St. Benedict Cathedral Welcomes New Members of the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass

What a blessing it is when God’s people find their home in His Church! Each year, St. Benedict is blessed with the arrival of new and returning Catholics who enter fully into the Catholic Church through our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA. This year, five individuals have been meeting weekly with our RCIA team to learn and grow in the Catholic faith in preparation for receiving the Sacraments of Initiation.

Due to the pandemic, the usual Wednesday evening RCIA classes have been held via the Zoom videoconference platform. Fr. Godfrey Mullen is the primary catechist, assisted by Deacon Dave Rice and Sister Pat McGuire, OSB. In addition, a parishioner also stepped up to help with the program this year.

Fr. Godfrey is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the faith journeys of our candidates and catechumen.

“I have a love for passing on the fundamentals of the faith,” he says of his involvement in RCIA. “I believe the Catholic Church’s teaching is so often clear and straightforward and helpful. Passing on these tools of teaching, the faith that sustains us, and the necessity of a relationship with God — all these are wonderful opportunities to share.”

This year, there is one catechumen and four adult candidates who will receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil Mass. They will be joined by five second-graders from the parish school who have not yet been baptized.

As always, this year’s candidates and catechumen come from all walks of life.

Candidate Faith Fox was raised in the United Church of Christ. Her relationship with her husband and his family first brought her to the Catholic Church. She is excited about all she has learned about the Catholic faith through the RCIA process.

“With RCIA, I feel more of a sense of belonging to the Catholic Church instead of kind of lost in my spiritual journey,” Faith says. “This has helped me to not feel alone in the process of conversion. My hopes are to truly raise my children in the Catholic faith and to help show them how the Church is a comfort and a family.”

Like Faith, Curtis Hildebrandt was also drawn to the Church through his marriage to a “cradle Catholic.” His wife, Staci, is also his RCIA sponsor. The couple’s two children attend our parish school.

Curtis has enjoyed digging more deeply into the faith and Church teachings through the RCIA process.

“My RCIA experience has been pleasant,” he says. “The meetings are comfortable and everyone is friendly. I find the subjects very interesting and notice myself reflecting on the lesson after our meetings. I have begun to better understand and appreciate the culture of Catholicism. It has helped improve my comprehension of Church teachings and helps me understand questions my children ask me about the Church.”

Candidate Tavon Johnson comes from a Lutheran background. Although prayer was always a part of his childhood, his family did not regularly attend church. He often felt the pull to explore a new faith tradition, and that call eventually led him to the Catholic Church.

“I was at a time in my life where I realized I needed a relationship with God,” Tavon says. “So a friend of mine gave me some information on the Catholic religion and invited me to a Sunday Mass. I attended three Masses before I made my final decision on becoming Catholic. I felt very comfortable and loved the beauty of the Church.”

Since beginning our RCIA process last fall, Tavon has noticed a transformation taking place.

“My life has changed in so many different positive ways,” he says. “I’ve grown an outstanding relationship with God, and I’ve attended every Sunday Mass. I hope to continue to gain knowledge about this wonderful religion and to let God continue to bless me. I want to start attending daily Masses and be extremely involved in the Church in any and every way possible!”

Catechumen Gabriel Boeglin has also found his life greatly changed by the RCIA process at St. Benedict. Gabriel grew up attending Masses and learning about Catholicism in school, though the faith was never a solid part of his life. When his fiancée, Kaylee Barton, brought him to the cathedral, he immediately felt at home.

“With the RCIA classes, I have more faith in my mind on a daily basis, and I feel a greater connection to the Lord,” Gabriel says. “I feel as though I have deeper connections with my friends and family as I can fully understand and relate in faith with them. I now consider Fr. Godfrey and Deacon Dave to be friends, and my RCIA class peers have also displayed kindness and friendliness that make me feel comfortable and welcomed. My hopes for my future in the Church are a deeper connection to the community and my ability to feel at home worldwide where I experience others who have the Lord’s love in their hearts and minds.”

Candidate Morgan Hanson was raised in a Methodist home. Her family observed the liturgical calendar and even used some Catholic materials for their homeschool, so she has long been acquainted with the Church. Eventually, the more she learned about Catholicism, the more she felt drawn to it.

“The faith tradition, scholarship, apologetics, and practices of the Catholic Church all brought me home to the Church,” she says. “I realized that the Catholic Church was the one, true Church, and I wanted to be a part of it. When the pandemic hit, I decided to visit Catholic churches virtually, and the first church I ‘visited’ was St. Benedict. Since that first virtual Mass in May, I haven’t visited another church since. I recently started attending in person, and I love the peaceful community here. I am looking forward to becoming a full member of this beautiful faith community and getting to know more people in the church.”

As the cathedral prepares to receive our catechumen and candidates into the Church at the Easter Vigil, let us remember to extend a warm and loving welcome to each of them.

“A major part of the new life signaled by the resurrection of Jesus is embodied in these 10 individuals,” Fr. Godfrey says. “They bring new life to the Church. For that, we might all rightly be grateful. Hospitality is the first pillar of stewardship because we are welcomed into life by God, and so we are meant to be welcoming people. I encourage every parishioner to find an opportunity, once we’re back in church, to reach out to these great people.”

With gratitude for the Holy Spirit’s call to our candidates and catechumen, we invite everyone at St. Benedict to join in the celebration of this great step in their spiritual journeys. What a wonderful reminder they give us of the beauty and grace to be found in our faith!

This year's RCIA candidates, catechumen, and catechist team have been meeting over Zoom. Four candidates and one catechumen will be received fully into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass, in addition to five second-graders from our parish school.