They have traveled as many paths as they are in number, but throughout Lent all will walk forward together, followers of God, transformed by grace.

Nearly 1,000 prospective Catholics in the diocese — men, women and children — during Lent will go through the final stages of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, preparing to be baptized or enter into full communion with the church.

They participated in four Rite of Election services March 8-9 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento and St. Joseph Parish in Redding, receiving the call to continuing conversion in the presence of Bishop William K. Weigand or Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Garcia.

Two categories of people take part in the RCIA: catechumens, who are unbaptized, and candidates, who either were baptized in a non-Catholic church or baptized as Catholics but did not receive formal catechetical formation, first Eucharist or confirmation.

For both groups the Easter Vigil, April 19, will mark the final step in the rite. At Easter catechumens will receive all three sacraments of Christian initiation — baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist. The candidates receive confirmation and the Eucharist.

Among the approximately 960 children and adult catechumens and candidates being received into the church from 68 parishes in the diocese are 10 catechumens and 36 candidates who have completed RCIA instruction in Spanish for the first time.

Sister Martha Juarez coordinates Hispanic catechesis in the department of Catholic Faith Formation in the diocese. Over the past three years, in preparation to implement the RCIA in Spanish, she has led a team of six people in completing training sessions at institutes given by the North American Forum on the Cathechumenate. The team has also been actively working to recruit members to spread the new RCIA ministry to parishes throughout the diocese.

Sister Juarez, a member of the Catechists of Jesus Crucified religious order, said building a program to help Spanish-speaking people grow in their faith is spreading seeds in fertile ground.

“In the Latino community this catechumenal process is loved because it has deep meaning that responds to our longing for God,” she said. “The RCIA offers people growth in faith and Christian maturity.”

Parishes with the RCIA in Spanish include Our Lady of Lourdes in Colusa, St. Rose of Lima in Roseville, St. Peter and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento, Holy Rosary in Woodland and Holy Cross in West Sacramento.

Sister Leonor Quijada, also a member of the Catechists of Jesus Crucified, is coordinating religious education and catechism at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, where 20 people are in various stages of completing the RCIA process.

She said the RCIA in Spanish is satisfying the need of a large number of people deeply rooted in their Catholic faith but not having received one or more of the sacraments of initiation.

“In Mexico, confirmation is not given in childhood but later, so for a lot of people who moved from country to country when they were children, a lot was lost. They need to find a way back,” she said.

While the reasons for beginning the process vary — from preparing for marriage to re-joining a church community — participants tend to make a common discovery.

“They find they need to be close to God, and that God wants them,” Sister Quijada noted.

Dario Nevada was the sole catechumen joining with a group of seven candidates from Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Rite of Election March 9 at the cathedral.

Raised a Protestant, Nevada, 24, said he felt he had been missing something in his life when he was invited to join a youth group at Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was there he met Sister Quijada.

“She has a very special gift, something in her presence,” said Nevada, who soon began attending Mass and giving serious thought to becoming more complete spiritually.

While not Latino, after making four trips to Mexico during high school and college, Nevada feels a closeness to the Latino community and deep appreciation for the culture. He decided to make a commitment to learning about the Catholic faith and enrolled in the RCIA.

He sees approaching baptism as a Catholic full of promise, “a new beginning.”

Sister Quijada said that the catechists, who work as a team, have had their own lives enriched in the RCIA process.

“We receive a lot when we teach, sharing our gifts,” said Sister Quijada, who added that the parish’s Spanish team has met with like teams from other Sacramento-area parishes. “We don’t feel alone. We can share our experience and concerns, adapt the RCIA to our culture, and make it our own,” she said.

Two catechumens and 24 candidates are completing the RCIA in Spanish this Lent at St. Peter Parish in Sacramento, an indication of the strong response it received after simply being introduced during presentations at weekend Masses. Simona Thorpe, director of religious education in Spanish at St. Peter, is working with the group.

“News spread by word of mouth. They are hungry for the sacraments,” said Thorpe, who described the group as about half young people, including many people who have migrated to St. Peter from other areas.

“There is a definite need for the RCIA in Spanish and it’s growing,” she added.

Frida Callejas, religious education director in Spanish at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Roseville, said the RCIA in Spanish had its beginning in the parish last year following a meeting she had with a father whose daughter was preparing to receive first Communion.

“The father wanted to share this faith experience with his daughter and he hadn’t been baptized,” Callejas said.

She believes there are many more people who want to come forward to complete the formation of faith. Among the approximately 350 Spanish-speaking people at St. Rose who participated in last year’s survey to assist parishes in pastoral planning (developed by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate), integrating culture into faith formation was identified as a priority need.

“It’s a big step for them,” she said. “They’re being asked to transform their lives, to look at what God is calling them to do.”

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