April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
RCIA PROCESS
Different new Catholics will share common faith
Different new Catholics will share common faith
But both of them will become Catholics: one at Easter, the other at Pentecost.
"It's a big thing," Tom said of his upcoming baptism, admitting that he sometimes gets choked up when he thinks about it.
This year, the Albany Diocese will be welcoming into full communion with the Catholic Church 47 catechumens (those who have never been baptized) and 73 candidates (people previously been baptized into another Christian faith). Tom and Mrs. Konopka are among them.
Tom, who attends St. John the Baptist Church in Valatie, would be considered a catechumen: His father's family is Jewish; his mother's, Catholic. He wasn't baptized as a baby because his parents gave him the opportunity to choose which faith he wanted to practice.
By my side
"I always felt like I had God right next to me, guiding me," Tom told The Evangelist. "I wanted to learn more about Him."
Mrs. Konopka, a candidate, also felt a push to commit to Catholicism. "I have always prayed and done spiritual readings on a daily basis," she said; but, recently, "I felt as though I was at a point where I really needed to start sharing my faith and to grow and learn by becoming part of something."
Growing up, Mrs. Konopka's parents took her to many different churches in the Methodist, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witness, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Baptist traditions. She was baptized into the Presbyterian Church as an infant.
But, for her, "none of [the other churches] really had that feeling of being part of something," she explained. While Tom's peers have been supportive of his decision, possibly because most of his friends are Catholic, Mrs. Konopka said she does get a few questions about her timing: "People are thinking it's late in life to do this."
She believes that part of the reason she has decided to become a Catholic later in life is because of her husband, Gary, who passed away about 15 years ago.
"He had been very ill. Hospice was in our home," she said, calling it "my 'dark night of the soul.'
"God helped me through that. I know that I couldn't have done it on my own."
Right time
Going through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church this year just felt right, she told The Evangelist: "It felt out of my comfort zone, but I felt like God was saying, 'This is what you need to do'. I've learned that, when those feelings come, it's best not to ignore them."
Tom, for his part, has been considering becoming a Catholic for some time now. He said he's been going to Church with his grandparents and uncle for years.
A few years ago, at a Christmas party, Tom asked his uncle to be his godfather, solidifying his plans.
"My family is really proud that I'm going through the process," he said.
Some of Tom's Catholic friends may not appreciate the religion in the same way he does, the teen said. His friends don't remember getting baptized, but he will.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Konopka said that being a little older has given her a different perspective on life and religious belief.
"You have a better understanding of who you are in life. I find that Catholics who go through this in an early age sometimes have forgotten pieces. As you get older, hopefully God's wisdom is with you," she remarked.
Happy Catholics
"There's so much about Catholicism to learn," the senior citizen added. When I first went into the [RCIA] process, I thought I had to memorize it all. When I go to [Mass], I have to look at the book that has all of the sayings and the songs."
It's a relief to have a missal handy, she added, though she enjoys learning prayers and the history behind Bible stories.
Tom was most impressed to learn about the Last Supper. Jesus "turned His body into bread and His blood into wine and gave it to His disciples. He was a very humble person about what was going on," the eighth-grader explained. "He was perfectly divine -- even though He knew He was going to die the next day."
Mrs. Konopka and Tom will each be receiving the sacraments this Easter season. Tom, although he's a parishioner in Valatie, will be baptized and make his First Communion at Our Lady of Grace parish in Ballston Lake, which is his uncle's and grandparents' parish.
Mrs. Konopka will receive the Eucharist and be confirmed at Pentecost at St. Gabriel's in Rotterdam.[[In-content Ad]]
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