More than 200 people gathered at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral last Sunday when 130 Catechumens in RCIA programs from parishes in the Diocese were presented to Bishop Anthony for the Rite of Election.
The Catechumens were from 18 parishes and the Korean Chaplaincy.
Catechumens (from the Greek word for “being instructed”) are unbaptised adults and the Rite of Election is a step in the their journey to receive the sacraments of initiation – Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation – at Easter, and takes place each year on the First Sunday of Lent.
Accompanied by their RCIA co-ordinators, Parish Clergy, sponsors, fellow parishioners, family and friends, the Catechumens were presented to the Bishop as a sign of “election” into the Catholic Church.
Celebration of the rite has two parts: a sending and a receiving. First, Catechumens are sent by their parishes. This is a public pronouncement that they are ready to enter a covenant relationship through participation in the sacramental life of the Church.
Those who are sent can then be received. The Bishop accepts the parish community’s judgment, receives the Catechumens and invites them to enter their names in the Book of the Elect.
Sunday’s Rite of Election was a beautiful celebration for our Catechumens as they journey towards the Easter liturgies.
