Over two weekends, March 9 and March 16, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington gathered catechumens and candidates at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion. This year, more than 1,500 people will be fully received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil at parishes in the archdiocese.
Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell Jr. was the principal celebrant and homilist for the March 9 liturgy, while Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the new archbishop of Washington, presided over the March 16 rite, joined by Auxiliary Bishops Roy Campbell and Evelio Menjivar, along with priests and deacons from across the archdiocese.
On March 16, more than 800 catechumens, candidates, godparents, sponsors, and family members filled every pew, stood in the aisles, and gathered in the side chapels of the basilica. Representing about 90 parishes and seven university campuses, the catechumens and candidates came forward in joyful anticipation of full communion with the Church.
Some parishes, such as St. Camillus in Silver Spring, Maryland, presented more than 100 catechumens or candidates, while others had just one.
Christelle Fru, a parishioner of St. Joseph in Largo, Maryland, reflected on the spiritual significance of the moment. “Some may say that the Catholic Church is shrinking, but there is nothing small about the Catholic faith. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us,” she said.
Brianna Fru, also of St. Joseph Parish, shared a similar sentiment. “There could be one person in our church, and it wouldn’t change my love for Him, who I come to church to worship. There are still people here,” she said. The cousins attended in support of a family member who will receive the sacraments this Easter.
For Eric Martinez, a ninth grader from St. Mary’s Parish in Landover Hills, Maryland, the decision to join the Church stemmed from a desire to grow in faith. “I want to get more faith in Him and to be closer to God,” he said.
The liturgy began with a procession from the narthex. Many took photos or recorded the rite on their phones, and one man set his on a tripod to capture the ceremony.
During the readings, babies cooed, a toddler twirled his mother’s hair, and attendees listened or read along to the bilingual liturgy.
The congregation reflected a rich diversity of backgrounds and cultures. Some attendees wore jeans and sweaters, while others dressed in jackets and ties. Among the women, some wore veils or fascinators as hair accessories, while young girls had ribbons in their hair. Others donned traditional attire, including women in brightly patterned dresses with matching head wraps and men in coordinated print shirts, reflecting their cultural heritage.
The Rite of Election marks a significant step toward full communion with the Catholic Church. Catechumens — those who have never been baptized — formally declare their intention to receive the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, at the Easter Vigil. Candidates, already baptized in the Catholic Church or another Christian tradition, affirm their commitment to full communion with the Church and complete their Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
During the celebration, Sara Blauvelt, the archdiocese’s secretary for catechesis, addressed Cardinal McElroy:
“Your Eminence, as the solemn Paschal celebrations approach once more, the catechumens present here, relying on divine grace and supported by the prayers and example of the community, humbly request that after due preparation and the celebration of the scrutinies, they be admitted to participate in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.”
Each catechumen’s name was then called, and they, along with their godparents, came forward to be recognized.
At one point, the sanctuary became so full that clergy had to make room for the growing crowd. Cardinal McElroy lightheartedly acknowledged the situation, joking that Auxiliary Bishops Campbell and Menjivar had lost their spots
“Bishop Menjivar and Bishop Campbell have lost their seats. They can come stand by me as we ask the questions now, and that’ll make it triple official,” he said, drawing smiles and laughter from the congregation.
In his homily, Cardinal McElroy reflected on the significance of the cross as the central symbol of the Christian faith.
“The resurrection is the most important reality that we as Christians understand and have conviction about,” he said. “But have you ever thought that even though the resurrection is the central reality of Christian faith, the symbol for our faith is not the resurrection — it is the cross? Why do we who are people of the resurrection have as the symbol of our faith the cross of Jesus Christ?”
Cardinal McElroy said the cross is central because it represents God’s unconditional love.
“The cross is the central symbol of our faith because it points us to a God who loves us without reservation, a God who knows what it means to suffer when we suffer, and a God who atones for our sins when we have done all that we could to reform and could do no more, and He takes it on Himself,” he said.
He said God endured the cross for three reasons.
“First, God in the cross says to us that there is no boundary to God's love for us personally and individually. There is no limit to what God will do for us because we are so precious in God's eyes that God was willing to walk on this Earth, take on human form, endure this suffering, and know every affliction that we know in this life in order to show that God draws no boundaries around divine love.”
Secondly, he emphasized the connection between human suffering and the cross.
“Each of us has moments in our life of terrible suffering — physical, spiritual, or emotional — and worse, each of us has times where we see suffering in the lives of those who are most important to us, and sometimes that hurts more. And when we suffer, we pray to a God not of remoteness and abstraction but to the God who hung on the cross and who knew every form of physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering in the crucifixion and the passion. We pray to a God who knows what suffering is and a God who is united with us in our suffering.”
Lastly, Cardinal McElroy spoke about atonement.
“Each of us sins. All of us fail, and all of us are called to reform. And when we sin, we try to make right what we have done. But each of us knows there are moments when we have sinned greatly and hurt others, and we can't go back and undo it. And it is in those moments, when we have done what we could to make things right, that Jesus looks down at us from the cross and says: ‘Don’t continue to beat yourself up over what has been done. I, Jesus the Lord, take that upon myself and carry that guilt for you and walk that journey in your stead.’”
As catechumens and candidates continue their spiritual preparation during Lent, they look ahead to the Easter Vigil, when they will be welcomed into the Church through the Sacraments of Initiation. After Easter, they will enter a period of mystagogy, deepening their understanding of the faith and reflecting on the mysteries they have received.
The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion marks a formal step for those entering the Catholic Church. The event brings together individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds as they continue their journey toward full communion with the Church.
In his final blessing, Cardinal McElroy said, “In these coming weeks of Lent, may your journey with Christ the Lord continue and deepen, so that as you approach the great day of Easter, you may know that the Lord is already alive in you. May you radiate Christ even as you are embraced by Him and His Church.”
The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion can be viewed below.
