their children from poor-performing schools to schools with excellent track records.

“It’s an issue of justice for families. Every child should be given a good education, and that should not be dictated by where they live or by the (economic) means of their parents. It’s the parents’ responsibility to make sure their children receive the best education they can, and the parents should have that right if they want a faith-based opportunity to be able to do that. If they want to homeschool their children, they should be able to do that,” she said.

“I also think that it’s going to create competition and will make all of our schools better. If the onus is now on the parents, they’re going to be like the consumer. They’re going to want to go where their child can get the best services, and where that fits with their values and morals of what they want to see taught. If students need tutoring or other programs to help them, that’s

She believes now that the issue has been decided in the Tennessee legislature, implementation of the educational savings accounts must be done effectively. She is confident the private and parochial schools that participate will be improved and that public schools will not be affected negatively.

“Are we going to get students who may have more diverse learning needs? Possibly. And we will handle those as we handle all students with diverse learning needs. If we are not serving that family, we will tell them,” she said.

Dr. Prater believes “the tide is turning” and that more states will begin offering universal school choice or educational savings accounts.

A silver lining in the dark cloud that was the COVID pandemic was that parents learned they have control and responsibility in choosing how their children are educated, Dr. Prater said.

“We saw those graces. Parents started making choices and began saying, ‘No, I’m not going to wait for this public school to open up. We’re going here or we’re going there.’ We saw this across the nation,” she said.

She explained that Shelby County and Hamilton County schools were chosen for the school choice program because each public school district has under-performing schools. She said it is unlikely that the state program is rolled out in the TriCities because those schools typically perform at a high level. And she noted that efforts were successful in Knox County to keep school choice out.

Another factor lessening the demand is that Knox County schools have a transfer policy where students can switch to another school that offers a curriculum they need or want.

“Do I think it will eventually get to the rest of East Tennessee? I do. I think in time we’re going to see this across the nation. … We’ll just have to see how it unfolds,” she said. ■ has been painted. The cafeteria is being upgraded. The chapel is being upgraded. The theater is being updated.”

He said the main administration building will be greatly enhanced from what it has been. The classrooms are nearly 60 years old. And there are plans to upgrade the school gym with a new floor, air conditioning, and painting.

“Once we do that, our main building will be in great shape,” he noted.

Deacon Armor believes the upgrades are needed, but even without them he said Notre Dame’s academic structures compare well with any Chattanooga school.

As that work continues, Notre Dame also has plans for major upgrades to its athletic facilities in addition to the gym.

Deacon Armor explained the importance of updating and expanding the school’s athletic facilities.

“The athletic facilities help us develop the child physically as part of what God calls them to be. Sports teaches leadership, sportsmanship, how to win, how to lose; it teaches you how to compete professionally. Learning how to win and lose in life is a huge lesson. Sports do that,” he noted.

“I’m not a sports junkie myself. I swam competitively in high school. But what sports taught me was how to build friendships, how to participate in a group effort, even though you may be an individual competitor. It also teaches you how to discipline yourself and how to compete against somebody in a professional, Christian way with sportsmanship. I may want to beat you, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to demonize you,” he added. “Competing is a natural thing to do. It’s inherent in what we do. And it’s important that people learn how to compete with sportsmanship and in the proper Christian way. Athletics, even if it’s at the club level or intramurals, are a component part of our own physical development.”

He said another element to athletics’ importance is that other Chattanooga high schools have sports facilities, too, so when students and parents drive onto a high school campus and see a new football stadium, swimming pool, or tennis courts, those are attractions.

“Our competitors probably have better sports facilities than we do because of our limited amount of land. It’s important for us from a curb-appeal standpoint to be able to compete with academic and athletic facilities. I don’t want to be known as a football school, but we need to be able to compete. People want to go to a sports event. People were thrilled when we went to the state championship in basketball this past season. There were three buses and a lot of people driving in cars to see the boys team play in Cookeville. That was great as a morale booster,” Deacon Armor said.

He emphasized that there is a place for sports in education, but it must be kept in check with academics.

He noted that extracurricular activities appeal to a broad spectrum of students, whether in art, music, drama, or academic clubs, and high schools should offer programs to attract the greatest number of students.

