Diocese is poised to set a record for new Catholics at Easter Vigil
By Dan McWilliams
A standing-room-only gathering at the diocese’s cathedral for the annual Rite of Election was evidence that the Church in East Tennessee is growing at a record rate, reflecting a trend that is being seen nationwide.
The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was packed to the gills on Feb. 21 as Bishop Mark Beckman presided at the first-weekend-of-Lent ceremony, known in full as the Rite of Election of Catechumens and the Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates.
An all-time high of 956 entered the Church in East Tennessee in 2025, and the Diocese of Knoxville is expected to “meet and exceed” that number this year as it experiences “unprecedented growth,” said Deacon Jim Bello, diocesan director of Christian Formation.
Those arriving late to the Rite of Election were forced to park two or three buildings away from the cathedral as the parking lots for the church, its parish school, and the Chancery next door filled fast.
Bishop Beckman duly noted the huge attendance at Sacred Heart.
“It is a fantastic sign. It brought great joy to my heart,” he said. “It’s very, very powerful. The Holy Spirit really is working—something incredibly wonderful is happening.”
In the Rite of Election, the bishop signs the Book of the Elect for the diocese’s catechumens, who will receive the Easter sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and holy Eucharist at Easter vigil, and for its candidates, who have already been baptized and will fully become part of the Catholic faith at Easter vigil with the sacraments of confirmation and holy Eucharist. The newcomers are joining the Church through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), and catechumens were accompanied at the Rite of Election by their godparents and candidates by their sponsors.
Adding to the people of God
A potential record number of people will enter the Church in East Tennessee at Easter Vigil on April 4. Many of them took part in the Rite of Election. (Photo Dan McWilliams)
More than 500 newcomers to the Church from throughout the diocese attended the rite this year, with many others unable to. Sponsors, godparents, and cathedral parishioners helped fill all of the pews and then some.
Bishop Beckman welcomed the faithful to Sacred Heart by referring to a prophetic statement in Acts 2.
“In the Acts of the Apostles, in one moment it notes that the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of Christ with great power, and thousands were added to the people of God that day. It is good to see the Church of God gathered in abundance today. Welcome to our cathedral for the Rite of Election,” he said.
Deacon Bello said that “a standing-room crowd is amazing” for the Rite of Election, which has been a combined ceremony for all four diocesan deaneries the last two years after previously being split into two events for two deaneries each.
“We had at least twice as many catechumens and candidates here this year as we did last year, and we knew that the Holy Spirit is just on fire in our diocese,” Deacon Bello said. “To see it all come together on a day like this with the Rite of Election and the Rite of Continuing Conversion was just astounding. I think everybody’s blown away by the number of people here and the joy that this day holds.”
Setting records for newcomers to the Church is nothing new for the diocese.
“We have consistently doubled year over year for the last four years the number who have come into the Church. It could be the case this year,” Deacon Bello said.
Young adults make up a large percentage of those joining the Church, and the director of Christian Formation attributes that in part to their “interest in seeking truth and realizing there’s a peace that can be found in the Church” as well as their desire to raise families in the Church, Deacon Bello said.
Deacon Walt Otey of the cathedral parish and Deacon Vic Landa of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Harriman assisted the bishop at the Rite of Election.
Bishop Beckman began his homily by calling the occasion “truly a day of great rejoicing in the life of this local Church in the Diocese of Knoxville.”
“It is good to see your faces here today in our cathedral church,” he continued. “The great reason for our gathering today is rooted in the Lord God Himself, who formed each one of you from the clay of the earth and breathed into your nostrils the breath of life. And so, you became a living being. The call of the Lord today is the call to share life with Him forever. He calls each one of you by name. He has known you from the first moment you were conceived in the womb of your mother and has sustained you … from that moment to this very day. He is the Lord, your God, who created you in pure love.”
The Gospel reading for the Rite of Election came from Matthew 4, which describes Jesus being led into the desert to be tempted by the devil. That chapter follows the account of the Lord’s baptism.
“One of the most important moments in the beginning of the Gospel happens right before the temptation that we heard proclaimed here today, and it happens down at the Jordan River. Jesus enters the waters of the Jordan River, and on coming up out of the water the heavens open, and the voice of the Father speaks, ‘You are my beloved Son. I am well-pleased with you,’” Bishop Beckman said.
Catechumens, candidates, sponsors, godparents, family, and friends gather with directors of religious education from parishes around the diocese at the Rite of Election on Feb. 21 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Photo Dan McWilliams)
“The mystery of love that binds the Father and the Son is made crystal clear in that moment of baptism. But then the Spirit takes Jesus out into the wilderness for 40 days, and the enemy would attempt to undermine if he could that bond of love between Father and Son. ‘If you really are the Son of God, then turn these stones into bread. Feed yourself instead of being nourished by the Father.’”
