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Thousands prepare to join U.S. Catholic Church this Easter
Catholic News Service ^ | February 25, 2005 | Catholic News Service Staff

Posted on 03/01/2005 8:44:41 AM PST by siunevada

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During this year's Easter Vigil Masses, tens of thousands of people across the country will be welcomed into the Catholic Church.

Last year more than 150,000 Americans were baptized as Catholics or joined in full communion with the church during the Easter Vigil.

Those who are not yet baptized are called catechumens. At Easter they receive all three sacraments of Christian initiation -- baptism, confirmation and their first Eucharist. Those already baptized in other churches or who were baptized Catholic but not raised in the faith are called candidates. At Easter they receive confirmation and the Eucharist.

During the first two weeks of Lent, catechumens and candidates across the country gathered -- most often in special diocesan ceremonies led by a bishop -- to participate in a Rite of Election, for catechumens, or a Call to Continuing Conversion, for candidates.

Those who choose to go through the RCIA program are men and women, young and old.

-snip-

At Rite of Election services in Kansas City-St. Joseph, candidates and catechumens were urged to see the importance of their former religious traditions in forming foundations of faith.

Coadjutor Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph urged them to recognize that the faith they received in Christian baptism "is not being diminished or discarded in any way by your entering the Catholic Church," but would "only be deepened."

(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnews.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events
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1 posted on 03/01/2005 8:44:41 AM PST by siunevada
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To: siunevada; biblewonk
Those who are not yet baptized are called catechumens.

(Johnny Carson voice) "I did not know that!"

2 posted on 03/01/2005 8:51:33 AM PST by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.)
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To: siunevada

Great news -- did the article quote a number for this year? Or an estimate?


3 posted on 03/01/2005 8:52:37 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: siunevada
Catholic Parishes Flourish in Southern U.S.

Bible-belt Catholics

Number of Catholics Rises by 15 Million (Diocesan Priests Increase; Religious Decrease)

Spanish Catholicism still very robust (3 shrines and The Sagrada Familia)

Catholics outsource praying to India

Catholic Priests in India 'Outsourced' to Meet Clergy Shortage in West

Christian Coalition head (in Ala.) becomes Catholic

Church growth continues for Catholic and Pentecostals; six mainline denominations decline

Young people turn against their parents' 'church lite'

Pope calls US Church to repentance and renewal

A father for the 11th time - Widower becomes Catholic priest

Number of Adults Who Don't Attend Church Service Doubles

Huge Christian growth shocks China's leaders

Church Attendance Increased : Protestants have now clearly overtaken Catholics in church attendance

Catholics Trail Protestants in Church Attendance [Gallup]

Church Attendance Linked to Longer Life

Church Growth and Eveangelism

Dozens of Episcopalians Follow Leader into Catholic Church

Thousands prepare to join U.S. Catholic Church this Easter

4 posted on 03/01/2005 8:53:17 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
did the article quote a number for this year?

Nope. It does quote numbers for individual dioceses. Detroit had a significant increase over last year.

5 posted on 03/01/2005 9:04:52 AM PST by siunevada
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To: siunevada; Salvation; All

What is this supposed to prove? In a nation of 250 million, "tens of thousands" is a disgrace. We lose far more annually to other religions or because people just get disgusted and drop out. Mass attendance is way down. Sure there's a regional shift--but this mirrors migration patterns, nothing more.


6 posted on 03/01/2005 9:30:24 AM PST by ultima ratio
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To: ultima ratio
What is this supposed to prove?

Just a semi-current news story. Not posted to 'prove' anything.

7 posted on 03/01/2005 9:43:09 AM PST by siunevada
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To: siunevada; ultima ratio

It was a cup-half-empty post in my opinion.


8 posted on 03/01/2005 9:44:57 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation

God is pleased with one conversion. Saying it is a disgrace is impious.


9 posted on 03/01/2005 9:54:54 AM PST by Dominick ("Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." - JP II)
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To: ultima ratio

many of those who leave were never very good Catholics to begin with - they either were poorly catechesized and didn't understand the faith or were disgruntled about the moral demands Catholicism makes. Honestly, I'd prefer a smaller RCC if it meant that more of the members were faithful and practicing. Converts tend to be more faithful than "cradle Catholics" so tens of thousands of converts is something to celebrate.


10 posted on 03/01/2005 10:06:34 AM PST by sassbox
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To: sassbox

Good point.


11 posted on 03/01/2005 10:14:09 AM PST by jo kus
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To: sassbox

Many who stay are not very good Catholics either. We're counting heads here, not judging people's sanctity.


12 posted on 03/01/2005 10:15:48 AM PST by ultima ratio
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To: ultima ratio; sinkspur; NYer; Salvation; siunevada
Many who stay are not very good Catholics either.

