Dublin Archbishop Dermot Farrell welcomed a record 129 catechumens and candidates Feb. 22 during the annual Rite of Election at Saint Mary's Cathedral, calling them to embrace a lasting conversion as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Initiation this Easter.
The archbishop addressed those preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the liturgy, marking a significant milestone in their journey into the Catholic Church.
In his homily, Archbishop Farrell reflected on the meaning of conversion, drawing on the writings of Saint Augustine of Hippo. Quoting from St. Augustine’s Confessions, he described the interior transformation that occurs when a person opens himself or herself to the healing grace of God.
“Augustine’s is one of the great accounts of conversion,” the archbishop said. “What happens to him surprises him, bowls him over, turns his life upside down. It makes him into a new person. This is not his doing — it is the gift of God.”
The archbishop also cited the example of Saint Paul, whose encounter with Christ dramatically changed his life. Emphasizing the beauty of embracing one’s vocation to love the Lord, he praised the catechumens for their “yes” to God.
“God has called you in Christ,” he said, “and today we mark a particular moment in your response and in the Church’s welcome of you.”
The archbishop invited those in attendance to reflect on Jesus’ triumph over temptation in the desert, urging them to confront their own struggles with firm reliance on the Lord, who enters into our deepest trials.
“The Son of God became our brother in the depth of who and what we are,” he said, according to a Feb. 23 Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference article “Today’s Gospel bears witness to this Jesus who entered, and who enters, the depth of our life, who enters our darkness and fills it with His light.”