He pointed out that the school has revived its marching band, and the updating of the administration building includes new areas where student artwork can be exhibited. The school’s theater, which is part of the facility upgrade, hosts student dramas and musical performances throughout the year.

Notre Dame High School was founded in 1876 by Father Patrick Ryan and the Dominican Sisters of Nashville. Notre Dame, the oldest private high school in Chattanooga, was the first racially integrated high school in Chattanooga. Its current campus in the Glenwood neighborhood near Memorial Hospital was dedicated in 1966.

While that campus is serving the school well, expansion to accommodate student needs isn’t without challenges.

“Our greatest need is land. We essentially have one regulationsize field and that is the football field. And we wear that grass bald. We don’t have practice fields. We have a baseball field that has a little bit of an outfield, but it’s not big enough to do much with,” Deacon Armor observed.

He said the issue of available space has almost reached a critical point as Notre Dame coaches of outdoor sports are simultaneously vying for playing time on limited turf. And the school’s marching band needs room to practice.

Notre Dame has purchased three and a half lots adjacent to the campus to expand the athletic fields. Deacon Armor said the school also is working with the city of Chattanooga on the use of adjacent tennis courts and land next to those tennis courts that may be available.

“Land is the most precious thing to us right now. We just need space,” he said. “One of our strategic initiatives was a facilities master plan. And we went beyond the property we own. We drew a bigger circle and said if we were going to expand, where would we expand to? Past the tennis courts, we own one house, and there are some opportunities to expand down that street. We know where we’re going to expand so that we can keep an eye on things. Now, if we were going to put in a soccer field, we know where we would put it. And if land becomes available there, we know which pieces we want. There are some strategic places we need.”

He noted that plans call for closing off roads on campus and turning them into green spaces, but there will be a need for a service entrance. “We’re trying to do some futuristic planning on acquisitions so that we know that if something comes up how we would use that,” he said.

As Notre Dame continues work to accomplish its goals, Deacon Armor believes the pieces are in place to make those goals reality.

Now what is needed is growth in enrollment and financial support for the school.

Maintaining academic excellence

Notre Dame has the capability for solid financial support, but it has never asked for it, according to Deacon Armor, who pointed out that the cost of providing a Catholic education has skyrocketed, with teacher salaries, facilities maintenance, technology, and all the ancillary expenses putting pressure on any school’s budget.

“We have to obtain and retain quality teachers. The students and the money only come if you have the faculty that can deliver the education. We must produce an education that people will say, ‘I’m willing to pay for that,’” said the deacon, who is convinced that Notre Dame offers the highest-quality education in the Chattanooga area. “Any professional educator who looks at our statistics would say that is one heck of an education that you are producing.”

Those statistics would include grade-point averages, honors classes, dual-enrollment classes, Advanced Placement classes, ACT scores, graduation rate, and college scholarships received.

Deacon Armor points to those performance statistics to show that Notre Dame is on the rise.

Deacon Armor isn’t waiting for professional educators to ask for Notre Dame’s performance report. He is already out front in getting that information to the community. And as the school has been reluctant to actively raise money in the past, he now considers it part of the school’s mission to raise funds for the much-needed improvements.

“For whatever reason, they would never say, ‘Here’s our need,’” he said. “People want to help. Notre Dame’s biggest problem is that it never raised any money. It’s not that the education wasn’t good. It’s not that the tuition was too low. By any national standard, a private school can only charge about 75 percent of the cost of education. If you take what Notre Dame has been short, it’s about 25 percent.”

According to Deacon Armor, some 60 percent of Notre Dame’s students receive tuition assistance. He believes these students wouldn’t have the opportunity for that quality education somewhere else. “We have a 99-percent college-acceptance rate. And a lot of those kids who couldn’t afford to go to high school have a college scholarship today because of Notre Dame. That is about as much of a mission of the Church as there could be,” he said.

As part of Notre Dame’s bold initiatives, there are plans to increase the school’s academic scholarship endowment from $1.2 million to $3.2 million.

The clergyman who for years worked in management for health insurer Blue Cross believes it’s time for Notre Dame to set aside a small part of its Christian humility and sing the school’s praises: a 100-percent graduation rate, 14 courses with dual enrollment that allow students to get college credits, Advanced Placement classes, students who receive appointments to the military academies and entrance into Ivy League colleges, students who receive athletic scholarships, and students with high ACT scores.

