Catechumen finding a new home in the Church

As a catechumen preparing for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults through St. James Church in Albany, Mr. Sutton has been learning all about the Roman Catholic faith on his way to receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist at this year's Easter Vigil.

The process involves biweekly sessions with his sponsor to discuss faith and moral issues, and ritual dismissal after the Liturgy of the Word at Mass each weekend to dissect the Scripture readings with a catechist.

Part of life

"A lot of the process has taken place when I'm by myself, going to church or talking with my wife," he said. "This whole process of conversion has taken place on its own schedule, and it's completely up to me."

Every other week since April 1998, Mr. Sutton has been meeting with Leon Cosler to talk about such topics as Church history, peace and justice, vocations, and abortion. They follow a suggested order of topics regardless of the time of year -- their discussion of Advent actually took place last summer -- and Mr. Sutton considers these sessions with his sponsor to be important in guiding his decision to become Catholic.

"They're designed to help you think about your own feelings, how they relate to Church teaching, and to make sure you don't have any objections that would prevent you from being comfortable with the whole process," he said.

Last step near

The interests of catechumen and sponsor go beyond Catholicism; both men have backgrounds in science, belong to the Out of Control Ski Club and bought homes recently. Each session lasts up to one-and-a-half hours, and Mr. Sutton appreciates the way in which Mr. Cosler allows him to share his thoughts.

"He understands what it's like to be in my place," Mr. Sutton said. "Leon acts like a facilitator and lets me control the speed."

Mass and study

These discussions rotate among the four Masses each weekend, and the catechists who meet with Mr. Sutton also work on a rotating schedule. This enables him to get to know many people through the RCIA process, and parishioners in the pews get to know who he is by watching him leave after the Liturgy of the Word each weekend.

"A lot of people will come up and say hello to me and wish me good luck," he said. "I don't know who they are, but they know who I am because they see me every week."

Gospel relevance

Before he began the RCIA process, Mr. Sutton had trouble understanding why the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son was so forgiving, but he has a much more Christian interpretation of the story now.

"I probably would not have had the right attitude before I went to church, but now I completely take the other side," he said. "My attitude on this could not have changed more."

Conversion

"It definitely didn't come naturally," he said. "Meeting a different person every Sunday has made it easier after doing it for two years. The catechists have been very supportive."

His wife, Peg, also has played an important role in his conversion by asking him about his sessions with Mr. Cosler and meetings with catechists. "Even though I am in the process by myself, she's there for me and is very interested," he said.

She has helped him to participate more fully in the Mass by encouraging him to use the missalette and follow along. "It's hard for me to pick out the words, but my wife pointed out the missalette, and I've been trying to read that and follow on my own," he said.

Catholic ambience

"We did absolutely no Christmas shopping, no sending Christmas cards and didn't decorate the house," he said. "We were left with the things that are really important."

Easter has taken on added meaning for Mr. Sutton, as well, and not just because he hopes to receive the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. He and Peg attend Mass on Holy Thursday at St. Patrick's Church in Watervliet, go to Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at St. Mary's Church in Albany, and finish up with Mass on the Easter Vigil at St. James.

"Easter has gone from being a non-holiday to the most important," he said.

Last steps

That's when Bishop Howard J. Hubbard will formally acknowledge the readiness of the catechumens and call them to the sacraments of initiation. They will respond by expressing their desire for these sacraments and are called "the elect" from this time until they are baptized.

Now that he has discussed the meaning of the sacraments and moved on to the moral issues facing the Church, Mr. Sutton is sensing how near the Easter Vigil is and how far he has come on his journey to become Catholic.

(Editor's note: The Evangelist has been following Mr. Sutton on his journey. The first article about his conversion appeared in the Dec. 9, 1999, issue.)

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