Southwark: Hundreds of fledging Catholics welcomed at St Georges Cathedral

Archbishop John Wilson with some candidates and their sponsors at St George's Cathedral. Credit: Archdiocese of Southwark

St George's Cathedral in Southwark was completely full on Saturday, 8 March, as hundreds of people due to be baptised or received into the Church, with their sponsors, godparents and loved ones, gathered to prepare for their reception into the Catholic Church next month.

Over 450 adults completing the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) were welcomed by Archbishop John Wilson at St George's Cathedral.

The Archbishop has constantly called for parishes to focus on renewal and growth, with a vision for evangelisation which leads people to Jesus Christ.

Last year, around 450 people completed RCIA, which was a decade high number. The numbers this year show the growth is continuing at great strides with the evangelisation efforts of the Archdiocese bearing fruit.

Archbishop John said: "Whenever I meet someone joining the Church, I am filled with so much joy. While each story is unique, at the heart of every story is the same yearning, the same feeling of restlessness. These feelings can only be answered and fulfilled by Christ. So to see so many people in our Archdiocese answer the call of the Lord Jesus is a beautiful sight.

"It is a great sign of hope when someone answers the call of the Lord Jesus and joins His Church. In this Jubilee Year of Hope for the Catholic Church, we can be inspired in our Archdiocese and remember that Jesus is the reason for the hope within us."

The hundreds of people joining the Church include catechumens (those not yet baptised) and candidates (those from other Christian traditions). The service at St George's saw those preparing to be fully received into the Church at Easter have their names read out, along with their parishes. There was joy on the faces of those taking this step in their journey of faith.

Fiona, a parishioner in Forest Hill, who is being received into the Church said she had a "restless feeling that wouldn't go away", which she tried to ignore with distractions. But after a period of discernment, which included "reading, praying, watching and listening to Catholics on social media" she answered the calling of God and said she has "never felt more fulfilled and on the right path".

Roseanna-Marie, who is being received into the Church in the parish of Barnes, said "I always felt Jesus was with me. However, I withdrew for a while as I truly did not know where I belonged. But now, more so than ever, I know I am meant to be Catholic". She added: "I am home" and it "feels amazing".

Southwark's Agency for Evangelisation and Catechesis (AEC) is working collaboratively with parishes to support them in the sharing the Gospel. This includes a number of programmes which aim to equip parishes to lead people to Christ. This work is fundamental to the ongoing numbers of people converting to Catholicism in the Archdiocese.

Mark Nash, Director of the AEC said: "It is our mission to lead people to Christ, it's at the centre of everything we do. I am delighted that the fruit of this work is further growth in the number of people joining the Catholic Church.

"There is so much to be hopeful about in our parishes and I am looking forward to our ongoing work with them to lead people to the Lord Jesus through His Church".

At the Service on Saturday, Father Marcus Holden - the Episcopal Vicar for Evangelisation - said Mass count numbers have been up each year since the Covid-19 pandemic. Emphasising that there is growth, largely due to the evangelisation efforts of the AEC and parishes, which is why there is much to be hopeful about within the Catholic Church.

The AEC supports RCIA Coordinators in parishes in a number of ways, including providing helpful resources, courses, and training on how to accompany people on their journey to Christ. As well as supporting parishes primarily through Some Definite Service which - through a network of volunteers - assists parishes with evangelisation, catechesis and formation. It also links them with other likeminded parishes, so that we can cooperate more effectively in serving the message of the Church.

LINK

Archdiocese of Southwark: www.rcaos.org.uk