Congratulations to Tom, Katharine, Jennifer, & Bennita

Recently during the Easter Vigil, Bennita was received into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, & Confirmation. Tom, Katharine, and Jennifer came into full communion as they received the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. Below they share their thoughts on their faith journeys.
 

Jennifer Melcher

What has been one of the most impactful things you have learned during your formation?  
To be honest, each class and every topic discussed during formation was impactful. I left each session feeling a little closer to God, but with more questions and curiosity. If I had to pick one, it would be that there is NO wrong way to pray. There are many ways to pray and to pray to those who you feel most close to at that time or need.

What advice do you have for someone who has considered becoming Catholic?
“You don’t know, what you don’t know” is something that Meagan Turner told me when I first started going to RCIA classes. I felt a little lost as I didn’t know what questions to ask, and I didn’t want to look silly. I will tell you, there are no right or wrong questions, and you will have support through the RCIA process.
If you are considering becoming Catholic, ask yourself, what barriers are keeping me from becoming Catholic? Reach out and speak with someone at the church and start attending Mass. Thinking about it or considering it is the first step in your journey.  
 

Katharine Elsbree

What are you most looking forward to after being received into the Church at Easter Vigil?
I am most excited about receiving the Eucharist and sharing in it alongside my family!

What advice do you have for someone who has considered becoming Catholic?
I wasn’t sure what RCIA entailed, just that I knew I had to do it to become Catholic officially. I would tell others that it is study that can draw you closer to God and the Church, answer any questions you have, provide individualized support, and allow you to explore and deepen your faith. I would recommended trying it for sure. 

Going through RCIA is something I’ve wanted to do for 17 years so it is quite an “accomplishment” for me!! I am so happy to have finally done it. I will be proud to call myself Catholic. 
 

Bennita Ryan

Bennita wanted to go through RCIA because she desired to join her children and husband in their Catholic faith. While she has attended Church regularly over the past 30+ years with her family, as we have all aged, and changed, she wanted to become more involved in the Church, to understand, and relearn, more about the Catholic faith, to engage more in meeting the kind people that make up Lumen Christi, and helping and engaging with people in any way she can.

For Bennita and her husband, they feel very blessed to be part of the loving Lumen Christi faith community, and experience that blessing every time they attend mass or any Church related event.

Going through RCIA, both Bennita and her husband truly enjoyed meeting, learning from and engaging with all the different people that participated in the RCIA process.

All Easters are special, this one will be a little bit more special.
 

Tom Harrington

What brought you to the Catholic Church?  And what made you take that first step?
I was not baptized Catholic. I never found a spiritual bond in my birth church. As an adult I was instinctively drawn to the Catholic Church. I began attending Mass as a visitor. I carried on visiting for a long time. I thought about formally converting but never got there. Then one day the Lord brought me (via Google “nearest to me”) to Lumen Christi. I attended Mass as a visitor. I was struck by the vibrant faith community here. My eyes and ears opened at Mass. I kept coming back. One Sunday Father Matthew gave a homily about asking Jesus for help to “move that rock.” I prayed for that help and to be worthy. The response to my prayer was astonishing. The Lord answered in a big way. The next day I contacted Meaghan to enroll in RCIA.