Rite of Election

PATERSON  On Feb. 18, the First Sunday of Lent in dioceses around the world, the Rite of Election took place as catechumens took a step closer to receiving Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist — at the upcoming Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, March 31.

The Diocese of Paterson welcomed 119 catechumens in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here where Bishop Serratelli formerly selected — or elected — them Feb. 18. The Rite of Election formally sets the catechumen on the path toward full Sacramental unity with the Church. These catechumens are now known as the elect.

At the start of the Rite of Election, Bishop Serratelli acknowledged the catechumens, telling the congregation: “On this First Sunday of Lent, we gather together in our Mother Church with our catechumens who will become the elect to join us on our Lenten journey to the Easter Sacraments. We are aware of the great grace of God that has been given to them, the gift of faith that we now share with them in the very Church Jesus himself has founded.”

The catechumens have been studying the tenets of Catholicism through their parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program, the Church’s official process by which new members are prepared for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

The children in the process of RCIA will be baptized while some will also receive First Holy Communion. Adults in the process will receive all three Sacraments of initiation. The Rite of Election ceremony was coordinated by Father Pawel Tomczyk, diocesan director of RCIA at St. Paul’s Inside the Walls, the Diocesan Evangelization Center in Madison.

Delivering the homilies at the Rite of Election Sunday afternoon were Father Yasid Salas, parochial vicar at St. Margaret Parish in Morristown, and Father Lemmuel Camacho, parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish in Chatham Township, who delivered the homilies in Spanish and English, respectively.

In his homily, Father Camacho spoke about the conversion of a catechumen in the fourth century — St. Augustine of Hippo. He encouraged the catechumens to continue in their faith journey through prayer, study and community. Father Camacho said, “Like St. Augustine, keep searching for the truth, continue to look up to your models of faith and experience continuous conversion, this way your journey through full initiation of the Church will be meaningful and greatly awarded.”

Following the homilies, the catechumens were presented to the Bishop and both the catechumens’ godparents and the congregation made an official affirmation of their worthiness for reception of the Sacraments of Initiation. Then, recognition of the enrolled names was presented to the Bishop in the Book of Elect. The catechumens were then asked to stand as an act of admission or election to become the elect.

After the Rite of Election, a reception was held in the Bishop Rodimer Center next to Cathedral of St. John that brought the elect together. Many of them took a picture with Bishop Serratelli.

Each of the elect has a unique story on why they decided to answer the call to be a fully initiated member of the Church.

For Robin Dmiczak, one of the elect from St. Rose of Lima Parish in East Hanover, who was raised in the Jewish faith, becoming Catholic was something she thought about for many years but never took the time to do. Her husband of 22 years, Daniel, was Catholic and after his passing two years ago, she joined the bereavement group at St. Rose. “In a way I’m doing this in honor of him and I know he would be very proud of me. The people at St. Rose have been very welcoming and supportive. It’s been a wonderful journey.”

Father Owen Moran, pastor of St. Rose, said Dmiczak thought about becoming Catholic sooner “ but I remind her, this is God’s plan now for her to be a part of the Church’ and her husband is rejoicing in heaven. She chose the name Daniela as her name to remember him.”

At Assumption Parish in Morristown, the parish community will welcome two members — Dahye Jeong and Bethany Foullois, who have gone through the RCIA process together.

Jeong is a newlywed, who was married last July to her husband, Joseph Orecchio, a parishioner at Assumption. From South Korea, she grew up Protestant but wanted to become a part of the Catholic Church. On the occasion of the Rite of Election, she said, “I’m a little nervous but I’m very excited to become part of the Church.”

Foullois, a married mother of two children, 3- and 5- years-old who attend Assumption School, wanted to become Catholic so she can be a part of her children’s faith life. “I felt it was important that I learn about the faith and raise them so I can share my own understanding about the Church. They already are learning about how to treat one another and gaining knowledge.”

Another member of the elect, Gerard Jones has practiced several religions — Methodist, Baptist and the Church of God, so when asked, “Why he was becoming a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church?” He answered, “Because it’s a about time.”

Married for 45 years to his wife, Sylvia, by a priest and a minister, Jones said, “My wife has been my rock.”

Jones attended the Rite of Election, wearing a tie with the Bible passage from 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” He said it described how he felt today. “I feel fabulous. ‘I’ve learned lots through this process. More than I could have ever hoped for.”

At the close of the Rite of Election, Bishop Serratelli thanked the priests, religious and lay catechists who helped in the journey of the elect. He said, “What a great gift that it is to belong to the Church. To think that for 2,000 years, when Jesus Christ started in Galilee, his Church continues to grow and the Body of Christ is alive in the world. The Church of Paterson rejoices because your presence today just shows that we are alive and growing and we can make a very big difference in society.”

Names given to the Beacon by the Diocesan Office of Evangelization: