Trip to Medjugorje puts woman on path to full membership in church

Published: 2008-03-25

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) -- Deb Brunsberg, 52, of Coon Rapids still feels a bit woozy from the wild roller-coaster ride her life has been lately. Two years after a devastating divorce set her spiraling into the depths of despair, an 11-day trip to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina shot her at breakneck speed to the height of happiness. Her wild ride finally leveled off March 22 at the Easter Vigil, when she joined about 1,000 people in parishes across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as they became full members of the Catholic Church. Across the country people of all ages and from all walks of life joined the church that day. Some were catechumens, who were baptized and confirmed and who received their first Communion; others were candidates, who already had a valid baptism and entered into full communion with the church. The figures for this year are not yet available, but last year, according to the Official Catholic Directory, almost 64,500 catechumens and almost 93,000 candidates joined the church.

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