Presentation of the Elect and Candidates

On the First Sunday of Lent, the Catechumens celebrated the Rite of Election, by which they were chosen by the Church and are now called the Elect. This rite begins the final period of intense spiritual preparation, known as Purification and Enlightenment, leading to the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Those already baptized celebrated the Call to Continuing Conversion and are now entering the final stage of preparation to be received into full communion with Church or to complete their initiation through the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist. In this celebration, the Elect and the Candidates are presented to the bishop, the chief shepherd of the diocese and a successor of the Apostles. This gathering expresses that Christian initiation is not only entrance into a parish community, but into the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church lived throughout the diocese and the world. This celebration makes visible the bond between the Elect, the Candidates, their parishes, and the diocesan Church, and offers prayerful encouragement as they continue toward full sacramental life.

The Presentation of the Elect and Candidates will be on February 28 at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Parishes should contact the Office of Faith Formation to RSVP for one of these times.