God will also be pleased with those entering the Church at Easter this year, the bishop said.
“The deepest truth about who you are, created in the image and likeness of God and called to the waters of baptism for those who are approaching the great Easter sacraments, is that God has chosen you as beloved daughter and beloved son. You belong to God—that is the truth,” he said. “And for those of you already baptized and awaiting the sealing of that baptism in confirmation and receiving the Lord for the first time eucharistically—when you were baptized, the Father claimed you and said to you, ‘You are my son. You’re my daughter. I am well-pleased with you.’
“If the enemy can break that bond between us and the Father, that is what the enemy attempts to do: to try to undermine the call that we have received from the Lord our God. That’s why these great days ahead, these 40 days, are in some ways a final period of testing. We are with the Lord in those moments of temptation, and the enemy often tries to undermine the bond of love we share with the God who created us.”
In the face of that temptation, “Jesus never wavers,” Bishop Beckman said. “He is victorious over every assault of the enemy. The bond of love between Father and Son is never broken. It is by that bond that we are set free from the bondage of sin and death and given new life in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. That is why we are here today: because the risen Lord Himself, victorious over sin and death, has called us to communion with Himself so that we might share the adoption of beloved daughters and sons of God most high. That is cause for great rejoicing.”
Preparing for Easter Vigil
Lent began on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, three days before the Rite of Election.
“Some 40 days from now, at the great vigil of Easter, the churches in our diocese will quake with joy,” Bishop Beckman said. “They will be filled with light from the new Easter candle and the lights of the baptized that fill the church. May God, who has called each one of you to Himself, keep you faithful until the end.”
After the homily, the Rite of Election of Catechumens began as Deacon Bello called up each OCIA representative, who presented his or her parish’s Book of the Elect for the bishop’s signature. Deacon Bello began with the Cumberland Mountain Deanery and continued with the Chattanooga, Smoky Mountain, and Five Rivers deaneries.
“Bishop Beckman, as the solemn paschal celebrations approach once more, the catechumens present here, relying on divine grace and supported by the prayers and example of the community, humbly request, after due preparation and celebration of the scrutinies, they be admitted to participate in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist,” Deacon Bello said.
The bishop then asked the elect to stand with their godparents.
“The holy Church of God now wishes to ascertain whether these catechumens are sufficiently prepared to be received into the Order of the Elect for the solemn paschal celebrations to come,” he said before asking the godparents three questions:
“And so, first I ask you, their godparents, to testify. Have they faithfully listened to God’s Word proclaimed by the Church? Have they begun to walk in God’s presence, treasuring the Word they have received? Have they persevered in fraternal communion and in the prayers?” Bishop Beckman said.
The godparents responded to each question, “They have.”
Then the bishop addressed the entire congregation.
“Now I ask you, the members of this whole community gathered here, are you willing to affirm the testimony expressed about these catechumens and include them in your prayer and affection as we move toward Easter?” the bishop asked, to which the faithful responded, “We are.”
Bishop Beckman spoke again to the catechumens.
“Your godparents and catechists and our entire community have testified favorably on your behalf. Trusting in their judgment, the Church calls you in the name of Christ to the paschal sacraments,” he said. “Now it falls to you who have long listened to the voice of Christ to respond in the presence of Christ by stating your intentions.”
“It is,” the catechumens replied.
Bishop Beckman then asked a final question.
“Is it your will to be initiated into Christ’s sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist? Then I invite those who are your leaders to offer your names for enrollment.”
The bishop then signed each parish’s Book of the Elect, after which the cathedral choir sang, “Blessed be God, O blessed be God, who calls you by name.”
Bishop Beckman, following the song, said, “My dear catechumens, you have been chosen for initiation into the sacred mysteries at the forthcoming Easter Vigil,” to which the entire assembly said, “Thanks be to God.”
“Now, with divine help, your duty, like ours, is to be faithful to God, who is faithful to His call, and to strive with a generous spirit to reach the full truth of your election,” Bishop Beckman continued. “Godparents, you have spoken in favor of these elect. Receive them now as chosen in the Lord and accompany them with your help and examples until they come to share in the sacraments of divine life.”
The Call to Continuing Conversion began as Deacon Bello again spoke from the ambo.
“Bishop Beckman, the candidates present here, relying on divine grace and supported by the prayers and example of the community, humbly request that, after due preparation, they be admitted to participate in the sacraments of confirmation and the Eucharist,” he said.
The bishop then asked the candidates “who desire to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church” to stand with their sponsors.
