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	Many Find Spiritual Rebirth in Catholic Church By Yadira Betances The Eagle-Tribune April 16, 2006 http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/15/etstory.pl?-sec- News+fn-fn-fn-newcatholics.ybe-20060416-fn Some 900 people in Massachusetts and New Hampshire tonight will become Catholic ? the largest group of new Catholics since the priest sex abuse scandal broke four years ago. "It shows that the faith is growing and that we can see beyond the controversy that God works in wonderful ways," said Diane Jarvis, director of religious education at St. Patrick's Church in Lawrence, which welcomed 26 new members last night. The Easter Vigil Mass is when Catholic churches initiate new members with the sacrament of First Communion. At vigils across both states last night, the Archdiocese of Boston welcomed 500 new members while the Diocese of Manchester, N.H., gave First Communion to 400 new members. Wearing white dresses, Pamela Pfifferling, 37, and her 12-year-old daughter Courtney were among those receiving First Communion at St. John the Baptist Church in Haverhill. The sexual abuse scandal did make Pfifferling postpone her decision to join the church and enroll her daughters in religious education classes. "It bothered and disturbed me as it would any parent," she said. "You think that you're safe bringing your kids to church, but when you hear about that, you ask yourself, 'Why should I bring them?' What was going on was frightening." The priest sex abuse scandal four years ago led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard F. Law, the defrocking and imprisonment of priests, an $85 million settlement with 554 people who had been molested by priests and the financial reorganization of the Boston Archdiocese that included closing more than 40 churches. Pfifferling lost her fear after meeting the Rev. Keith LeBlanc, pastor at St. John. The family lives a stone's throw away from the church. She said LeBlanc's sense of humor and personality made her feel at ease. She joined the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program in January, attending classes twice a month for 11/2 hours a session. "It was like climbing a mountain. I was at the bottom and had to make it to the top somehow," Pfifferling said. LeBlanc said, "Faith is a personal decision and a personal journey. The issue is not what the priests did, as horrific as it was. The issue is that they want structure in their lives. At St. Patrick's, the new members ranged in age from 10 to 60. Jarvis said this is the largest group of converts she has seen in the past four years. The new members include two special needs youngsters and a 22-year-old man with Down syndrome. The parish offers religious education classes for the mentally challenged. "It's an incredible feeling seeing their dedication, coming every week for classes, especially the high school kids," Jarvis said. "It strengthens my faith watching them and their excitement as they come into the church." Jarvis, along with others who work in the RCIA program, are relieved the scandal has not stopped people from wanting to join the Catholic Church. St. Jude Parish in Londonderry, N.H. saw 14 new members last night. "It's a powerful witness to those who are cradle Catholics to see how non-Christians or those of no faith tradition at all, make a definite choice to establish a relationship with Christ," said the Rev. Robert Couto of St. Jude. "I'm energized by these people who are sincerely looking for God and make that commitment. It deeply touches my heart, and isn't that what ministry is?" At St. Matthew Church in Windham, N.H., it is not the number of people entering the Catholic Church from his parish that matters, but their sincerity, said Monsignor Donald J. Gilbert. Only three people were received into the church at last night's service. Gilbert said young parents and young adults who have been away from church for a while are the ones who tend to return to church. "One thing that has been very evident for the past four years is that the parishes have served as an anchor for people," Gilbert said. "It says a lot of the heart of our faith community. We all have to believe that what we are doing is meaningful and when we see people responding to the call, it strengthens the faith." Edward Wolfe was a Methodist before he began attending the Catholic Church. His wife, Mary, is Catholic and their children, Brian, 15, Paul, 11, John, 10, and Kiera, 6, are being raised Catholics. "Sometimes I felt like an outsider," he said of going to Mass with his family and not being able to partake in Holy Communion. "I enjoyed and appreciated the service, but I felt there was a big part missing." Things will be different now. Wolfe, of North Andover, became a Catholic last night after receiving First Communion and confirmation with five other "Christ Seekers" at St. Michael. His mother-in-law, Ann Tierney, was his sponsor. "She jumped halfway to heaven when I asked her," said Wolfe, 44, an electrical engineer at Analog in Wilmington. "For me, the most important thing is to share the Eucharist with my family." Wolfe said the sexual abuse scandal in the church never deterred him from becoming a Catholic. "The Catholic Church is a hierarchal organization, and even though we went through a rough time, I knew it was a small portion of the church that needed to be corrected. I had faith and confidence." BOX: Steps to enter into the Catholic Church RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, is the program people who want to become Catholic attend. They learn about the sacraments, the doctrines and dogma of the church. • Inquiry stage: Participants ask questions including how to use a missalette (book used at Mass) and what the church teaches. After deciding what role God plays in their lives and making a commitment to join the church, they become catechumens. • Catechumen is a more academic stage where participants take Scripture and reflect on it. They attend Mass with the rest of the members, but leave the church after the homily and before profession of faith. • Catechumens are people who have not yet been baptized and receive the sacrament during the Easter Vigil. They also receive First Communion and confirmation. • Candidates are those who were baptized in the Catholic Church or another Christian congregation but have not received the two other sacraments. At the Easter Vigil, they receive First Communion and confirmation. • Rite of election takes place the first Sunday of Lent when the catechumens are called by name by the bishop. They also sign their names in the Book of the Elect, meaning they are members of God's chosen people. • During Lent, catechumens and candidates go through a more intense time of preparation, prayers, reflection and fasting. • Their spiritual journey ends at the Easter Vigil when they receive the sacraments they need to become full members of the Catholic Church.
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