Diocese celebrates Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion

Christine Young

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Michelle McKee (left) waits to sign the Book of the Elect to enroll, an important step in the process on her journey forward for the Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of Salt Lake, welcomed men, women and children from parishes throughout the diocese into a new relationship with the Church Feb. 20-21 at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. There were 246 candidates and 228 catechumens who attended.

The catechumens, who are preparing for baptism at the Pascal Vigil, celebrated the Rite of Election, signifying their readiness for the sacraments. The candidates, who are already baptized, were called to a greater conversion during this Lenten season as they prepare to complete their Christian initiation

with the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.

"The Rite of Election is the ritual step that follows the Rite of Acceptance in becoming a Catholic," said Timothy Johnston, diocesan director of liturgy. "Those accepted as catechumens

spend a full liturgical year studying and being incorporated into the life of the Church. The rite is a ritual celebration of God's election of us as being members of his body."

Johnston presented the catechumens by parish to Bishop Wester, who asked their godparents if they had faithfully listened to God's word proclaimed by the Church, if they had responded to that Word, and joined their brothers and sisters in prayer. The answer was affirmative. The bishop then asked the congregation

to support the catechumens and include them in their prayer. The catechumens then went forward to sign the Book of the Elect.

The candidates were then called forth and asked by the bishop if they had come to a deeper appreciation of their baptism and advanced in the life and love of service to others. Their sponsors answered, "They have." The congregation affirmed they would support and pray for the candidates.

Johnston said the elect and candidates will spend the next 40 days, until the Easter Vigil, in the period of Purification and Enlightenment

focused upon the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

Michelle McKee, an elect, said she is happy to now belong to the Catholic community. She is going through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper. She has lived in Sandy since age 4, and did not grow up with any religion. Her husband, Kevin, grew up Methodist.

"I was never included in anything because I was not any religion," she said. "I did not have a community to depend on."

Michelle wanted her children to have a community in which they could feel included. She enrolled her daughter in Saint John the Baptist pre-school and started looking into the Catholic religion and attending RCIA. "Everyone has been so welcoming," she said. "It has been really overwhelming because I did not ever experience that as a child. I had never been accepted just for who I am."

Vickie Uribe, a candidate, and her husband

and sponsor, Joe, have been married 26 years. Joe is Catholic and Vickie was baptized Episcopalian. They have two children they raised non-denominational. "We really did not practice anything, but taught our children

to have a personal relationship with the Lord," said Vickie. "I just never had a thing for organized religion."

When her mother died a year and a half ago, Vickie felt she needed something more in her life. After doing some genealogy, she found out her father's side of the family all were Catholic. While cleaning out her mother's apartment, Vickie discovered and began reading her mother's Bible. While closing up the apartment for the last time, she looked out the balcony window. It was snowing as a dove landed on the railing.

"I remembered reading when Christ was baptized and emerged from the water and saw a dove. To me that was a sign," said Vickie. "Going to RCIA has taught me so much and brought me so much peace. The classes have taught me about the Mass, the rituals, and the traditions and given me a deep meaning for the Catholic religion."