Bishop Mark Beckman joins a family for a photo following the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Feb. 21. The family members will be entering the Church at Easter Vigil. (Photo Dan McWilliams)
“The Christian life and the demands that flow from the sacraments cannot be taken lightly. Therefore, before granting these candidates their request to share fully in the Church’s sacraments, it is important that the Church hear the testimony of their sponsors about their readiness,” Bishop Beckman said. “And so, sponsors, have they faithfully listened to God’s Word proclaimed by the Church? Have they come to a deeper appreciation of their baptism in which they were joined to Christ and His Church? Have they sufficiently reflected on the tradition of the Church, which is their heritage, and joined their sisters and brothers in prayer? Have they advanced in the life of love and service of others?”
The sponsors answered “they have” to each query from the bishop, who then said, “Now I ask you, the members of this community, are you willing to affirm the testimony expressed about these candidates and include them in your prayer and affection as we move toward Easter?”
They responded, “We are.”
Bishop Beckman returned to the candidates for his next remarks.
“The Church recognizes your desire to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and to have a place at Christ’s eucharistic table. Join with us this Lent in the spirit of repentance. Hear the Lord’s call to conversion and be faithful to your baptismal covenant,” he said, and the assembly replied, “Thanks be to God.”
The bishop asked the sponsors to “continue to support these candidates with your guidance and concern. May they see in you a love for the Church and a sincere desire for doing good. Lead them to the joys of the Easter mysteries.”
A youth movement
Deacon Landa then led the intercessory prayers before the bishop spoke again.
“I want to take a moment to express my congratulations to all of you who have now received your call to continuing conversion and also to the elect,” Bishop Beckman said. “I think it very fitting that we express our support for all of you, brothers and sisters in the Lord.”
A round of applause followed. Afterward, the bishop stood outside Cathedral Hall—which hosted a reception—and greeted those attending the Rite of Election.
Deacon Bob Hunt, a columnist for The East Tennessee Catholic and OCIA director for Holy Ghost, came to the cathedral on behalf of 20 catechumens, candidates, and confirmandi entering the Church this year from the North Knoxville parish.
Those newcomers are young, the deacon pointed out.
“What’s interesting about it is that if you take everybody together, the average age of our class is somewhere around 25-26” and getting lower each year, Deacon Hunt added. “It’s amazing. The average age of our catechumens is 23. This is definitely the youngest class that I’ve seen of any OCIA or RCIA program that I’ve been involved in, and I’ve been involved with quite a few of them. This was marvelous.”
Deacon Hunt joked with Bishop Beckman that “we’re making too many converts because we don’t have any parking spaces. We need fewer converts so we can have more places to park. It is a good problem to have.”
Aaron and Julie Taylor are two of the candidates who attended the Rite of Election, which Mr. Taylor called “magnificent.”
“I thought it was great. I thought it was beautiful and really special to do a formal event like this,” Mrs. Taylor said.
Mr. Taylor said he was impressed by the part of the rite in which OCIA leaders presented the Book of the Elect for each parish to the bishop.
“It was amazing when you saw all the representatives coming forward bringing the book full of the names of the candidates and the catechumens,” he said. “It almost felt, with the amount of people here today, like an army in the kingdom of God. It was exciting—you got to see the kingdom building right before our very eyes. It was incredible.”
Bishop Mark Beckman signs the Book of the Elect from St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville for its director of religious education Sara Carey. Observing are Deacons Vic Landa, right, and Walt Otey. (Photo Dan McWilliams)
Sara Carey, director of religious education for St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville, said the Rite of Election was “great.”
“This is the most people we have had in my time as OCIA coordinator. We had 11 here today, I believe, but we have quite a few more in the program. Some of them couldn’t make it today. I think we have 21, including children—we have several children this year,” she said.
The rite began at 1 p.m., but the last to arrive needed to park some distance away.
“This is the biggest I’ve ever seen it. We had to park over at the office buildings,” Mrs. Carey said. “I had told my people, ‘Get there early because you can park at the school or the Chancery,’ and they called me at 12:15, and they were like, ‘It’s already full; you’ll have to park at the office buildings.’ It is very exciting and encouraging to see a crowd this big.”
Mrs. Carey was holding the St. Alphonsus Book of the Elect after the rite and called the bishop’s signing of it “very touching and heartening, to see him acknowledge the people and be involved and aware of them. It’s like a blessing for them to have him do this for them.”
Bishop Beckman said he is blessed to sign the book for each parish.
“This year is the second year I’ve done this, and the thing that brought joy to my heart is that I’ve been to almost every one of those parishes. Memories of being at those communities came back to me as I was signing the book and looking at the people who are joining the Church from there,” he said.
The bishop was pleasantly surprised when he learned of the large number of people entering the Church this year in the diocese.
“Wow, that is unbelievable, unbelievable. It does remind me of the quote I did at the beginning of Mass from the Acts of the Apostles: with great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord, and thousands were added to their number,” he said.