From the moment the young man in his twenties entered the room, he conveyed a sense of openness and a keen desire to share the story of his journey to become Catholic. Although not baptised as a child, he recalled attending Mass with his grandparents, themselves devout Catholics and it was his relationship with his grandparents which sowed the very earliest seeds of faith. As a young adult, the death of his grandmother prompted a desire to explore the Catholic faith and he began regularly attending the South East London parish, to which his grandparents belonged for over sixty years. It was the welcome and support he found there which led him to attend a youth pilgrimage to Medjugorje, where he would experience profound spiritual transformation, “It was a taste of Heaven on Earth… you could feel the Spirit in the atmosphere and I realised that Jesus can get to every corner of the world. My faith really strengthened from that point onwards”.
From his narrative of spiritual journey, the impact of key people within the parish community who had inspired, guided and supported him was tangible, referred to with warmth as ‘role models’, ‘teachers’, ‘God-sent’. It was through these relationships that he developed a love of the Rosary, which, in addition to being part of his daily prayer life, has become a visible sign of his Catholic identity and a powerful tool of evangelisation. “I’m already an evangelist” he explained as he described carrying rosary beads with him to give to those he meets, “Through the Rosary, I feel I have been able to bring people closer to God who I think wouldn’t normally have heard His voice”. In a moment the young man had encapsulated the kerygmatic power of an authentic faith, which once received is joyously shared. When asked about the moment of reception into the Church at Easter, the young man reflected, “I can’t wait, I am really looking forward to my Baptism”.
Much has been written of late of the vast numbers leaving the Church, at a time when society seems to favour a very different value system, one of consumerism and individualism, in which religion is relegated to its own privatised realm. The narrative above however presents a very different picture in which faith is actively chosen and pursued, serving as a powerful reminder that there are rich treasures to be found in the stories of people choosing to become Catholic in our culture today. It is precisely this desire to understand more fully the nature of contemporary Catholic conversion in Britain, that has become the focus of a three-year research project I am conducting at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. My research aims to explore the profile of people choosing to become Catholic in parishes across the Archdiocese of Southwark and the motivations and experiences that have influenced them along the way. Early findings point towards significant patterns and trends: the network of relationships involved in nourishing the spark of religious enquiry, the importance of role models to guide and inspire and the significance of the Rosary as a powerful tool of transmission and prayer.
As an observer at the Rite of Election at St George’s Cathedral on 9 March, the drama and journey of religious conversion was immediately visible in the beautiful symbolism of the ceremony. Often referred to as the second major gateway of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion declares the Catechumens (those not baptised) and the Candidates (the baptised seeking full communion with the Church) ready to become enrolled among the elect in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Of the 254 Catechumens and 160 Candidates present, each person was called by name, parish by parish and presented to Archbishop Peter. The slowly growing number of individuals standing amidst the worshipping community represented a profound image of call and response, of visual witness and of belonging – a powerful reminder that God’s call is capable of being heard above the frenetic pace of life and the 24/7 cultural hum.
At one of the most challenging times in the Church’s history, the Candidates and the Elect represent an encouraging sign of renewal, of strong faith which remains steady in the face of turbulence and uncertainty. We are becoming all too familiar with coverage of unused churches, enjoyed by sightseers rather than believers, but the sight of St George’s Cathedral filled to capacity with a worshipping community numbering over a thousand, was an uplifting symbol of vibrancy and hope. Against the landscape of declining church attendance and disaffiliation, the service did much to convey the persistence and resilience of Catholicism – the sheer numbers pouring out on to the South Bank streets sending a message to onlookers, during an otherwise ordinary Saturday lunchtime, that something significant had taken place.
It is hoped that through the experiences of those who choose to become Catholic, it will be possible to present a unique snapshot of Catholic conversion for contemporary Britons and to shine an evangelising spotlight on those travelling in a distinctly counter-cultural direction towards faith, in what promises to be an inherently hopeful and fruitful endeavour.
Susan Longhurst is a PhD Student at St Mary’s University, Twickenham
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