New Catholics: Welcome to the Church!

Published: April 4, 2018

Catholic parishes across the Diocese of Little Rock welcomed 544 new Catholics into the Church during Easter Vigil Masses Saturday, March 31. They participated in their parish's  Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process and fell into two groups: the elect and candidates. The elect had not been baptized or formed in the Christian faith and life. During the Easter Vigil, they were baptized, confirmed and receive their first Communion. Candidates were already baptized members of other Christian churches who wished to become Catholic. During the Easter Vigil, they made a profession of faith, were confirmed and received their first Communion. The full list of all those who entered the Church in Arkansas can be found in the March 31 issue of Arkansas Catholic. In this issue, some explained why they became Catholic, including the following wife and mother from Little Rock:

Feeling of Home

“A few weeks after moving to the Little Rock area, my husband (a cradle Catholic) asked if we could enroll our daughter into pre-K in a Catholic school, and I thought it was a great idea. We had been looking for a church home for a few years; I was raised Presbyterian and he Catholic. And we were not finding that feeling of home anywhere we attended — that is until I came to Our Lady of the Holy Souls in Little Rock for a tour of the campus. Not even five minutes into my tour, I just knew it was home. We enrolled our daughter, my husband and I joined RCIA and before I had even attended the first meeting I knew that I would become Catholic. I knew I was on the right path.” — Samantha Minster, Candidate, Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church, Little Rock

Read Other Testimonials

Also included in this special section from Arkansas Catholic is the story of a former atheist who started praying the rosary to calm his anxiety. Little did he know that Mary would eventually lead him to her Son and his Church. Read his story. Also included is a look at efforts to move Hispanics from cultural Catholicism to active participation in the sacraments.

Find out about new Catholics nationwide, by visiting the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. During the Rite of Election in February, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor welcomed all those going through the RCIA process. If there are any new Catholics who entered the Church through your parish, we invite you follow the bishop's example and introduce yourself and welcome them to your parish community. If you know anyone who might be interested in Catholicism, invite them to RCIA in your area. To learn more about the RCIA process, visit RCIA Q&A, or contact the Office of Faith Formation at (501) 664-0340.

In his homily at the 2017 Rite of Election, Bishop Taylor invited the elect and candidates enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, "through which we experience God's mercy. But to hear that call, we first must listen, which is the fruit of prayer and may take time. My greatest hope is that each of you get to know Jesus very well and then having heard his voice, that you then respond to him more and more obediently, generously and courageously. Indeed, that is the call that has brought you here today."