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RCIA team members hold their parish's Book of the Elect at the Archdiocese of San Francisco's Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion Feb. 21 at St. Mary's Cathedral. During the rite, catechumens sign their name in their parish's book as a sign of their intention to be baptized at Easter and enter the church. (Dennis Callahan/Catholic San Francisco)
Feb. 22, 2021
Nicholas Wolfram Smith
Nearly 150 people from 25 parishes in the archdiocese will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church this year, a sign that "the work of the Gospel continues here," Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said.
On Feb. 21, Archbishop Cordileone celebrated the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at St. Mary’s Cathedral. A few hundred people from 15 parishes attended the rite in person, while more watched the livestream.
The ceremony is held on the first Sunday of Lent and is when candidates and catechumens going through RCIA publicly declare their intention to fully enter the church.
The archdiocese this year had 52 catechumens, who will receive all the sacraments of initiation, and 89 candidates, who have been baptized but have not finished receiving the sacraments of initiation.
A catechumen signs her name in her parish's Book of the Elect, as her godmother stands behind her. During the rite, godparents affirm to the archbishop that the catechumens are ready to enter the church. (Dennis Callahan/Catholic San Francisco)
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone in his homily said, “We rejoice with those of you who will be initiated into the faith of Christ this Easter, and those of you who have answered the call to continuing conversion and will be received into the full communion of the church.”
For everyone in the church, the archbishop told the assembly, the first Sunday of Lent is an opportunity to remember two essential parts of the Gospel’s good news: repentance and belief. The two are always connected, because belief in the Gospel “brings about a change of life, only made possible by great humility,” he said.
Archbishop Cordileone pointed out that the readings on the first Sunday of Lent and the Rite of Election look forward to the growth and renewal of the church, as it welcomes its new members and renews the baptismal promises of those who already belong to it.
“For all of us – catechumens, candidates, and those already fully initiated – this all has to do with living out those two implications of the essence of Christ’s message, the establishment of the kingdom of God,” he said.
For each person, he concluded, the ultimate goal is “to live in conformity with Christ and so begin to share life with him now in this world, and the fulfillment of that life forever in the world yet to come.”
The archdiocese had about half the number of candidates and catechumens this year compared to previous years because of the pandemic’s effect on evangelization and outreach.
Classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults were done over Zoom and participants praised faith formation teams for the work they had done.
James Crane, a catechumen from St. Roberts, San Bruno, said his RCIA experience had been “phenomenal,” with two retreats and a supportive team of instructors.
“They’ve provided a wonderful journey, keeping us engaged. They’re really wonderful people and it’s been a fantastic experience,” he said.
Candidates and catechumens will complete their faith formation programs and fully enter the church at Easter, which falls this year on April 4.
Parish RCIA instructors enter St. Mary's Cathedral at the start of the Rite of Election Feb. 21 carrying their parish's Book of the Elect. (Dennis Callahan/Catholic San Francisco)