This Easter, we celebrate the fact that our Church family is growing! At St. Francis de Sales, we welcome 19 new members into the Catholic Church. Our newly baptized are Amanda Conti, Ann Marie Esque, EmmaLynn Finch, Sam Harrison, Ella Harrison, Nicola Masters, Evelyn Motz, Ryan Pinghero, Kelly Shaw, Van Wallbrown and Delaney Nichols. Those who were fully initiated into the Catholic Church through Confirmation and the Eucharist are Darin Conti, Stella Conti, Derek Kreibel, Gary Lawrence, Clara Markus, Linda Norton, Pave Stauffenger and Madeline Treen. Pray for them. Rejoice in the Lord that they responded to God’s invitation to begin a new relationship with Him. Thank you to our Becoming Catholic team who has led them on this beautiful journey.
It is inspiring to see how even within the life of our diocese we are seeing a rise in the number of those becoming Catholic. In 2023 we had 465 converts. In 2024 we had 545 converts. In 2025 we had 812 converts. This year, in the Diocese of Cleveland, we have 1,029 converts, with 538 being catechumens and 491 candidates. It is awesome to see such growth in numbers. Praise God!
Whenever family grows, whether by birth or adoption or marriage, it is always exciting to see how the new members change things for the better. It is wonderful to see how their gifts bring new life to the family. As our new members are literally adopted by God and brought forth into our community, I am most excited about how they will bring their gifts into our family. How they love, who they are and the stories they will share will help transform our community into the Body of Christ we are called to be. Just before I wrote this bulletin, I learned about the death of Chuck Norris. His conversion story is inspiring and reminds us of the power of what relationships can do to bring others into a living relationship with Jesus.
This Easter, as your family gathers together to celebrate the Resurrection, be open and welcoming to the new people that come into your home. Be inspired by the stories they share. Our families are growing. What a reason to celebrate! What a cause for our joy!
Alleluia!
Fr. Jeremy
