ST. LEO’S
WELCOMES N
AT OUR EASTE
O
ne of the most beautiful traditions in the Catholic Church is the Easter Vigil liturgy. Following the simplicity and solemnity of Lent, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, this Mass represents the reawakening of hope and light as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. It is also the Mass that allows us, as parishioners, to welcome adults into our parish who are receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation. Each year, St. Leo’s is blessed with the arrival of new and returning Catholics who enter fully into the Church through our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process, or RCIA. This year, three people have been meeting weekly to learn and grow in the Catholic faith in preparation for receiving the Sacraments of Initiation. RCIA sessions are held on Thursday evenings in the Gather Room, where there is ample space for social distancing. Fr. Don Buhrman enjoys facilitating our parish’s RCIA process with the help of a wonderful team of volunteers. “It’s very nurturing that I get to journey with people in their spiritual awakening and awareness,” he says. “And of course, I learn things every year just talking with them and watching the videos. It’s very uplifting for me. It’s almost paternal — these young people 4
Mitch Liberty with his wife, Janae, and their daughter, Lana
are coming into the Church, and I’m honored to walk with them on their journey to Catholicism.” As always, this year’s candidates (those who are baptized and preparing to become Catholic) and catechumen (those who are unbaptized and preparing for full initiation into the Church) come from all walks of life, but as catechumen Jesse Smith affirms, “We are all on the same journey.” Jesse attended Catholic Mass with his father when he was a child, though he was never baptized. As a young adult, he began questioning the origins of life. He began looking into answers to this question in history, philosophy, quantum physics, and more. Again and again, he found a Truth that corresponded with the teachings of the Catholic Church. His search ultimately led to
St. Leo’s and our RCIA process. Jesse has enjoyed his participation in RCIA and the welcoming sense of community at St. Leo’s. Looking ahead to a continued future in the Church after the Easter Vigil, he hopes to get involved with parish life. He is excited to see what God has in store for him. “I’ve become a much kinder person,” Jesse says of his transformation in RCIA. “Now, I’m more gracious and willing to give to others. It’s God who makes the difference, just to put it simply. You learn what He wants us to be, what His intention for us is, and why He came here on earth.” Candidate Mitch Liberty grew up Methodist and attended non-denominational churches throughout his college years. He began to learn a bit about the Catholic faith and attend some Masses when he married a Catholic. After he and his wife, Janae, moved back to the Grand Island area about a year ago, they started coming to St. Leo’s, where Janae’s parents are parishioners. Around the same time, the couple’s first child, Lana, was born. Mitch decided he didn’t want his daughter to one day question why her mother took Communion and her father didn’t, so he enrolled in our RCIA process to learn more about the Church. continued on page 5
