THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 41, NO. 29 | MARCH 6, 2020
RITE ON TIME
Catholicism comes to candidates at the right point in their lives
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Richard Marsh, right, signs the Book of the Elect at the Rite of Election in Topeka, as his sponsor, Ed Warner, looks on.
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
T
OPEKA — It is said that time heals all wounds. But waiting is hard. Life, and loss, has wounded Rebecca Laird of Topeka. But Laird has found hope, healing and joy in the Catholic faith, and she can hardly wait to become a part of it. On April 11, she, along with Richard Marsh, will join the Catholic Church, becoming members of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in North Topeka. Laird and Marsh represent two members of this year’s class of catechumens and candidates who participated in the Rite of Election on March 1 at Christ the King Church in southwest Topeka. Usually celebrated in early Lent, the rite is one in which those wishing to be received into the Catholic faith — both those who have been baptized into other Christian traditions (candidates) and those who have never been baptized (catechumens) — stand in the presence of their sponsors, the archdiocesan faith community and the archbishop and express their desire to enter the full sacramental life of the church. Two other celebrations were held — one on March 1 and another on March 5 — at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas, and Prince of Peace Church in Olathe, respectively. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann presided over each of the celebrations. Just two years ago, Laird found herself still grieving the loss of her father David. He had passed away in 2012 after a
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Ann Kirmse, left, applauds candidate Rebecca Laird, who she sponsored. Laird found comfort in the Catholic Church after the death of her father. long illness. That loss was compounded by the loss of her uncle and aunt, Don and Kay Laird, both of whom died within five years after her father’s passing. All three family members were Catholic. Laird’s neighbor, Jolene File, was a member of Mother Teresa Parish. “Jolene noticed my grief was more of a complicated grief,”
said Laird. “She was watching me through the years,” she continued, “and realized after about five years that I wasn’t healing.” That’s when File decided to give Laird a nudge in the right direction. Over a period of six months, Laird’s neighbor often mentioned Stephen Ministries to her. “Finally, she left The Leaven
in my mailbox,” Laird said. “There was an article about Stephen Ministries in it and I read that.” The article featured a retired police officer who was part of Stephen Ministries, Laird recalled. “I remember the article because my father worked for the police department,” she said. “That was my connection. That’s when I felt, ‘OK, this is
something I need to do.’” After reading the story, Laird called Mother Teresa Church and spoke with Mary Zachariasen, a member of the parish’s Stephen Ministries leadership team. To her surprise, she was quickly matched with a caregiver. “I wasn’t a parishioner of the church. I wasn’t Catholic. >> See “TOPEKA” on page 4