Unfounded observation, you are not involved with any RCIA program as far as I know. A number of the RCIA people we have join and are very active. In my experience, they want to be Catholic and are willing to under take a long process to do that. They don't fill out a card and are insta-Catholics.

Someone who takes the time to go through the process, become catechized, and follow through should not be castigated. A lot of RCIA people in the South take a lot of grief from those enemies of the Church.

Impugning their Catholic Faith is a hobby with many here, and I think it stinks. Making these king of statements so you may "prove" that the Catholic Church is in apostasy is not in keeping with FR's goals for activism, especially when most of the serious Catholics I know in the South are also Republicans and very involved with Pro-life.

A prime example is a Pro-life chair I know who is a convert. No cradle Catholics stepped up to do the job, and I say shame on them. I can also tell you none, zero of the sKerry supporters in my group who purport to be Catholic were converts, I know because I can count those poor misguided Democrat lovers on one hand.

We're counting heads here, not judging people's sanctity.

I am sure you will be happy to step up and do just that.
13 posted on 03/01/2005 10:35:36 AM PST by Dominick ("Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." - JP II)
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To: siunevada

Will this be done at the rising of the sun.


14 posted on 03/01/2005 10:48:43 AM PST by Ibredd
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To: siunevada
Also posted to the News/Activism Forum.

Thousands prepare to join U.S. Catholic Church this Easter

15 posted on 03/01/2005 10:56:26 AM PST by NYer ("The Eastern Churches are the Treasures of the Catholic Church" - Pope John XXIII)
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To: NYer
Also posted to the News/Activism Forum.

I'm always happy to follow your footsteps. I only searched the Religion forum.

16 posted on 03/01/2005 11:01:17 AM PST by siunevada
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To: Ibredd
Will this be done at the rising of the sun.

That's a question and not a command to 'will this', right?

"The Easter Vigil, during the holy night when Christ rose from the dead, ranks as the ‘mother of all vigils.' (Augustine, Sermon 219: PL 38, 1088). Keeping watch, the Church awaits Christ's resurrection and celebrates it in the sacraments. Accordingly, the entire celebration of this vigil should take place at night, that is, it should either begin after nightfall or end before the dawn of Sunday."

In 1988, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments addressed this question with greater specificity in its Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts. After repeating the rubric cited above, the Congregation noted that "This rule is to be taken according to its strictest sense. Reprehensible are those abuses and practices which have crept in many places in violation of this ruling, whereby the Easter Vigil is celebrated at the time of day that it is customary to celebrate anticipated Masses (no.78)."

The intention of the Missale Romanum is clear: the Easter Vigil is to take place in darkness. Thus the approved translation of post initium noctis is after nightfall, that is, after the time in the evening when daylight is last visible. This time is roughly equivalent to astronomical twilight, which is defined by the Naval Observatory as the time after which "the Sun does not contribute to sky illumination." Tables of sunset and astronomical twilight for each locality in the United States are available at http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html.

17 posted on 03/01/2005 11:08:44 AM PST by siunevada
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To: sassbox
Honestly, I'd prefer a smaller RCC if it meant that more of the members were faithful and practicing.

"Better that only a few Catholics should be left, staunch and sincere in their religion, than that they should, remaining many, desire as it were, to be in collusion with the Church's enemies and in conformity with the open foes of our faith." - St. Peter Canisius

18 posted on 03/01/2005 11:59:32 AM PST by Fifthmark
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To: Fifthmark

I too concur with this assessment.

Even subjectively, the feeling to know that EVERYONE who goes to Mass with you is of the same mind concerning every essential of faith is a blessing. This is another wonderful facet of the TLM communities. Step into one and no one has any reason to doubt that your fellow pew sitters are all on the right page with their Catholicism. I also do include communities like the EWTN Mass and the few others of their like.

Give me a smaller, purified, holy, and, stronger church. Personally, I think by the time 1960 came around, the church (in this country) got too big for itself and God chose to humble us. Now HE is purifying us with solid younger priests in the NO and the resurgence of the TLM.


19 posted on 03/01/2005 12:41:15 PM PST by jrny (Tenete traditionem quam tradidi vobis)
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To: siunevada

I teach RCIA, and last year, during the Easter Vigil, we lost power inside the Church for the majority of the Mass. Fortunately, we processed in with candles (and there were a few backup lights on the walls, but not many). I must say, this was a moving experience, as it turned out. Kind of like the old days, I'd imagine! Perhaps we will plan to keep the lights dim more often! But you are right, the ritual should give the indication of going from darkness into the light.

Regards


20 posted on 03/01/2005 3:21:02 PM PST by jo kus
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