On the weekend of Feb. 21-22, three liturgies took place around the Diocese of Lansing celebrating the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion. The Rite of Election is an ancient rite in which the bishop receives the testimony of the godparents and then enrolls their name in the Book of the Elect, thereby “choosing” or “electing” them to receive the sacraments of initiation at Easter.
Bishop Earl Boyea was the presider. The parishes hosting the liturgies were St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor, St. John the Evangelist in Fenton and St. Gerard in Lansing. The largest group – about 600 people with sponsors and team members – gathered at St. Gerard.
On April, 4, Holy Saturday, 568 people will be received into the Catholic Church in the diocese. Of those, 245 had been baptized as Christians in other churches and will make a profession of faith and be received into the Church, and 323 will be fully initiated into the Church, receiving all three sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation and Eucharist.
Michael Andrews, director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Lansing, said, “The Rite of Election was a great opportunity for the people to meet the bishop and be welcomed by him.” Peter Ries, director of Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) for St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing, commented that he was impressed to see all the people who wanted to become members of the Church. Mary Peacock, director of RCIA for St. Gerard, agreed that it was inspiring to “cradle Catholics” to see so many make this faith decision.
Click here for a streaming video of the Rite of Election at St. Francis of Assisi.