Chicagoland

Four RCIA candidates share their journey into the Catholic faith and what entry into the church means to them

By Daniel P. Smith | Contributor
Sunday, March 28, 2010

Dan Reed, 
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, 
690 W. Belmont Ave.

Background: “My father was from a strict Baptist household and my mother’s family was loosely Methodist. Both were from a science background, so faith wasn’t a part of my upbringing,” the now-41-year old Reed said.

The first step: After graduating from college, Reed visited his paternal grandparents, where his grandfather relayed stories of his World War II service, including the moment he had to leave his family behind for war duty.

“My grandfather landed in Normandy on D-Day and fought his way through losing nothing more than his glasses,” Reed said.

His grandfather then asked the youthful Reed if he believed in God. Though Reed admitted believing in a higher power, he hadn’t accepted faith as a foundation.

“That conversation made an impression on me,” Reed said. “Faith had supported [my grandfather] in trying times and I began to wonder what it could do for me.”

The journey begins: For the last 15 years, Reed’s been married to a faith-filled Catholic woman, baptizing their two children in the Catholic faith. Little by little, the faith’s seeds began to grow and roots took hold as priorities shifted and Reed devoted himself to prayer. Still, he wondered if the formal step of baptism was necessary for salvation and if he needed to align himself with a particular faith.

“I suppose I needed 40 years in the desert myself to figure out that the Catholic faith was the faith for me,” he said.

Thoughts on baptism: Reed describes his upcoming baptism on Easter as a metamorphosis, a release of his old skin and body for a new life armed with all the necessary skills to lead a full Christian life, including the ability to receive the Eucharist with his family.

“Without faith, I was a leaf blowing in the wind. Baptism will provide me the strength to be a positive force for others, including my family and church community,” he said.

Judy Lewnard, 
Our Lady of the Wayside Parish, 
Arlington Heights

Early life: Lewnard was raised a Reconstructionist Jew in a household that was more cultural and values-based than religious. Though bat mitzvahed, she confesses to never feeling much of a connection with the Jewish faith.

As a young adult, Lewnard worked with the YMCA, including a stint in the nation’s Bible Belt where she fully discovered the organization’s strong Christian focus.

“That’s where my spiritual journey began,” Lewnard said.

A Return: In 1997, Lewnard began dating her now-husband, a steadfast Catholic. One year later, she began attending Mass with him, an introduction to the faith that sparked introspection.

“Going to Mass every Sunday for nine years brought a calmness and clarity to my life that made me evaluate where I was and where I wanted to be,” said Lewnard, who married in 2001 and now has two children.

Decision time: Lewnard first began considering the RCIA program in 2005, though it would be four years before she turned contemplation into action.

“I realized that faith was going to be a big part of our family’s life and if I was to fully participate in my children’s lives, then I needed to make a commitment to the faith and view it as an opportunity to strengthen our family,” she said.

Baptism: Rather than being a bystander on the fringe, Lewnard’s excited to become a full member of the church and continue her immersion in the Catholic faith.

“I’ve found myself feeling the strength and power of prayer and the feeling of being a part of something bigger,” she said.

Chuck Hendricks, 
St. Ignatius Parish, 
6559 N. Glenwood Ave.

Searching: A Baltimore native, Hendricks was raised in an active Southern Baptist household until he stopped going to church at 15. In subsequent years, he considered himself agnostic if not atheist.

At 19, he welcomed a daughter into his life. As she aged, Hendricks slowly began re-embracing some Christian tenets.

“I thought about her and our lives together and kept feeling a pull to faith,” the 32-year-old Chicago resident said.

In his mid-20s, Hendricks wandered in and out of churches as he lived in California. When in Catholic churches, he gravitated toward the faith’s “love of Christ” message, though he maintained deep reservations about Catholicism from his youth.

The Call: Two years ago, Hendricks attended a Jewish friend’s baby-naming ceremony at temple. Sitting there, he says he felt called to be with God again and compelled to join a faith community.

He attended services at Episcopal and Methodist churches before reverting to his experience in California, where he felt best in the company of Catholics. He began going to Mass and shedding his Catholic misconceptions.

For months, Hendricks argued with himself about entering the faith before working up the courage to attend RCIA informational sessions at St. Ignatius. “And it felt great to talk about Catholic ideals, practices and love,” he said.

The Catholic tug: During RCIA, Hendricks found himself increasingly drawn to the church’s message of love, humility and social justice, an important theme in Hendricks’ life as a union organizer. Still, he held doubts about receiving confirmation until the RCIA program called for a discussion of modern issues. There, Hendricks learned that the church evolves as the will of God leads people to change.

“The idea that God interacts with us and allows us to be called moved me more than anything and solidified my commitment to the faith,” he said.

Awaiting confirmation: This Easter, Hendricks looks forward to joining a community of believers with whom he can deepen his faith, love and understanding of the church. He looks forward to something else as well: confession.

“I believe going to confession will only help me feel more connected with the faith and help me further embrace my role in God’s kingdom,” he said.

Boris Topchiev,
St. Alphonsus Parish, 
1429 W. Wellington Ave.

Religion and politics: As a child in Bulgaria, Boris Topchiev was exposed to strong ethical values but no organized religion, a product of the nation’s Communist control.

“For three generations, my family wasn’t allowed to practice religion freely, so I inherited no religious values from them,” the now-25-year-old said.

Topchiev does remember reading an illustrated Bible as a kid and wanting deeply to believe in God.

“I just didn’t know where to look,” he said.

Chicago: Topchiev arrived in Chicago as a 20-year-old, soon after meeting his current girlfriend, Darlene.

“She was from a practicing Catholic family and I admired their values and way of living,” he said. “It got me interested and even excited about the Catholic faith.”

Topchiev began attending Mass with Darlene, increasingly intrigued by the life of Jesus as professed in the homily and music.

“It turned out this was the God I was trying to find as a child in Bulgaria,” he said.

RCIA: Topchiev joined the RCIA program hoping that the guided exploration would confirm his feelings about the Catholic faith. As the class discussed Scripture, the church and heaven, Topchiev not only gained confidence but engaged in dialogue on mind-opening issues he had never previously considered.

“I needed this challenge to confirm that the Catholic God was my God,” he said.

Easter Vigil baptism: “I’m looking forward to confirming myself in the eyes of God and the eyes of my community,” Topchiev said. “But more than anything, I’m looking forward to the moment I’m able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.”

In the future, Topchiev says he hopes to pursue evangelization work to bring the word of God to others.

“The Catholic faith has opened my eyes and changed my life so much that I hope I might someday have the opportunity to share the journey with others,” he said.

Daniel P. Smith

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