“The foundation has always been there, but I think they have not pushed the quality of education that is there. That isn’t anything new. In recent years, the school has been an excellent educational institution,” he said.

“I think Notre Dame is almost a hidden gem in education. We have not communicated our strengths and our accomplishments. I think for anybody who is looking for a quality education that is not a public school, then the academics at Notre Dame for the tuition is second to none. A private school, or a Catholic school, is not for everybody. But if you’re looking for a quality education above a public school, you won’t find better value for the money with the type of culture that we have.”

As Deacon Armor preaches the message of Notre Dame High School, he makes sure those listening Catholic or non-Catholic know that faith is what grounds Catholics and Christians in their approach to life and that they understand there is something after this life that they prepare for.

“Not everybody is Catholic in a Catholic school. Those who are other than Catholic appreciate the Christian values and the culture there that is not in a public school. If you don’t have values, you’re not going to value your neighbor or your coworkers. I think students come out of Notre Dame with a value system and appreciation for other humans as equal in God’s creation, and they wouldn’t get that someplace else. We’re having an effect on kids who are other than Catholic,” he said.

He describes a Notre Dame education as “a slight investment for an entire future.”

“I believe parents have an obligation to educate their kids and raise them to be what God wants them to be. I think the best way to do that is in a Catholic school. In the absence of religion or Christian teaching, there is a void of value systems. Catholic schools provide something that we need: values to develop the whole person,” he noted. “All parents, no matter what their socioeconomic position is, want the best for their children ”

“If we want the best for our kids, the best way to get that is quality education body, mind, and soul well-rounded with knowledge to succeed in the world. A Catholic education is going to provide parents and their children the best opportunity to be a success in life,” he continued. “I think that God has a special place in His heart for children. He refers to them in the Bible all the time. And I think that He expects us to raise and educate our children to know Him, which is truth and love. I think the best way we can do that is through a Catholic education.” ■

How It Works

though you’re not teaching, because of the transition, you have been doing your own share of moving boxes and all that. The job aside, how has moving down to Tennessee been going for you?

MD: It’s been wonderful. My husband and I have been roadies. We drove from West Virginia to Knoxville, unloaded, and then (we’re) kind of fi guring out our way around town. Things have been going well.

JW: What struck you about this diocese, and why did you decide at this point in your career to make the move down here?

MD: Knoxville is a very vibrant area. It is growing. Just seeing the interaction, the people, all the building that is going on, it is an up-and-coming area. I believe it has a great growth mindset, and I am excited to be a part of that. I think “forward thinking” is part of any dynamic that needs to be occurring right now, and there are changes that are happening, and I like change. Change is good.

JW: We’re still a small diocese. We’re a mission diocese. There is a sense of optimism about what can be done, what has been done, and where this diocese might be heading. Clearly, schools are a big part of that equation.

MD: I think there are opportunities for growth, and there are a lot of things going on at the state level through parent choices and being able to take (education funds) with them, and our non-public schools are an option, but more importantly, our Catholic schools are becoming options for that through educational savings accounts and new ways of thinking about educating our children; we’re able to take advantage of that.

I think that our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Knoxville are poised to do that. There is so much growth that can happen, and that is a positive thing. That’s a positive thing for our faith, specifi cally.

JW: The growth in Catholic schools [is] in this part of the country. The numbers aren't good [elsewhere], but here things are really on an uptick, and I know the diocese has been a part of that. One of the things I heard from you when you were speaking to new employees [on July 26], was to ‘ teach Jesus.’ That was one of your opening salvos.

MD: My focus coming in is that we are here to teach Jesus in our Catholic schools. But more importantly, too, is to teach Jesus in preparing souls for the kingdom.

You can go anywhere and get your academics. I kind of said this at the new employee orientation. There are homeschools, there are online schools, there are public schools, there are non-public schools, there are a fl avor-fl av of whatever type of Christian school that you would like, but we are Catholic schools, and our ultimate goal has to be to prepare those souls for the kingdom, and then it’s the athletics, or the academics, or the extra-curricular, and I think that’s what our focus has to be, and it is here in the Diocese of Knoxville.

