Originally published on The Archdiocese of Portland Oregon Website by Archdiocese staff.
From February 16th to 18th, the Archdiocese held six Rites of Election across western Oregon. Archbishop Sample and Bishop Smith warmly welcomed and blessed 950 individuals preparing to enter into communion with the Catholic Church, a testament to the Holy Spirit moving in our region.
The candidates are those who have been baptized in other Christian denominations and will enter the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. Throughout the Archdiocese, 429 Candidates were registered for the Rite of Election.
Catechumens are those who have never been baptized into the Christian faith and who are entering the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. They will receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. There were 521 Catechumens registered throughout the Archdiocese for the Rite of Election. There will be more people entering the Church at the Easter Vigil than that total as some were unable to attend their local Rite of Election but they can still enter the Church.
Over the weekend, Archbishop Sample journeyed across Oregon for multiple Rites of Election welcoming candidates and catechumens from the neighboring parishes. He made stops in Bandon on the southern coast, Central Point in southern Oregon, Myrtle Creek, and Springfield, before finally returning to the Cathedral in Portland Sunday night for the final bilingual Rite held at 7:00 PM.
Archbishop Sample loves meeting with parishioners and traveling around the beautiful state of Oregon. He shared that he was especially encouraged and overjoyed from seeing the fruits of our parochial ministries and the zeal of the active student Catholic groups from Oregon State University and the University of Oregon who came for the packed Rite of Election at St. Alice Parish in Springfield. He was also moved by the beauty and unity displayed at the bilingual Rites in English and Spanish.
The hosting parishes around the Archdiocese were filled to standing-only capacity as the 950 catechumens and candidates from parishes across the Archdiocese were accompanied by more than 3,000 of their friends, family, sponsors, and supportive parishioners. Please pray for these individuals as they continue their path toward full communion with Christ’s Church!
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