Unbaptized welcomed by bishop at Rite of Election

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
Over 100 catechumens, those unbaptized who wish to join the church, had their names enrolled in the Book of the Elect during the March 9 Rite of Election at the Sioux City Cathedral of the Epiphany with Bishop Walker Nickless.
 
Now called “the elect,” they will continue their journey to full communion with the church, receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil in their respective parishes throughout the Diocese of Sioux City.
 
Those already baptized in the Christian tradition participated in the Rite of Candidacy in their own parishes on March 9. They will receive the sacraments of Eucharist and confirmation at the Easter Vigil in their home parishes.
 
Conversation with bishop
In recent years, catechumens participating in the Rite of Election have been invited to meet the bishop, ask questions and enjoy refreshments prior to the liturgy. Bishop Nickless explained that connecting with the catechumens is an important role of a bishop, the shepherd of the people throughout the diocese.
 “I want to tell you how important it is that you’re here. You have begun a special process of the catechumen. That catechumenate has been an important part of the Diocese of Sioux City and the whole church for many, many years,” he said, noting it is his job to help the catechumens to enter heaven. 

Bishop Nickless explained some of the teachings of the church to the attendees and addressed common misconceptions about the faith. He said the church has a leader, the Holy Father, who is currently Pope Francis and that St. Peter the Apostle was chosen by Christ as the first pope.
 
“The Holy Father is the guiding person in our lives along with those who teach with him. We call them the magisterium,” the bishop said. “That’s where we continue to learn and grow from the teachings of the Holy Father. The bishops and the church are part of that.”
 
There are numerous beliefs in the church that often don’t align with the modern secular world, he said, such as the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.
 
“Every single human life is a gift from God and that’s why the church has so many expectations for us to respect human life. We do not permit artificial birth control, we do not permit abortion, we do not permit surgeries to change fertility. If you read my article in Lumen Media about IVF, you will see we don’t believe in that,” the bishop pointed out.
 
A common misconception about the Catholic faith is that Catholics worship Mary, the Blessed Mother.
 
“We do not worship Mary. We only worship God,” the bishop said. “We honor Mary, the mother of God because she is a great intercessor for us. She stands close to her son, Jesus and can intercede for us.”
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Catholics also pray and request intercessory prayers from the saints as they request intercession from Mary, he said.
 
He also explained the seven sacraments of the church including baptism, confirmation and Eucharist, which the catechumens will experience at Easter for the first time. The bishop pointed out that the Eucharist and true presence is central to the Catholic faith.
 
 “When the priest takes what looks like bread and what looks like wine and says the words of consecration … they are exactly what Jesus said, ‘This is my body, this is my blood.’ It’s not a symbol. It truly is the body and blood of Jesus,” Bishop Nickless stressed.
 
The bishop offered advice for the catechumens continuing their journey towards receiving the sacraments at Easter. He directed them to look at their current relationship with Christ.
 
“As you go through the preparation to become a Catholic, the most important thing to focus on is your relatioFather David Esquiliano of the Cathedral Parish with a young catechumennship with Jesus. It’s not about the rules, regulations and the expectations as much as it’s about your relationship with Jesus,” Bishop Nickless said. “If you’ve spent all your time preparing for baptism in the Catholic Church and did not fall in love with Jesus, you’ve wasted your time.”
 The catechumens were encouraged to pray and build their relationships with Christ. The bishop reminded them that prayer is simply communicating with the Lord. “Whenever you feel lost or confused, the Lord is there for you and you need to pray. Spend some time in quiet prayer, especially during Lent to let the Lord speak, to let the Lord deepen his relationship with you,” he explained. “He already knows everything about you and he literally loves you to death.”
 
The rite
The liturgy of the Rite of Election in the cathedral immediately followed the conversation in the parish hall with the bishop. He noted the liturgy marked a milestone for both the catechumens and himself.
 
“It is my last time as bishop to welcome new Catholics to the church. We saved the best for last. It’s also the last time I welcome catechumens into the church,” Bishop Nickless said.
 Signing the Book of the ElectThe readings for the liturgy serve as reminders of what Lent is about, the bishop pointed out in his homily. He noted in the first reading from the second chapter of Genesis illustrates God’s love for humanity.
 
“The author shows God’s love for us through that image of taking the clay, kneading it and forming it,” Bishop Nickless reflected. “He breathes into the nostrils of the first humans to give life. And clay is the most intimate art form as it shows us how close God is to us; his fingerprints are all over us.”
 
To those assembled who would soon sign the Book of the Elect as part of the rite, the bishop reminded them that God is calling them to be Catholic and to be saints.
 
“You have been chosen as followers of faith. The devil doesn’t want you to be Catholic,” Bishop Nickless said. “God is with us forever on our journey. Look to Easter joy and full participation in the Catholic Church … may he bless you all as you continue your journey.”