Church welcomes 103 new Catholics at Easter Vigil Masses across the Diocese

PATERSON  On April 17, 103 people in churches throughout the Paterson Diocese became children of God at the Easter Vigil. They were initiated into full membership in the Catholic Church. During the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday, the elect received the three Sacra­ments of Initiation — Baptism, Confirma­tion, and Eucharist.

These new Catholics prepared through the Rite of Christian Initi­ation for Adults at parishes led by priests, deacons, religious, and lay ministers. At 37 parishes, people were baptized at the Easter Vigil.

The Beacon interviewed new Catholics from three parishes to speak about their Easter joy in coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson

With 14 adults receiving all three Sacraments of Initiation, the parish community at the Cathedral had the most in the entire Diocese welcomed into the Catholic Church. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacraments to these new Catholics at the 8 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass. In total 49 adults received Sacraments.

Msgr. Geno Sylva, rector of the Cathedral and diocesan vicar for special projects and the cathedral, said, “We could not be more excited for these members of our community, nor more grateful to our tremendous RCIA/RICA teams. On Easter Sunday, we began anew inviting all those who have not yet received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Com­munion, and/or Con­fir­mation to our inquiry sessions later this month.”

The RCIA/RICA team consists of seven dedicated members led by Deacon German Vargas, who believes so many are interested in becoming Catholics because “People want and people need God in their lives. We live in a world in which people feel empty and they seek God to find meaning and to change their lives.”

Most of the people, who received the Sacraments this year, live near the cathedral located on Main Street in downtown Paterson and have been preparing for the joyous occasion through its RCIA classes, the Pente­cost Project series, and an apologetics class offered at the Cathedral. Deacon Vargas said, “They came to the classes and they are getting an understanding about what the Church teaches. It is important the people are well formed in the faith.”

Deacon Vargas has been a member of the cathedral community for 36 years and has served for seven years as a deacon. He credits the team he serves with for the success of the cathedral in having so many catechumens this year, “We have a great team and the people are really involved in the work of evangelization,” he said. “It’s a big effort by everyone to teach and form those seeking to belong to the Church.”

The effort was visible at the Easter Vigil according to Deacon Vargas. “I can see the physical change in these people,” he told The Beacon. “I saw one catechumen just feel the grace of God. She was so happy that she was crying. This makes us so happy. I feel it’s a privilege to serve God and I love the Church.”

Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Sparta

At Our Lady of the Lake (OLL) Parish in Sparta, 23-year-old Natalie Stefano received all three Sacraments of Initiation and with great joy, she said she is happy to be part of the parish community.

“I owe so much to the Our Lady of the Lake community,” said Stefano, “The parish has been so welcoming and dedicated to making the RCIA group comfortable from the first day. Everyone is willing to help each other grow spiritually and the bond we formed is unbreakable.”

For Stefano, being a part of the Catholic Church is something she wanted to do “to honor God in the highest way possible.” She added, “What was so appealing about the Catholic Church is that the faith is so raw and true to God’s Word. Every piece of the Church is filled with symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit and it’s breathtaking. I love being part of the Catholic community.”

Her parents grew up as Catholics and were married in Our Lady of the Lake Church. However, Stefano attended a non­denominational Christian church. In attending her RCIA classes, she said she taught her parents so many things they didn’t know about the Church. “My parents are very proud of me that I did this.”

Now she’s hoping to get her older sisters involved in the Church and later in the year, Stefano and her fiancé will marry in St. Mary Church in Pompton Lakes.

The RCIA experience at OLL, led by Deacon James McGovern, helped Stefano fully understand and learn about Catholi­cism. “Every single class was filled with a ton of mind-blowing information. The discussions that filled each meeting led to a deeper connection with the RCIA team and with our faith. Getting to know the Holy Spirit has totally filled my heart. Thank you to Deacon Jim, the RCIA team, and to the new friendships formed during the RCIA process. We have become true brothers and sisters.”

Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish, Cedar Knolls

Being baptized and becoming a Catholic was inspired by her children, Tricia Yeung told The Beacon. She wanted to ensure faith was in her children’s lives, if God forbid something happened to her and her husband. A friend belonging to another Christian denomination encouraged her to have faith and put trust in God. Inspired by that, she decided to find a church and be baptized. “I realized that is what I needed in my life,” said Yeung.

From another friend, she learned about Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls and spoke with Laura Balogh, faith formation director there. She joined the RCIA program and also attended Alpha, a series of 12 sessions on Christian faith.

“I feel very blessed to be part of the Notre Dame of Mount Carmel community,” she said. “Everyone has been so warm and welcoming. Even though I was new to the parish and the Catholic faith, I felt the support and encouragement from the entire congregation. Father Paddy [O’Donovan] and Father Alex [Nevitt] always asked the congregation to pray for me and I was very grateful for everyone’s prayers and support.”

At the Easter Vigil, Yeung received her Sacraments of Initiation and found a sense of peace with God. “I think that was something that I was looking for for a long time,” she said. “I also admired all the saints and I hope that one day I can help and make a tiny difference by providing comforts for others who are in pain and suffering. I chose St. Teresa of Calcutta as my saint for Confir­mation and I hope that I can use the time God has given me to help others as St. Teresa did.”