Step toward Catholicism impresses catechumen

With the support of his sponsor, the affirmation of the community and the blessing of Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, Mr. Sutton was among 104 catechumens and 209 candidates at the ceremony, which is part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

He attended with his wife, Peg, and members of St. James parish in Albany who have been helping him through RCIA during the past two years. He compared the event to visiting St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and felt somewhat overwhelmed.

Impressed

The Rite of Election represents the most recent step in Mr. Sutton's preparations for becoming a full member of the Church, a process that began almost two years ago, when he started meeting biweekly with his sponsor, Leon Cosler, to discuss Catholicism.

Mr. Sutton also started studying Scripture with catechists after the Liturgy of the Word at Sunday Mass.

Closer to God

"The biggest change is what I believe in," he said. "Going back more than two years, I wouldn't have been able to say I believed in God. But when I started going to St. James, that changed. I don't have a complete understanding, but I understand a whole lot better what it means to be Christian and Catholic."

In his homily before the Rite of Election, Bishop Hubbard encouraged those preparing for RCIA and those who already are Catholic to walk together during the 40 days of Lent.

"The process of conversion and renewal is still taking place, not just in the call to catechumens and candidates, but to all who are members of the Church," he said.

'We do'

Next, he asked the members of the community if they were willing to affirm the testimony expressed about these catechumens, and to support them in faith, prayer and example as they prepare to celebrate the Easter sacraments, and the people responded, "We are."

Then each catechumen's name was read, and their sponsors or godparents escorted them forward to enroll their names in the Book of the Elect, greet the Bishop and remain in the sanctuary.

"Signing the book was a special feeling because it was an elaborate book that everybody else had signed," Mr. Sutton said. "The Bishop called me by my first name and welcomed me to the community."

Big steps

Mr. Sutton has learned much about the sacraments, Church history, Scripture and morality, proving that his wife also knew her Catholic faith. "When I first started going to church, I had lots of questions, and I haven't found anything that contradicts what she told me," he said.

Mr. Cosler said that "his wife is the 24-hour-a-day guiding light that he has to keep him going."

Support system

Both Mr. Cosler and the catechumen have a background in science: Mr. Cosler is a pharmacist, and Mr. Sutton works for Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories in Niskayuna. At first, Mr. Cosler expected Mr. Sutton to be scientific in his approach to RCIA, but "the opposite is true. The rules of faith we often struggle with, he soaks up like a sponge without hesitation," Mr. Cosler pointed out. "His questions are very detailed and thorough."

Mrs. Nerf called her involvement with Mr. Sutton "rewarding and helpful. He's very sincere and interested. He will ask questions if he doesn't understand something and is very faithful about coming to church every week. From the beginning, he was sincere about wanting to become a member of the Catholic faith."

Helping Mr. Sutton through the RCIA process also has had it benefits for Mrs. Nerf. "It has given me a deeper faith and a better understanding of Scripture," she said. "How wonderful it is for him to be inspired to do this and know that you had a small part in helping."

Pastor's input

"I told him how much I enjoyed learning about the Catholic Church, and he emphasized the importance of prayer and reflecting on what I have learned during Lent," Mr. Sutton said.

Speaking of all those who are helping him, Mr. Sutton said: "They're putting a lot of effort into it, and that means a lot to me. I really feel like the people of St. James are pulling for me."

(Editor's note: This is part three in a series of articles following Tom Sutton as he prepares to become a Catholic. Previous articles ran on Dec. 9 and Jan. 20. They can be read on www.evangelist.org.)

(03-16-00) [[In-content Ad]]