By Mark Curnutte
Cincinnati.com
April 24, 2011
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110423/NEWS01/104240326/Catholics-welcome-1-400-adult-converts?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
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| Kelly Clasgens of Florence, Kentucky reads about the commandments from the Catechism of the Catholic Church during her catholic class at Mary Queen of Heaven Church school in Erlanger, Ky. / The Enquirer/Joseph Fuqua II |
Kelly Clasgens watched her father-in-law die slowly, losing a leg and suffering from blood clots and a brain aneurysm.
Yet he was at peace, she said, confident that he would go to heaven after his death.
"He was Catholic his whole life, a generous and loving man, and he said it was his Catholic faith that prevented him from worrying," said Clasgens, 36, of Florence. "I started wondering what would happen to me when I died."
Those steps, taken in early 2010, were her first toward becoming Catholic, a process that culminated Saturday for her and nearly 1,400 other adult converts at Easter Vigil Masses throughout the Diocese of Covington and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It's an annual event in the Catholic Church, when people who have not been baptized in another Christian denomination are baptized in the first Mass of Easter, after sundown. Preparation generally takes one year.
In an era when losses in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and the 19-county Archdiocese of Cincinnati are well documented, people are still joining the world's largest Christian church.
The attractions, converts say, are many: family unification so a mother and father both practice the same faith, clarity and consistency of message.
"People have questions about the purpose and meaning of life," said Deacon Thomas Dushney, leader of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program at Mary Queen of Heaven Church in Erlanger. "The Catholic Church has substantial and specific answers - not generalities."
Dushney said that the Catholic sacrament of penance has specific meaning and appeal to many adult newcomers. "We have a decisive way of acknowledging sins, confessing them, asking for forgiveness and moving forward," he said.
The church itself has sinned and tried to move forward.
The sexual abuse scandal involving American priests - almost 4,400 individual priests were involved in alleged incidents, with more than 1,000 reported to police, between 1950 and 2002 - drove many Catholics away. The U.S. church has spent more than $500 million on the scandal in treatment of priests, legal costs and settlements to victims, according to an official study commissioned in 2002 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"I gave my decision a lot of thought and consideration," said Jeff Wade, who was confirmed Catholic Saturday night and received First Communion at St. Susanna Church in Mason. Baptized in a non-denominational Christian church as a youth in his native Nebraska, Wade, 45, wants to join his wife, daughter and son as Catholics.
"We're all sinners. We all make mistakes," Wade said. "Every institution, like every person, has its strengths and weaknesses. I have experienced many more positives and good people in the church than the negatives."
Since the 1960s, four American-born Catholics have left the church for every one that has converted to Catholicism, according to the 2009 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
The Catholic Church is still comfortably the largest organized religion in the United States, with 68.1 million members. The Southern Baptist Convention is second with 16.2 million. Yet the Catholic Church has seen a 1.4 percent decrease since 1960.
In 2009, however, the Catholic Church experienced a 1.5 percent increase in membership to reach its current membership level. That spike is attributed to an influx of immigrant members from Mexico and other predominantly Catholic countries in Central and South America.
In contrast to the Cincinnati archdiocese, the Diocese of Covington's official roll has actually climbed steadily since 2001.
Study required
Against the backdrop of fluctuating membership, the Catholic Church welcomes new members into its fold every year at Easter Vigil Mass. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati welcomed 1,100 new members Saturday night, the Diocese of Covington 258.
The church can accept new members throughout the year at the discretion of bishop or priest. Some have been baptized in another Christian faith that recognizes the trinity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They undergo a period of formal training in class and study that delves into Church history and its sacramental base, which includes baptism, the Eucharist and penance.
"It's the Catholic Church's sacramental focus that attracts and retains many people," said Colleen Brown, pastoral associate for community life at St. Susanna. "We believe that through the sacraments, the invisible God becomes visible. People in our world are hungry for a God that is visible - tangible to them."
Newcomers fall into two major categories:
A catechumen seeks baptism, in addition to the sacraments of Eucharist and confirmation.
A candidate is already baptized, most often non-Catholic, and will receive Holy Communion and confirmation.
"They are different than the cradle Catholic, those born into the church and baptized as infants," said the Rev. Reynaldo Taylor, pastor of St. Joseph Church in the West End. "They are solid, as adults, on why they are making the commitment to the church.
"They reach that point when the time is right and they realize the Catholic Church offers what they are looking for. It is their moment of 'A-ha!' "
More prayer
Newcomers Wade at St. Susanna and Clasgens at Mary Queen of Heaven each say they have reaped blessings through their preparation.
Wade, a financial planner, was laid off from his job in November but found another job in his field by January. His preparation has involved a deeper prayer life and community service through St. Susanna.
"My journey into the Catholic faith helped to strengthen me," he said. "I didn't worry as much as I would have before this process. Becoming fully employed again so quickly, I believe was divine intervention."
For Clasgens, that moment has extended beyond the grace her father-in-law displayed through the long process of dying.
Once she made the commitment to becoming Catholic, she and her husband, Daniel Clasgens, were married Catholic on June 5. The originally were married June 19, 2001.
"We have two anniversaries now," she said.
She goes to Mass regularly. She likes the structure and traditions of the service. The logic of the teachings makes sense to her. She looks forward to receiving communion.
And she prays more, "a whole lot more," she said. "I believe it works."
She and her husband struggled with infertility since they were married. They'd gone to doctors and specialists.
In December, at age 36, Clasgens found out she was pregnant. Now into her second trimester, she and her baby are healthy.
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