It is preparing those souls for the kingdom, it’s the infusion of our Catholic faith in every subject area, and everything that we do on and off the fi eld, in the pews at church, in the desk at school. It is ‘teach Jesus’ and prepare our souls for the kingdom.

JW: Can you discuss your superintendent experience, how it started, and what eventually brought you to Knoxville?

MD: I am going to go back a little bit. I went to public schools, and then I came back to Catholic schools. I chose to go into Catholic schools in a superintendency position in the Diocese of Saginaw, Mich. There are seven dioceses in Michigan, and I was in the middle one; it is across the middle of the state.

I was fortunate when I was there that I had a bishop who encouraged me to take on additional leadership roles, so I was also president of the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools. I wore that hat, which included nonpublic schools of any faith.

After that, I meandered down to West Virginia. That was defi nitely a faith-fi lled mission. I was there for fi ve years. Now I have come here, and I am with the Diocese of Knoxville starting out another career with different tools, and I am going to use those going forward.

JW: You spent seven years in Saginaw and then you transitioned to take the superin-

Essays continued from page A6 love for his flock, he should be recognized as a saint.”

To write the essay, Julian, who is 11, used a number of sources.

“We got a bunch of books and mainly online sources,” Julian said. “There’s a video of Bishop (Richard F.) Stika at a council of bishops, and there was another video of a representative of Tennessee talking about him.”

Julian learned many interesting facts about the heroic priest, but two stood out to him.

“Two main things were that it was dangerous what he was doing because at the time you got $25 if you handed over someone who was taking care of someone with yellow fever tendent position in the Diocese of WheelingCharleston. As someone who has been through those transitions, how has that helped you prepare for this transition into this diocese?

MD: I come with a lot of different tools to address different needs. It has always been a learning experience. I was with a diocese that had 13 schools and went to a diocese with 24 schools.

I have learned along the way, but I think that’s OK. I think that life is a journey, and it is all about experiences and knowing what you do well and how you can do better. But it is building upon what is in place, and I hopefully have those skills to help people say, “you’re doing this great, but have you thought about this next? Where are you going with it? I can help you with that because this is a little bit of what I did, and let’s see where you can take it.”

JW: Was there something you learned in Saginaw and then in Charleston that you will use now that you have come here to Knoxville?

MD: Sure. I think part of it is helping people to grow in their profession, to help them grow in their faith. So, I think it's steppingstones along the way. I am always about taking people to the next level and helping them to experience life and to be the better person that Jesus wants you to be. I think everyone has their own tool belt, and I’d like to add some tools to their belt for them.

JW: What is it about education that excites you?

MD: It’s the kids, about seeing their potential. When you see their eyes light up when you have done that experiment in science class, or you have the little guy who fi nally ties his shoes by himself, those are important steps along the way. That’s what I get a kick out of.

It doesn’t matter if they’re older kids doing well on an exam or if it’s watching a play and having that shy kid get up there and sing that song and be the lead. That’s what it’s about. It’s about growing these kids and seeing what potential is in them and helping them unlock that along the way.

JW: You have only been on the job for a few days now, but I do want to talk about a few issues with the understanding that you are still getting to know Knoxville, and Knoxville is still getting to know you. Let’s talk a little bit about this diocese and nationwide with what is going on with Catholic schools. You mentioned educational savings accounts. How do you see that playing out, and what role would the diocese have in something like that?

MD: I think it’s great that states are looking at different opportunities for us as taxpayers to be able to have the funds follow the child. I think it’s important having non-public schools, faith-based schools having access to those funds.

I started off in Michigan, and we weren’t able to have the funds follow the kids, but when I was with the Association of Non-Public Schools, we really pushed to have some of those funds used to support programming or teachers that were able to provide services for students. From that step it has evolved a little bit more.

In West Virginia, they had just implemented a program called the Hope Scholarship program in which the funds would follow the children to whatever they wanted to do, including homeschooling. That’s a little bit different than other states. Homeschools may not have been a part of that mix.

