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Kent Iglehart, who is preparing for entry into the Catholic Church, is pictured with his wife Jacqueline, who inspired his conversion, and her children from a previous marriage, Marco, 14, and Rachel, 13, who serve as altar servers at St. Patrick Church in Larkspur. (Photo by Lidia Wasowicz/Catholic San Francisco)
February 8, 2018
Lidia Wasowicz
Kent Iglehart’s road to Catholicism evokes images from the parable of the prodigal son.
One of two sons of a devout Methodist Sunday school teacher, Iglehart left the religious fold during college only to yearn to return home years later when his spiritual coffers ran dry.
He will receive a festive welcome at the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at St. Mary’s Cathedral Feb. 18.
The annual ceremony, traditionally held on the First Sunday of Lent, marks a mandatory step toward full communion with the Catholic community.
In a ritual rife with pomp dating to the early church of the third to sixth centuries, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, having ascertained their spiritual wherewithal and willingness, will invite the unbaptized “catechumens” to sign the Book of the Elect and declare the “candidates,” those already baptized in a Christian church, ready for full initiation, said Laura Bertone, director of the diocesan Office of Worship for the past six years.
Among hundreds sharing Iglehart’s journey, Renae Herrmann McKinlay, baptized a Lutheran at age one, and Tina Wok, a former non-practicing Hindu, will declare their commitment to becoming and living as full-fledged Catholics.
Catechumen Wok will finalize her entry into the church when she receives the three sacraments of initiation – baptism, Eucharist and confirmation – at her parish of St. Hilary in Tiburon at the Easter Vigil.
On the same night, candidates Iglehart and Herrmann McKinlay will be fully integrated when they make their first Communion and are confirmed at St. Patrick Church in Larkspur.
A desire to strengthen family spiritual ties propelled all three toward their life-altering decision.
“My husband and children are Catholic, and I wanted to be of one faith with them and to help guide my children (by) fully joining a community of love and faith that works to help others,” said Wok, the mother of three.
Herrmann McKinlay entered the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program in December 2016 to gain a deeper appreciation for the faith espoused by her husband, two sons and myriad in-laws.
“My older child was attending St. Patrick School, and I had just accepted the position as first-grade aide at the school,” she recalled. “I wanted to learn and understand all that my husband knew and believed in, as well as starting the journey that my sons (baptized at St. Patrick) were starting to take.”
Iglehart entered the same RCIA class in October 2016, in response to his future wife’s inspiration and God’s invitation.
“After straying from my religious roots and falling into the trap of material wealth on Wall Street for 15 years, I started to feel a calling to conversion in 2014,” said Iglehart, an investment banker. “Then, lo and behold, I met my wife, a very devout Catholic, in April 2016 and knew what I wanted to do for her and for me.”
He wanted to revive his rich religious heritage. His mother had ensured he never missed church as a child. His aunt, a Methodist from Nebraska, used to pay him $10 to read the Bible. His pious fraternal and maternal grandparents played a pivotal role in his faith formation.
After moving West from New York, Iglehart found himself attending daily Mass at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral during lunch breaks from his banking job in the Financial District.
The rigors, rituals and priestly vocations of Catholicism appealed to him.
“I got back to praying intensely, and it really made me feel very centered and balanced,” Iglehart said.
Six months after their meeting and five months before their January 2017 wedding, Iglehart and his wife Jacqueline were “swept up in the beautiful experience” of participating in the parish activities and community outreach at St. Patrick.
“Very soon we decided to go fully in and sought the RCIA program to deepen our faith as a family,” said Iglehart.
His wife became his sponsor. Her two teenage children from a previous marriage were baptized, made their first Communion and will be confirmed at St. Patrick.
“It’s been an amazing story of romance and religion,” Iglehart said, “an incredible journey that’s brought me home.”
From left, Craig McKinlay, sons Cullan, 7, and Graham, 5, and wife Renae Herrmann McKinlay are pictured inside St. Patrick Church in Larkspur. Herrmann McKinlay, baptized a Lutheran, will participate in the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion as a step toward full entry into the faith espoused by her husband and children. (Photo by Lidia Wasowicz/Catholic San Francisco)