On March 9, 174 catechumens became the elect, moving a step closer to being welcomed as full members of the Catholic Church at this year’s Rite of Election ceremony at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Paterson on the First Sunday of Lent.
These adults, teens, and children will receive the Sacraments of Initiation — baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist — at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, April 19. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney formally selected — or elected —them at the Rite of Election that he presided over in English and Spanish. The ceremony formally sets the newly elected toward full sacramental unity with the Church.
The catechumens have been studying the tenets of Catholicism through their parish’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) program. This is the Church’s official process by which new members are prepared for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. The program was previously called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
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The children in the OCIA process will be baptized, and some will also receive First Holy Communion. Adults in the process will receive all three Sacraments of Initiation. Father Jared Brogan, diocesan worship director, coordinated the Rite of Election ceremony.
Following his homily, the catechumens were presented to Bishop Sweeney. The catechumens’ godparents and the congregation made an official affirmation of their worthiness for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation. Then, the enrolled names were presented to the bishop in the Book of Elect. The catechumens were then asked to stand as an act of admission or election, becoming the elect.
In his homily, Bishop Sweeney echoed Pope Francis’ call for the elect — and Catholics everywhere — to become Pilgrims of Hope during this Jubilee Year of Hope.
“Our world needs hope. Too many of our young people and adults and others are sad or depressed or worried…Yes, the cross is there — the difficulties and challenges — but we have something to offer. When our world is hurting and in pain, we can offer to someone we meet on the journey a gift of hope. God is with us. We’re not alone. He can give us peace and healing.”
Bishop Sweeney also thanked the priests, religious, lay catechists, and family members for helping the elect in their faith journey.
After the Rite of Election, the newly elected were invited to meet Bishop Sweeney and take a photo with him at the front of the cathedral.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
Full-resolution copies of the Rite of Election group photos below can be downloaded here.
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Catechumens from across the Paterson Diocese selected at the Rite of Election
Assumption Parish, Morristown
Jacob Bryan
Giovanni DeBelli
Tina Minano
Sean Susini
Adam Weatherly
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson
Jatzumi Antay
Geciel Bautista
Cheryl Behring
Alejandra Castillo
Misael Cuahutepitzi Perez
Kamryn DeLaCruz
Jesse Dominguez
Joselle Dominguez
Fabian Edward
Kibria Golam
Nicole Golam
Danny Grullon
Abiu Hernandez
Virginia Gomez Mejia
Jasmin Moya
Martin Salazar Ortega
Bryanna Russell
Marvin Sorto
Kayley Valdez
Hamylee Valdez
Nicolas Valdiviezo
Valerie Valdiviezo
Jean Vanegas
Christ the King Parish, New Vernon, Harding Township
Elizabeth Valandingham
Corpus Christi Parish, Chatham Township
Sean Patrick Baur
Thomas Ho
Adam Roman
Good Shepherd Parish, Andover
Owen Houle
Holy Family Parish, Florham Park
Kelsey Ryan
Holy Spirit Parish, Pequannock
Diana Congleton
Jonathan Maher
Notre Dame of Mt Carmel Parish, Cedar Knolls, Hanover Township
Pranav Kapoor
Our Lady of Consolation Parish, Wayne
Eric Kiung
Denis Leao
Jenna Leao
Justin Sisto
Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish, Passaic
Daniela Elizabeth Tejada
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Pompton Plains, Pequannock
Steven Thropp
Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta
