Almost 1,000 gathered on Sunday 18 February at St Patrick’s Cathedral for the annual Rite of Election. The event is a significant step for those participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) and preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation at Easter. Together with their sponsors, godparents, fellow parishioners and families, the catechumens and candidates publicly declare their intention to join the Catholic Church.
‘Just have a look around you,’ said Archbishop Peter A Comensoli as he welcomed the catechumens and candidates from more than 60 parishes from across the Archdiocese.
‘You are not alone. In faith, you are not alone.’
The Archbishop couldn’t help but note the beauty of the afternoon sun streaming through the Cathedral’s iconic amber windows. ‘For many of you this may be your first time here. Welcome to the Cathedral … the mother church of our Archdiocese.
‘[It was] deliberately envisaged by the [Cathedral’s] architect William Wardell that the light from those windows capture the Australian light, that it might glow upon us and be for us a sign of the light of Christ that enters this building.
‘May this house of God be your own.’
Supported by their local parishes, catechumens (those yet to be baptised) and candidates (those who have already been baptised but have not received other sacraments) undertake a period of preparation that includes study of the Scriptures, prayer, regular Mass and accompaniment by the parish priest and/or parish teams.
You are not alone. In faith, you are not alone.
Hayden, a catechumen from the partnered parishes of St Anthony of Padua (Melton South) and St Bernard of Clairvaux (Bacchus Marsh), said he was pleasantly surprised at how many others were also preparing to receive the sacraments at Easter.
‘I think the biggest thing for me is [that] you come here and you realise how many people are on the same journey as you,’ Hayden reflected. And while he feels very welcome in his local parish, he said it was something else to be surrounded by others still at the start of their journey.
Hayden shared that his journey towards baptism feels ‘like a culmination of events’, after already getting married in a Catholic church and having his daughter baptised some months ago. ‘So there were already things happening,’ he reflected. ‘And more and more, it made me want to jump in and start the journey.’
A fellow catechumen, Shantale, said that it was her sister who inspired her to get to know God. ‘She went through something, and she came to me and told me this good news … how she found Jesus.’
‘And it inspired me too. It made me want to strengthen my relationship with God more and understand the Gospel. So I contacted the Catholic church near me and then Naim (the RCIA coordinator at Melton South and Bacchus Marsh) called me and told me about the [RCIA], which I’m blessed and thankful for.
Shantale said it was inspiring to see so many gathered on Sunday who are also preparing to become Catholic. ‘I didn’t expect this many coming from a small community, but seeing so many [here], it’s amazing!’