Here in Tennessee, what I have seen so far, it’s similar to having the funds follow the children, but it’s county-based, and I think as soon as they get it under their belt and experiment with it a little bit more and fi gure out the bugs or someone who had yellow fever and hadn’t gone into the mountains or some isolated place. And then the other thing was that the bell that he used, and the one that is now in St. Peter and Paul’s Basilica, was his bell, and it was a second-class relic. Which means that if he gets canonized, the sound waves coming from the bell are third class relics.”

After watching his sister win the same competition last year, Julian was eager to hear about his victory. When asked how he found out he won, he responded, “This is a funny story. So, I was mowing the lawn and Mom got a text from Mrs. Hargett that Anna had won, so Mom decided to check one last time and saw that I won. Then she figures that she that are always inherent when you start something, I think it is going to go and be almost a state-wide program. We have opportunities... not just for tuition, but other support services. As Catholic schools, we can be that provider of those services, and I think that that’s an opportunity that we need to investigate.

JW: Parents have always been involved in the education of their children. It seems like they have become a little more vocal and a little more assertive. Do you see that in the Catholic school system like we’ve seen it in the public school system, or has it been different?

MD: I think that for parents right now, it’s changing, even from when I was in the classroom 20 years ago. It has evolved. I think parents want to be heard. They’re not as passive. I think that is important.

Parents are the primary educators of their children… that is grounded in everything that we do. I think that it’s nice that it is out there now, that people are listening to that.

JW: Safety is always something that comes up. Anything you can say to ease some minds as we head into the school year?

MD: In fact, at the orientation meeting, we had a lot of resource offi cers there, and that was a pleasant surprise. I haven’t experienced that in my other positions.

I was just reading about how the governor has put out a grant opportunity for our nonpublics, and our schools have applied for that. I am encouraged by that, and we do have safety plans for the schools. So, as I get my feet wet and start seeing what is going on, we’ll have further discussions. It is safety and it is education.

JW: How has the role of superintendent changed over your career?

MD: I think it has changed that there are more opportunities out there and we have to become aware of that. By that, I mean the public sector is supporting our roles in a different way. There are more grant opportunities, so we have to be in tune with that.

We also have to do a lot more on the political side. There is a lot more lobbying that is being done. There is a lot more, not just parent’s voices, but as non-public, faith-based institutions, our voices have to be heard out there, too. Our numbers are growing as far as who we represent, and our voices need to be listened to also.

JW: Is there anything else you would like to comment on?

MD: The message I have is that we prepare souls for the kingdom, and that is our major goal, but we also prepare our kids to move forward. They are global citizens who are prepared to face the challenges that are going to be out there. Our world is changing, and we help them change to meet their needs.

JW: I know that you have met with school leaders, the principals, and the presidents. Have you had an opportunity to get around the diocese yet?

MD: It is getting on the calendar. Within the fi rst month my goal is to go to all the schools, attend Mass at the schools, and meet the staff. I like to be an unannounced presence sometimes, so if you are a principal, I will be showing up at your door (laughs).

JW: Maybe unannounced is good (laughs). They won’t get nervous, and you get a better taste for what’s going on. Good luck with the new school year.

MD: Thank you. I am very excited to see what God has in store for all of us. ■

Listen to this and other episodes of the “ Inside the Diocese of Knoxville ” podcast by visiting https://dioknox.org/podcasts better not tell me while I’m mowing the lawn or else I’m gonna like, go crazy.”

After waiting through a few distractions, including a nest of baby rabbits, a lawn mower on the fritz, and a phone call, Julian overheard his mom talking on the phone about him winning.

“I’m putting the dogs back outside,” Julian recalled, “and I overhear that I won, so I just ran around the yard screaming.”

With his winnings, Julian invested in new golf equipment. He also hopes to bring a showing of the new movie, “Father Ryan: A Higher Call,” to Holy Ghost so that more people can hear the story of the courageous priest. ■

His first presentation, “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: How Protestants Are Already Catholic,” reflected on the nature of baptism and how best to serve unbaptized versus baptized people in RCIA.

Mr. Ross read a selection of the Catechism of the Catholic Church from paragraph 1267: “Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ: ‘Therefore… we are members one of another.’ Baptism incorporates us into the Church. From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations, cultures, races, and sexes: ‘For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.’”