Anthony Greenberg
Abigail Gulick
Emily Gulick
Amy Marshall
Steven Marshall
Hannah Marshall
Hayden Marshall
Zachary Walsh
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Boonton
Daniel Batrachenko
Reed Adler
Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Branchville
Emmanuelle Antanaitis
Jordon Florio
Kole Kaushik
Resurrection Parish, Randolph
Diana Drysdale
Sacred Heart Parish, Clifton
Julia Stilianessis
Sacred Heart & Holy Rosary Parish, Dover
Sebastian Bonilla
Edwin Ramirez
St. Agnes, Paterson
Jose Fernandez
Saints Cyril & Methodius, Clifton
Aiden Celiz
Vicente Garcia
Kailee Gonzalez
Jayder Jael Montas
Marcelo Kaleb Saco
Romina Saco
Michell Milagros Taipe-Estrada
Mason Paul Vallejo
Layla Nicole Vallejo
St. Ann Parish, Parsippany
Michael Millman
St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Paterson
Tatiana Lopez
Nestor Lopez
Sebastian Lozada
Guadalupe Martinez
St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne
Angely Estrada-Garcia
Valery Camila Estrada-Garcia
Stephanie Battaglia
Khirstie Cameron Diaz
St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Passaic
Andy Jesus Acatecatl
Ayala Armando de la Rosa
Elizabeth Cespedes
Cesar Fuentes
Jose Luis Garcia
Cristian Gutierrez
Nino Adrian Gardinet
Adrian Rudy Ramirez-Borg
St. Brendan-St. George Parish, Clifton
Elda Morales
Francisca Montero
Annabelen Pulliti
Damaso Suarez
St. Bonaventure Parish, Paterson
Ashley Velasco Iraheta
Elizabet Garcia Zuniga
St. Cecilia Parish, Rockaway
Holly M. Gonzalez
St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Haskell, Wanaque
Randy Garcia
St. Gerard Majella Parish, Paterson
Feliciano Mendoza
Kira Pabon
Heydy Quintanilla
Sergio Solano
Pedro Viera
St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa
Seojun Kwon
Jeremiah Ferron
Noah Antonio Noesi Zamora
St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park
Andrea Perry
St. Joseph Parish, Newton
Samantha Rivera
St. Jude Parish, Hopatcong
Cory Schmidt
Aaron Turner
St. Jude Parish, Budd Lake, Mount Olive Township
Sean Hernandez
Rubi Hernandez
Maya Jimenez
Mary Ellen Redfield
Jonathan Pizarro
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta
Autumn Michel
St. Luke Parish, Long Valley, Washington Township
Abe Shocket
St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown
Nayram Alvarado
Shirley Bautista
Christina Giblock
Daniela Manzano
Emily Rosales
St. Mary Parish, Pompton Lakes
Xiomara Miryam Paredes Acosta
Daniel Muῆoz Estrada
Amanda Andelora
Krista Cioletti
Vincent Ferry
Michael Lehman
Lisa Millow
St. Mary Help of Christians Parish, Paterson
Thiago Arca
Matthew Cruz
Rosa Cruz
Alaia Fuentes
Edgar Flores
Landon Howard
St. Mary’s Assumption Parish, Passaic
Lismeiry Y. Gomez
Emmanuel John Santana
Wilmeris Santos
St. Michael Parish, Netcong
Jahcobie Cuevas
St. Patrick Parish, Chatham
Lindsay Liubicich
St. Paul, Parish Prospect Park
Alexander Dubois.
Natalie Milla
St. Paul Parish, Clifton
Kyle Alvarado
Malia Arteaga
Jose Castilla
Erika Caro
Jonathan Gabrielle
Daniel Mania
Janary Mojica
Emma Nuñez
David Prado
Jade Roncero Rios
Isabella Valdes
Mia Valdes
Sebastian Villalobos
St. Philip the Apostle Parish, Clifton
Kristian Allen
St. Pius X Parish, Montville
Corey Wang
St. Rose of Lima Parish, East Hanover
Jennifer Lenci
Ryan Lenci
Evan Lenci
St. Stephen Parish, Paterson
Camila Beltrán
Sophia Carlota Fernández-Escobar
Brady Manuel Cruz
Max Mantilla- Duran
Jerónimo Rojas Horta
Emily Jimenez
Leonardo Jose Alfaro Salazar
St. Therese Parish, Paterson
Dorcas Valencia
Yonny Reynoso
Gaudy Albania Tapia
St. Therese Parish, Succasunna, Roxbury Township
Brandon Pugliese
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Oak Ridge, Jefferson Township
Nubia Bravo
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Sandyston
Michael Sprung
St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains
Chelsea Ferrante
St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Stirling, Long Hill Township
Christian Ciullo
St. Vincent Martyr Parish, Madison
Santiago Figueroa
Burak Karaoglu
Matthew McElvany
Denis Philipps
Griffin Wright
