Emily Bell presented as candidate for Easter Sacraments to Archbhishop Gregory

Over two years ago I posted something on the Bell family in Atlanta (Visiting friends in Atlanta, Monday, August 15, 2005). John Bell and I were friends from elementary school days in Japan. Like myself, he is a Catholic convert. Some of you may remember that his daughter recently resolved to become a Catholic. Last December I posted something about her (Wednesday, December 13, 2006), and I'm glad to report that she is now happily progressing through the RCIA program at St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in a suburb of Atlanta and appears to be in good hands.

In the Archdiocese of Atlanta it is customary for the Archbishop to meet with all those being received into the Church through the RCIA process. The first meeting occurs at the Rite of Election. The Archdiocese is divided into four quadrants, and all members of RCIA programs gather in a church assigned to their quadrant where the Archbishop presides at the presentation of catechumens and candidates for Confirmation. The godparents of the catechumens and sponsors of the candidates are asked to stand with them.

As it was my privilege to stand as sponsor for John's lovely daughter, Emily, I drove to Atlanta this past weekend for the "Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion" service on Saturday evening. Archbishop Wilton Gregory presided. Books containing the names of the enrolled Elect were presented parish-by-parish to the Archbishop, who received them ceremoniously. I was impressed by the ethnic diversity -- not only by the large number of Africans (in addition to African-Americans), and Hispanics, but also Asians. There was a particularly large representation of Vietnamese catechumens and candidates, including one entire Vietnamese parish, Our Lady of Viet Nam, Riverdale, GA. After the service, we saw a large group of some forty or fifty Vietnamese catechumens, candidates and their sponsors having their picture taken in the foyer of the church -- including a group of Vietnamese nuns.

John indulged our nostalgia for Japanese culinary fare and lavished us with dinners of sushi and elegant udon over the weekend. Emily also drove me out to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA, for a visit while we were there. Thank you John and Emily and family!

Please keep Emily in your prayers as she continues her way through the remaining weeks of Lent, makes her first Confession, and prepares for her reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, April 7, just a little over a month hence.