“At the beginning of Lent, which is the time of the proximate preparation for the sacraments of initiation, the election or enrollment of names is celebrated. In this rite, the church hears the testimony of the godparents and catechists. After the catechumens reaffirm their intention, the church passes judgment on their state of preparation and states whether they may go on to the Easter sacraments.” (The Rite of Election, 1978, ICEL)

When an adult chooses to join the Catholic Church, they begin a program called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Those participating in OCIA spend time in prayer, discernment, and reflection while being introduced to all aspects of Catholic teaching, beliefs, and practices. According to Bishop Scott Bullock, there are formal rites and stages to the OCIA process – the pre-catechumenate, followed by the catechumenate. The Rite of Election marks the final phase of preparation to receive the sacraments of initiation (baptism, first communion, and confirmation) usually at the Easter Vigil. Following their reception into the Church, the new Catholics are invited deeper into understanding the Mysteries of God’s saving work in the Sacraments in the last stage called Mystagogy. 

The importance of the “Rite of Election” can be seen in its very title—a rite of ELECTION,” he explained. “Prior to this rite, an individual presents himself/herself for initiation. But, after a process of formation into the faith, called the ‘catechumenate,’ is the point where the church formally designates that the person is now part of the ‘elect.’ That is, those chosen by God and His church to be baptized in the next celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter.” On March 9, at 3 p.m., Bishop Bullock will celebrate the Rite of Election Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help with catechumens present from many parishes throughout the diocese symbolizing the unity Catholics have to the Universal Church.

“Participating in the Rite of Election at the Cathedral was so powerful to me,” said Amy Julian, who became a full member of the Catholic Church in 2001. “Seeing all those people from all those parishes, who were making the choice to come into the Catholic Church, it dawned on me that I was a part of something that was so much bigger than I had realized.”

Following the homily, a delegate from each parish responsible for the initiation of the catechumens presents the elect to the bishop and those in attendance. The catechumens are presented to the Church (in the figure of the Bishop) by those responsible for their preparation; their sponsors then ritually testify to their readiness for initiation; the candidates are then questioned about their readiness and choice to be received among the elect, and, finally, in the name of the diocesan church, the Bishop formally receives the catechumens among the elect, after which he invites the church to pray for them and, finally, he extends his blessing upon them. The catechumen’s names are inscribed in the Book of the Elect at the cathedral, affirming their intention to join the church. The church, then in turn, “elects” these catechumens to receive the sacraments of initiation.

The Rite of Election will also include the Call to Continuing Conversion for persons who are called candidates in the OCIA process. Candidates are those who have been baptized in other Christian traditions and now seek to become members of the Catholic Church. Candidates may also include baptized Catholics who had no instruction in the faith and are now preparing for Eucharist and confirmation.

“In the end, the rite is the formal admission of those seeking baptism (catechumens) into those tested and chosen (elect) by the Church for membership among the body of Christ, the Church,” explained Bishop Bullock. “Following the rite, their preparation as the elect for baptism is thus intensified in the final days before Easter.  As such, the rite ends with the dismissal of the elect for this purpose of the final days of preparation, which normally coincide with the Church’s larger Lenten journey towards new life at Easter.”

“The people of the diocese, including those who cannot be present for the Rite of Election, are invited to pray for the elect during Lent,” said Bishop Bullock, “often manifested in prayers at the Masses in Lent for those to be baptized.”

The Mass will be live streamed to the diocesan website and the diocesan Facebook page (facebook.com/DioceseofRapidCity).