More than 50 people came into the Church at the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
This year, more than 1,000 catechumens and candidates prepared to receive the sacraments and enter the Church. Most of them were baptized or confirmed at the Easter Vigil, although others will enter the Church at a later time. That is an increase over the past several years.
Father Charlie Archer, associate pastor at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, said 51 people entered the Church during the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.
Typically at the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion, which formally confirms the catechumens’ and candidates’ readiness for the sacraments a few weeks before the Easter Vigil, catechumens and candidates come forward to stand in the sanctuary when their names are called. Due to the large number this year, they stood in their pews at the rite, celebrated the weekend of Feb. 21 and 22.
Dioceses across the country were reporting larger numbers of catechumens and candidates. The Archdiocese of Washington reported more than 1,500, the Archdiocese of Seattle reported almost 1,600 and the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, and the Archdiocese of Denver reported about 1,700 each.
