Almost 200 people were admitted as the Elect for Initiation or as Candidates to enter the Catholic Church on February 19 at St Mary’s Cathedral.
The Rite of Election of Catechumens and the Formal Recognition of Candidates was celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop of Perth Don Sproxton, with the assistance of the Vicar-General, Fr Peter Whiteley, and Mgrs Michael Keating and Tim Corcoran.
Bishop Sproxton said the number of people entering the Church this year in Perth was the largest in recent times.
“The Catechumenate has been a life-changing experience for these people,” he said. The soon-to-be Catholics came from 30 different parishes and two communities in the Archdiocese.
As part of the ceremony, each new member of the elect and each new candidate individually met one of the four presiding priests.
Bishop Sproxton said the people he met had each sought a way to respond to the deep urging of God in their own way.
“Some had gone to Catholic schools in Australia or overseas and felt the time had come to join the Church; some had become aware of the presence of God acting in their lives in surprising ways,” he said.
“Some had friends who were Catholic whom they admired for their way of life.
“Some had been searching in a variety of other religions and spiritual movements, and had wanted
to try the Catholic faith and found it gave answers to their questionings.”
RCIA Archdiocesan coordinator Karen Hart said she was delighted with the number of new Catholics who will enter the Church at Easter.
“The particular joy of this solemnity is the recognition that God is calling people into the life of the Church through the Sacraments of Initiation,” she said.
“This is the good news story of the Church today.”
The newly elect will receive the Sacraments of Initiation (baptism, communion and confirmation) at Easter, while the candidates (those baptised in other Christian churches) receive communion and confirmation.