CHOOSING FAITH

WINTER 2018–2019

The Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens at St. Francis de Sales, Manhattan.

The stories of three people who have elected to become Catholic this Easter.

FOR MOST CATHOLICS, THE WORD BAPTISM evokes the image of a baby cradled in its mother’s arms beside the baptismal font. First communion calls to mind seven- and eight-year-olds lined up in suits and white dresses, receiving the Eucharist as cameras flash. And confirmation conjures those same children as teenagers, filing forward in their best attire to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Not all Catholics, however, receive baptism as babies, first communion as grade-schoolers and confirmation as teens. For a variety of reasons, some are called to the faith as adults, and when this happens, the Church and its parish communities welcome them through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

Many Catholics have witnessed RCIA ceremonies during mass: the Rite of Acceptance, usually in autumn, when the Catholics-to-be are introduced to their congregations and all pledge to support them in their journey; and the receiving of the sacraments at the Easter vigil, when they are fully initiated. These are occasions of joy for a parish.

This year, Archways is following the progress of three adults in the archdiocese who are on the path toward initiation as Catholics. Each of them has passed through the inquiry phase, during which they discern their calling to the Church, and all are now in the period known as the catechumenate, receiving intensive instruction. (For a more detailed description of the RCIA process, click here.) Their stories are a reminder to all Catholics that our faith remains a beacon to the world and that, when we stand together in love, we have the power to spread peace and joy and give support to our sisters and brothers.
 

St. Francis de Sales, Manhattan
Jayne Porcelli, RCIA Coordinator  |  Michelle Lai, catechumen

LEFT: Coordinator Jayne Porcelli (right) discussing the RCIA process with a catechumen at St. Francis de Sales. RIGHT: Michelle Lai.

“I was raised without religion,” says Michelle Lai, a medical student in Manhattan. “My parents grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution, during a time when the government made it illegal for people to practice religion. When they came to this country, there was a local Christian family that helped them a lot, so I was raised with good values, but we did not belong to a faith. It was a part that was always missing.”

Several years ago, before moving to New York for medical school, Michelle started dating a Catholic man and saw how compassionate the community was. “I have loving people in my life now who are Catholic,” she says. “When my family came to visit me in New York, I brought them to the church, and they loved it.”

Though very busy with her studies, Michelle looks forward to living out the teachings of Jesus in her future career. “Once I’m finished my course work, I will do a residency and choose my specialty – perhaps pediatrics,” she says. “Clearly my chosen profession, medicine, is about helping people, and I want to bring faith to that. In med school a lot of my peers are cynical and don’t have a faith, which makes medicine very dehumanizing. Coming to this Church and talking to people who are devoted to service, I’ve been able to rehumanize the science of medicine.”
 

Our Lady of Pity, Staten Island
Vincent Violetta, RCIA Coordinator  |  Patricia Moyse, catechumen

Patricia Moyse,  a catechumen at Our Lady of Pity on Staten Island, with RCIA coordinator Vincent Violetta. // Photo © Mary DiBiase Blaich.

“I had no religion,” says Patricia Moyse of Staten Island. “My family is Catholic, but I did not receive baptism or the other sacraments. My parents were not big on it, and they gave me the choice.”

Patricia was interested in the Church, even drawn to it, but didn’t actively pursue it. “I used to attend Mass with a friend who was making her sacraments,” she recalls. “I used to go to keep her company and also because something about it was just appealing to me.” She also attended Mass with a cousin from time to time, and it was this cousin who eventually urged her to join. “I’ve gone to the parish for years, just not as a member of the Church.” Now she says she is “easing into the membership and the community. I do feel a growing connection with the people.”

“What I find satisfying about RCIA is the conversations,” Patricia says. “We read the Bible and discuss the readings. We’ve done readings about family, about relationships, about self-improvement, and the discussions have been very good. I can understand the Mass now to get to a spiritual connection with God.”

“I don’t really know how to talk about religion yet,” she says. “I have not been a very religious person. But I’m becoming one.”
 

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Newburgh
Sandy Corsetti, RCIA Coordinator  |  James Irvin, candidate

“I’m looking for that spiritual connection,” says James Irvin of New Windsor. “That’s what’s been missing in my life. I wasn’t receiving it in the Protestant church, to the point where I wasn’t really going to church. But with RCIA class I’m learning to get more in touch with Christ.”

James, a building engineer at the Castle Point VA hospital, served in the Navy from 1974 to 1976. He subsequently struggled with alcoholism but found Alcoholics Anonymous in 2006. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today,” he says. One of the tenets of the Twelve Step philosophy is that the alcoholic cannot hope to stay sober without the help of a higher power. “I’ve been searching for it, and now I believe I’ve found it.”

In 2016, James became engaged to Mirna Ferreris Cruz, a devout practicing Catholic. They thought that they would have to be wed by a justice of the peace until Father Bejoy Thomas, parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh, suggested they talk to Sandy Corsetti, coordinator of the parish RCIA. “Sandy said we can get married in the Church, which we did. Before we got married I got involved in the RCIA, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Because he was baptized as a Presbyterian, James will not receive the sacrament of baptism. At the Easter Vigil Mass, he will make a profession of faith and receive Eucharist and confirmation, and thus be fully initiated into the Church. “I see my life being changed quite a bit,” he says. “I’m seeing more good come out of myself by helping others.”

To read Part II, click here.