Editorial

Welcome, new Catholics

By William R. Bruns

See the list of this years new Catholics by clicking here

At the Easter Vigil this year, nearly 1,200 catechumens and candidates in the archdiocese were baptized or received into the full communion of the Catholic Church. That’s an increase of nearly 19 percent over last year!

Welcome to each of you! We’re pleased to have you with us as new sisters and brothers in the Lord. You will continue to enrich our lives as you have been doing since you first began your faith search as inquirers.

Some folks have a tendency to regard baptism or reception into full communion as a type of “graduation.” It isn’t. Just as we are always reminded at graduation celebrations in the academic world, what you have experienced is not the end of the journey but the beginning—it really is a commencement.

One of the wonderful things about being a Catholic is that we have a rich tradition and the longest history of any Christian Church. And when you look at the Church, especially the Universal Church, you see a rich diversity of members—all brothers and sisters accompanying each other on the journey to the kingdom. In the Catholic Church, there is never a reason to “go it alone.” In addition to the companionship of the Holy Trinity, we have each other.

When one of us stumbles and falls, others are there to pick us up from the dust. Often, the journey is joyous and we sing alleluia together; sometimes the journey is sad and we cry together. At other times, the journey is difficult, but we are there for each other to encourage each other, to build up each other, and to urge each other onward to the kingdom and our final destination with God.

St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo in North Africa from A.D. 395-430, used this journey image in one of his many sermons to his people:

“Let us sing alleluia here on earth, while we are still anxious and worrying, so that we may one day be able to sing it there in heaven… . Even here, among the dangers, among the trials and temptations of this life, both by others and by ourselves let alleluia be sung. …

“God’s praises sung there, sung here—here, by the anxious; there, by the carefree—here, by those who will die; there, by those who will live forever—here, in hope; there, in reality—here, on our journey; there, in our homeland. …

“So now, my brethren, let us sing, not to delight our leisure, but to ease our toil. In the way that travelers are in the habit of singing, sing, but keep on walking. … Sing and walk onward.”

Thanks be to God you have joined us on the journey. Alleluia! †