“Protestant baptisms, with a few exceptions, are valid baptisms,” Mr. Ross said. “And so, if their baptisms work, the passage I just read from the Catechism applies to them as well. They, too, are baptized into the same Body of Christ, made members of the same Church.”

“Theologically speaking, any Protestant who is baptized is actually baptized into the Catholic Church. Why? Because there is no other church, and there is no other baptism. You’re baptized into the one Body of Christ, which is constituted by the one Church of Christ,” Mr. Ross explained.

“So, in this way, all baptized Protestants are already Catholics… but of course, they are only what the Catechism calls ‘imperfectly united’ into the one Church of Christ. ... One must also believe everything contained in the deposit of faith, as well as submit to the lawful authority," Mr. Ross said.

“Protestants are baptized, but they don’t believe everything contained in the deposit of faith, nor do they submit to the lawful authority. The Eastern Orthodox are baptized and believe, basically, everything contained in the deposit of faith, but they reject the lawful authority, right, the pope. Only in the Catholic Church does one find the fullness of the Christian religion, fullness of sacraments, fullness of faith or belief, and fullness of authority. Nevertheless, the dignity imparted at baptism is not lost on Prot estants. We can affirm both of those things: they are imperfectly united, but they are united,” he added.

Mr. Ross noted that in addition to RCIA classes at the basilica, there is a separate track called mystagogia.

The RCIA group contains unbaptized and baptized people, while the mystagogia group contains those who are baptized and evangelized and catechized.

“One of the great benefits to what I’ll now refer to as the mystagogia program or mystagogia track is that it can be tailored to the unique needs of the evangelized and catechized,” Mr. Ross said.

He shared with the catechists that there is no requirement that baptized Christians wait until the Easter Vigil to come into the Church.

“It appears that the Church even deems it preferable to receive these candidates as soon as they’re disposed,” he said.

Mr. Ross asked the crowd how that would look in a practical parish setting: Could there be multiple times during the year for confirmations? Could the overall timeframe commitment be shorter for those candidates who are more prepared?

For the mystagogia track at the basilica, Mr. Ross created a curriculum for two-hour classes over a span of 12 weeks. There are three cycles per year, with a month break in between.

Mystagogia differs from the traditional RCIA classes in both timeframe and length of topics. There are challenges, as well, such as integrating the candidates into parish life in a smaller timeframe, and a separate mystagogia track can require more time from staff or more staff in general.

“We have had a great success with the mystagogia program at the basilica,” Mr. Ross shared. “In four cycles, as I mentioned, we have taught 44 people, all of whom who were received into full communion.”

“My hope now is that we can all take these ideas, pray on them, and discern together how best to show Christ to everybody, meeting people where they’re at,” he said.

The indissolubility of marriage

Mr. Ross’ second presentation was titled “The Hardness of our Hearts: Becoming Catholic without a Declaration of Nullity.”

He began his talk by saying that if a person approaches RCIA with real faith and a sincere repentance of all their sins, there are no circumstances in which they should be turned away.

“What keeps people from becoming Catholic?” he asked. “One place we can start is the profession of faith… ‘I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.’ If someone can make this profession of faith, one can be Catholic. Or to say it a different way, if someone is going to become Catholic, they need to be able to say this. They need to believe as the Church believes.”

“If the Church expects this kind of faith of anyone desiring to become Catholic, not to mention everyone who is Catholic, then all who make this profession must be able to adhere to the Church’s teaching on mar riage, divorce, and remarriage,” Mr. Ross continued. “If someone cannot make this profession of faith, one cannot sincerely, at least, be Catholic. The alternative is socalled cafeteria Catholicism… I’ll take a little bit of this, a little bit of that, I’ll leave that. A faith that picks and chooses what to believe is not divine faith but rather human opinion.”

Mr. Ross discussed the Church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, quoting Scripture from Romans 7 and Mark 10.

“What is important to note here is that being unable to dissolve a marriage bond is what Jesus is pointing out is how marriage was from the beginning,” he said. “This means that today, no matter the country or religion or beliefs of the parties, if they get married, they are establishing a bond that is dissolved, as Paul says, by death alone.”

