by Kathi Stearns

When Ryan Jones, 13, of Marietta added his signature to the Book of the Elect he declared his intention to continue his Catholic faith journey through to the Easter season.

He also recognized that this public commitment was a cause for celebration.

The ceremony he took part in, held Sunday, Feb. 13 at St. Catherine of Siena parish in Kennesaw, was the second of four in the archdiocese. Each provides people the opportunity to publicly profess their desire to become full members of the Catholic church this Easter. The four liturgies are expected to present over 700 people of diverse ages and backgrounds from the north, south, east and west areas of the archdiocese. They are formally called the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion.

Some participants are catechumens, individuals who are not baptized and who will receive all the sacraments of initiation, including baptism, at Easter Vigil services. The others are candidates, baptized Christians who will receive the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist at the Vigil Mass.

In the procession opening the Kennesaw ceremony, parish representatives from the west region entered ahead of Archbishop John F. Donoghue, each holding a Book of the Elect. Later the name of each catechumen or candidate was read aloud by the parish director of the Order of Christian Initiation.

“In whatever way God reveals His plan for you, I, at least, know that it is my honor today, as His duly appointed bishop, to bless you, to bless this process which you have begun and to offer it and all your aspirations to the glory of God who reveals Himself freely in the love of Jesus Christ, that love which we acknowledge as the only abiding truth of our lives,” Archbishop Donoghue said in his homily.

As the catechumens and candidates begin to participate in the Lenten season with the rest of the Church, the archbishop reminded them that all of the church is called to cultivate faith during Lent. “Catechumens and faithful alike are called to daily conversion and lifelong renewal. It is the bare ground of the self, the desert of the unpretentious and the childlike heart that we seek to reveal during this time of penance and restraint. This is exactly where the Church leads us during these forty days.”

The Catechumens were then presented to the community and the archbishop. Their godparents were asked to affirm that they have listened to the word of God, responded to it and have gathered in prayer with the Catholic community.

Next the candidates’ names were presented and they were described as being called to continuing conversion. Their sponsors, who will stand up for them at Confirmation, were asked to affirm that the candidates have been studying the Catholic faith and reflecting upon it, as well as meeting in common prayer. Each parish director then presented the archbishop with the Book of the Elect.

For Ryan, the choice to become Catholic is his own. Ryan, baptized a Methodist, feels that the sacraments have drawn him to the church.

“I want to be able to receive the body and blood of Christ. When I get to do that I think I’ll feel like God is watching over me,” he explained.

Ryan is happy that he has made his commitment public. “I don’t want to miss any more opportunities for prayer and communion.”

His father, Patrick Jones, is pleased about his son’s faith commitment. “I am very proud of him. I am so excited that he is developing an understanding of faith and wants to grow in a spiritual way ... I wanted him to make the decision. It is a choice he should make for himself.”

For Cheryl Hiles, a catechumen from St. Catherine of Siena, entering the Catholic Church feels like a homecoming. “When I walked into the Catholic Church two years ago I felt at home, like when you walk into your parents’ house ... The feeling was unmatched by any other experience I’ve had.” After two years of attending Mass at St. Catherine’s she decided it was time to formalize her commitment.

Family played an important role in some candidates’ decisions. For Julie Lavelle, who is engaged to be married to Kevin Kern this May, it is important that their faith be a foundation for their family. We want to raise our family in one faith. I like the tradition and history of the Catholic Church.” Raised a Presbyterian, Ms. Lavelle feels that the Church is more than a place of worship.

For Jane Whitehead, a candidate from St. Ann’s in Marietta, the desire to become Catholic stemmed from the fact that her two children and husband are Catholic. Her five-year-old has just started religious education, and she knew that he would have questions that needed answers. “When he asks me questions, I want to be able to answer them. His journey became mine as I learned about the Catholic faith. The more I learned, and the more I read the Bible, I realized that I needed this in my life.”

Baptized as a Baptist, Mrs. Whitehead looks forward to the day when she can receive communion. “That day I’ll truly be a part of the Catholic family.”

In the recent past, one ceremony of election and continuing conversion has been held in the Georgia World Congress Center or Atlanta Civic Center. Space limitations made it impossible to have one ceremony with 800 participants, sponsors and family members in the Cathedral church. This is the first time that four separate liturgies have been held in different archdiocesan regions.

A ceremony at All Saints Church, Dunwoody, for the north region, was held Saturday, Feb. 12, and celebrations for the south and east regions, respectively, will be held Saturday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. at St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro, and Sunday, Feb. 20, at 3 p.m., at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta.

Liturgical continuity is stressed throughout the celebrations. The music, prayers of the faithful, homily and programs will be the same for each ceremony. Colored banners representing each region are brought to the altar. The banner of the region in which the celebration is taking place is brought forward, in prominence, as the Books of the Elect are presented to the archbishop.

Participants, sponsors, and family seemed to prefer having the celebrations divided by regional community. Karen Castle, of Transfiguration parish in Marietta, has two children who are candidates. She believes that having the celebration in a local church is very meaningful. “It provides for an intimate experience and makes the whole thing so much more personal than having it at the World Congress Center with 800 other people.”