Many New Catholics: A Blessing and A Challenge!

What a great blessing it was to read about the phenomenal increase in the number of people who were fully initiated into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil services on  Holy Saturday. As reported in the media, almost all the Dioceses throughout the United States reported record increases in the number of candidates who were welcomed as “new Catholics!” As the Easter season comes to a conclusion, it might be worthwhile to reflect on the blessing this new surge is and will be for our Catholic communities, as well as the challenge that remains in our future evangelization programs.

I was privileged to preside at the Easter Vigil at Saint John Vianney parish in Flushing, Queens, NY. It was an exceptionally beautiful ceremony, well planned and well-choreographed! With 60 people baptized confirmed and receiving their first Holy Communion, there were many details to manage, and it took quite a bit of organization. With the pastor, Father Vincent Nguyen, and the pastoral associate, Sister Monica Gan, in charge of things, it went smoothly and was at the same time quite prayerfully celebrated. The music, scripture readings, and prayers were delivered in three languages: English, Spanish, and Chinese. The video screens encouraged the congregation to participate. But what was most notable and clearly palatable was the deep faith of the people asking to be received into the Church. You could see it in their faces; a real sense of “wonder and awe!”

I can imagine similar scenarios happening throughout the country that evening. Not every parish had the huge number of initiations that Saint John Vianney parish did, but it doesn’t really matter how many! What really matters is the great desire of these new Catholics to follow Jesus and His way of life! Their search for the truth has led them to our doors, and we have welcomed them with open minds and open hearts. Let us never underestimate the role of the parishioners in their decision to join their ranks. The people’s good example, faithful participation in Sunday Mass, and their works of charity and good deeds, flowing from their worship, are a definite factor in attracting newcomers to the faith.

Now comes the challenging part: how do we assist our new members to continue to grow their newfound relationship with God? How do we assist them to remain faithful to their promises? How do we not “rest on our laurels” and become complacent in our efforts to continue attracting new converts and encouraging people who want to complete their initiation, to take the necessary steps to do so? I don’t have any magical answers to these questions or any solution to the challenge that remains ahead of us. However, I do know this for sure: taking a “maintenance approach” to parish life won’t help us at all, but taking a missionary approach is the way to go! If we use every opportunity to be a welcoming Church, we then have a chance of continued success in our endeavors. It is a proven fact that the truest test of whether a Christian community really exists is whether its new members feel welcome. And so we say a sincere welcome to all of our newly initiated and ask you to help us to remain a welcoming church. This challenge is also yours now. Let’s work together and face the future with confidence. It’s God’s Church; it’s Jesus who invites us; and it’s the Holy Spirit who guides us. Baptized into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, please do your part to reach out and continue to invite those seeking a relationship with God that promises new hope in this life and the promise of eternal peace in the life to come!