Angelus News | May 17, 2024 | Vol. 9 No. 10

She hears increasing reports of
whole families participating in the
RCIA (which the U.S. bishops now
refer to with a slightly changed
translation: the OCIA, or “Order of
Christian Initiation of Adults.” While
most converts enter the Church at
the Easter Vigil, this new structure
acknowledges that converts could be baptized or welcomed
into the Church at any point in the year, even taking multiple
years before making the final decision. Practically speaking,
parishes will be adjusting to this new term over the next
few years, phasing out the term RCIA and switching over to
the use of the term OCIA.)
Perhaps, she said, part of COVID’s impact was to show the
value of family, faith, and community. She also wonders if
the explosion of devotion to Blessed Carlo Acutis during the
National Eucharistic Revival has played a part, since he led
his own parents into the Church.
“We have heard some incredible stories during the National
Eucharistic Revival of people who have experienced total
conversion because of the revival,” she said.
Regardless of why non-Catholics are attracted to the
Church, “kindness and hospitality mean a lot,” she said. “If
you do something as simple as being welcoming, the rest
will come.”
Just before COVID struck, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
had committed to upgrading its adult initiation process
with better training for parish leaders. Leticia Perez, now
archdiocesan coordinator for Christian initiation, began
full-time assistance to parish initiation ministries after years
of juggling it with other duties.
During COVID, it was impossible to do RCIA online because
it required liturgical gatherings. However, the sudden
shift to virtual meetings allowed the archdiocese to immediately
involve RCIA leaders from every parish in its extensive
new training. Participants emerged from COVID far more
prepared to lead the initiation of adults, Perez said.
Candidate Sarah Engelman receives her first
holy Communion from Archbishop Gomez at
the Easter Vigil. | VICTOR ALEMÁN
Former Evangelical pastor
and Hindu guru Michael
Cardona with Archbishop
Gomez after entering
the Catholic Church at
Easter this year. | MICHAEL
CARDONA
She believes that’s a key to the record baptisms and receptions
in the LA Archdiocese.
Unlike when she was a parish RCIA leader years ago, “we
have a lot of resources. They can call me and ask questions.
If I don’t know the answer, I can find out.”
A new trend she has recently become aware of is for some
parents to delay their children’s baptism for years, so they
receive all three sacraments through RCIA at age 7 or 8.
She suspects that some parents think it will be too difficult
to prepare adolescents for confirmation.
“I think parents (are concerned) that they
cannot control teenagers to bring them to the
Church,” Perez said. “That is one of the realities.
Another is work, another is convenience.
Or you can have a situation of divorce, where
the child isn’t baptized, or they were raised
in another denomination. So, there are many
different reasons.”
Regardless of why more people became
Catholic this year, it’s a sign that God is at
work, said Santos at the U.S. bishops’ conference.
“The message is that, in spite of the hard times
— that are sometimes by our own fault — God
is bigger,” she said.
Ann Rodgers is a longtime religion reporter
and freelance writer whose awards include the
William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Religion News Association.
May 17, 2024 • ANGELUS • 17