“If then the parties attempt to divorce to get remarried, what they are actually doing, per our Lord and Paul, is committing adultery,” he continued. “On the most fundamental level, even if all parties involved think they aren’t, or even if all parties involved are OK with the new union, they actually are committing adultery. Our opinion on whether something is a sin doesn’t change the fact that a given action is a sin, though it might lessen our culpability for it. Not knowing that something is a sin might mean you’re not guilty of it, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t do something wrong.”

Mr. Ross discussed his work as a judge in the diocesan marriage tribunal, where he interviews parties and their witnesses every day.

“When people make the statement, I need an annulment to become Catholic, it implies I as a tribunal judge am either the one preventing them from becoming Catholic because of rules or I’m somehow making them persist in their adultery, and neither of which I am doing,” he shared.

“So, what am I dancing around saying here? Well, it’s good news and bad news, depending on how it’s received. The good news is no one has to wait for a declaration of nullity in order to become Catholic. The bad news is the sin preventing such a person from becoming Catholic will require them to believe with faith that their current civil spouse is not their real spouse in the eyes of God, and to behave accordingly,” he continued.

Mr. Ross acknowledged the difficulty in having this type of conversation with RCIA participants, but he said there are some useful tactics involved in delivering the message.

“If you have the luxury of working with a group of Protestants, you can appeal to Scripture,” he said. “In no less than five places in Scripture does the Holy Spirit, through the human authors, teach us that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and vice versa.”

“If on the other hand you’re dealing with the unchurched, it can become a bit more involved. I always simply start by telling people that Catholics believe that marriage is for life, and most people when they hear that will say ‘yeah, sure, everybody believes that.’ To which I will then usually respond, well for us though, once the spouses make their vows and say till death do us part, death alone does the part. ‘So, I can’t end my own marriage?’ No, you specifically said you wouldn’t. So that’s one approach.

“Another approach I take, usually following upon that, is to help them understand why we believe God made marriage this way in the first place. This is a tactic that can work on unchurched people as well as churched people,” Mr. Ross said.

Mr. Ross tries to first talk about marriage and indissolubility before getting into the issue of divorce and remarriage, allowing the candidates and catechumens an opportunity to come to conclusions on their own.

“So, the baseline expectation for these people, as with the rest of the people in RCIA, is to assist them in believing with faith all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God,” he continued. “In the case of the divorced and remarried, it implies an acceptance of their objective state before God and a legitimate repentance, which includes a willingness to turn from the sin in which they find themselves. And this really is the only prerequisite to become Catholic, right, repent and believe.”

Mr. Ross brought up the case for annulments.

“As long as the couple is presumed to still be married to their original spouses, any romantic relationship will be adultery. But what if we can overturn that presumption? What if we can prove that the original marriages were invalid? If we can do that, then we can allow the parties to now finally get married. So, there is a possible way out, but please note, it is their own choice to take on a life of continence, which can prevent them from becoming Catholic, not a declaration of nullity.”

He also mentioned that a declaration of nullity is never a guarantee.

“It’s certainly possible that the invalidity of the previous marriage is not proven, and if it can’t be, are we to prohibit these people from joining the Church forever? No, by no means. Notice here that it is the declaration of nullity that is the fallback option, if you will. Most of us are probably operating in the reverse, neglecting to call and invite these people into the continence that Jesus is calling them to, telling them to get the annulment and only bringing up continence after they can’t make their case for nullity. That’s backwards. We have a duty as catechists to share with people the good news, which includes the good news of the indissolubility of marriage. And if we neglect to do that out of fear, their sin becomes our sin, too.

“What do we make of the parties who refuse to acknowledge their state and behave accordingly? Well, to put it simply and bluntly, they appear not to believe, I would say even to reject, what our Lord says about marriage and how He calls us to live. And as we discussed earlier, this scenario is the only one in which the Church would prohibit someone from becoming Catholic,” he said.

Mr. Ross acknowledged that the Church’s teaching is hard to hear and to teach.

“This is a hard teaching to hear, and a hard heart might be easy to come by if you’re the one being told all of this in RCIA. On the other hand, it’s also a hard teaching to teach, and a hard heart might be easy to come by if you’re afraid of the reactions you might get,” he said.

“If we’ve done our jobs well in RCIA, we would be teaching them that the Catholic Church is necessary with all the proper qualifications,” Mr. Ross continued. “But if