Perseverance in Faith
Kyle Barrier reached out to us in February about his interest in becoming Catholic. As a WCU student, he was put in touch with Deacon Matt Newsome, the campus minister, about starting the process of RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Deacon Matt and Kyle began meeting weekly for catechesis, but their in-person meetings were soon cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students had no idea when they went home for Spring Break in mid-March that they wouldn’t return to campus until August.
Undaunted, Kyle continued his catechesis remotely, meeting each week with Deacon Matt online, or by phone when the internet connection was down. In addition to taking classes, Kyle also works in hospice care and volunteers for charitable organizations in his community. Despite a busy schedule, Kyle always made time to pray and learn about the faith.
And so on Sept 19, on the Feast of St. Januarius, bishop and martyr, Kyle was received into full communion with the Catholic Church with the sacraments of Confirmation and his first Holy Eucharist. The gospel reading for the Mass was Luke 8:4-15. It is the parable of the seed and the sower, where Jesus explains that the seed which falls on rich soil “are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”
No matter what life may throw at us, there is always a way forward to communion for those who seek to grow closer to Christ in his Church. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming Catholic, or learning more about the Catholic faith, please contact us. Click here to learn more about the RCIA process.