DIOCESE OF LAKE CHARLES Established April 25, 1980

The Most Rev. Glen John Provost, D.D., M.A.

Bishop of Lake Charles

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL PARISH

Established December 8, 1869

PARISH STAFF Rev. Fr. Rommel P. Tolentino, Pastor Rev. Fr. Ruben Buller, In Residence

Canon Jean Marie Moreau, In Residence

Rev. Deacon Christopher Fontenot

Mr. Robert Marcantel

Music Director Mrs. Marlene Mullenix

Organist Ms. Sue Burke

Receptionist Mrs. Lavonne “Cookie” Dennison

Secretary Mrs. Pam Menou

Bookkeeper Mr. Philip Ardoin

Maintenance Mrs. Monica Broussard

Youth Director Mrs. Christi Jarreau

Principal ICCS

935 Bilbo Street Lake Charles, LA 70601

Website: immaculateconceptioncathedral.com e-mail: iccathedral@structurex.net (337)436-7251 Fax (337)436-7240

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday 4:00 PM (Anticipated) Sunday 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:15 AM Monday—Friday 12:05 PM__________________ Extraordinary Form: Sunday 5:00 PM High Mass Monday—Friday 7:00 AM Low Mass Monday 5:30 PM Low Mass Saturday 8:30 AM Low Mass

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Friday 11:00 AM—Noon Saturday 3:00 PM—3:55 PM 30 minutes before all other Masses HOLY HOUR, VESPERS & BENEDICTION Every Sunday 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP Before 12:05 Mass on Tuesday

CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

MARCH 15, 2020

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception March 15, 2020

When it comes to designing stained glass windows, the arti-sans at Emil Frei & Associates don’t believe in taking short-cuts. That is why they don’t allow design by computer when it comes to their works of art. “For a window to look like it has a soul, it has to be created by something that is attached to a soul, a human hand,” said Stephen Frei, who is a fourth generation Frei. “Maybe it could be more efficient, but there are things that are such when you take shortcuts, they show up in the final product.” Stephen and his crew recently completed the restoration of the windows at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. They definitely did not take any shortcuts during the project that began more than a year ago at the national historic land-mark in downtown Lake Charles. “My guess is that we replaced more than 250 different pieces of glass,” Stephen remarked about the extensive work that was done. “There were usually three people on site, but there were a lot of people at our St. Louis (Missouri) studio remak-ing pieces, matching glass and colors and patterns, and doing all the kiln firings.” This was only the second time such a project had taken place since the stained glass windows were installed in the Cathe-dral in 1939 as far as Stephen is aware. He said about 80 percent of the work they completed was “undoing” past re-pairs by other people over the years. “Once a piece of stained glass is damaged and the informa-tion (lite of glass) is thrown away, then the new piece gets put in by someone who doesn’t have the mouthblown German crystal to match it with, so they end up putting in some other type of glass that doesn’t match,” said Stephen citing the past repairs as one of the biggest challenges of the project. “We are very possessive of Frei windows,” he said, noting that his great-grandfather, Emil Frei who started the family business in 1898, played a role in the installation of the win-dows as did Stephen’s grandfather, Emil Jr., and father, Robert Frei. During the tenure of Emil Sr., the studio became known for some of the highest quality Munich, Germany, pic-torial stained glass windows in the world, according to the company’s website. “No other church in the world has these same designs,” Stephen said of the Marian-themed windows. While the sub-ject matter may be the same in other churches, Stephen said the Cathedral’s windows are unique. Aluminum being a rather new metal in 1939 that didn’t rust or seem to age was used to broadly outline each scene depicted in the large windows. The grills of woven aluminum are filled with Kokomo glass. Charles Eames, widely known for his design of the Eames Lounge Chair in 1956, also played a small role in some ele-ments of the Cathedral windows. An employee at Emil Frei in the early years of his career, Eames was among many artists at Emil Frei Studio. “I suspect that Charles Eames was involved in the design of

the aluminum grill that's both on the inside and the outside,” Stephen said. “I’ve never seen any filigree design that’s been used like this before.” Because of the time investment, the Cathedral project was always planned to be done in two stages. The first stage, which lasted from January through June 2019, was to tackle all the high windows so there would be no leakage in the future that would damage walls or the painting in the apse or other things. All of those windows are completely sealed from the outside, said Stephen. During the early planning, Stephen made two trips to inspect, analyze and provide detailed reports of each window along with an appraised value. The project involved the windows being reconditioned, inventoried and documented, broken stained glass replaced and thorough cleaning performed. After arriving back on the scene at the beginning of 2020, Stephen and his crew remained busy replacing the old rusted and deteriorated steel frames in the bell tower and installing aluminum frames with provisions for future stained glass. They finished the stained glass repair in the four terra-cotta windows and installed hurricane tempered protective glass. They also ran new framing on the rest of the Nave windows and installed hurricane protective glass on those as well as the two smaller sacristy windows. “With the material we put on now that is tempered, you can come back in about 50 or 100 years and wash it, and it will look brand new again,” Stephen said of the exterior protec-tion. “It will never look cloudy. And other than bullets, basi-cally almost nothing else will break it.” But if a lite of stained glass is ever broken, Stephen offers this important advice: “Do not ever throw away the broken glass. It might seem worthless, but it carries a magnificent amount of information and makes the repair work half as hard.”

A stained glass window in the baptistry of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception beautifully depicts an image of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus.

Stephen Frei, a fourth generation Frei of Emil Frei & Associates, completes final touch-up work on a stained glass window outside the Cathedral in downtown Lake Charles on March 10. This article by our Cathedral parishioner, Pamela Seal, can be found on the Diocese of Lake Charles website: www.lcdiocese.org. Thank you, Pam, for sharing your gift with us!

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT August 28... RCIA Inquiry classes, 6:00 P.M, Old Day Chapel August 29…RCIA Catechumenate, 6:00 P.M, Old Day Chapel August 30 …..G.N.A.T.S. meets, 9:30 A.M., Library ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP If you or someone you know has experienced the death of a loved one (a spouse, friend, sibling, parent, child) you may want to consider participating in this sixweeks Bereavement Program. You do not have to be a Catholic, there is no time

limit as to when the person(s) died and there is no cost...all are welcome.

There is no easy way around the pain of losing a loved one. Grief has no rules and no timetables. Understanding the griev-ing process can soothe the doubts that linger. Learn about the

“surprises” of grief and the emotions that affect you physically, mentally and spiritually. In this sixweek series you will learn

about normal grief and hopefully gain a renewed sense of hope. Come and learn, share feelings and ask questions to gather hints

about picking up the pieces after loss. When: Mondays 19th, 26th,

September 2nd, 9th, 16th Where: Immaculate Conception Cathedral in

Ave Maria Hall Time: 5:30 PM

Please call the church and let the receptionist know if you are planning to attend.

Contact Sister Jeannette if you have any questions (4367251) ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

WELCOME Our Cathedral Parish is happy to welcome the following who

have joined our Faith Community: Courtney and Michael Williams

Autumn and Justin Brashear ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Our Lady Queen of Heaven Family Life Community Cen-ter offers discounts to parishioners of all Catholic churches in the diocese. Members enjoy access to the gymnasium, weight rooms, cardio equipment, aerobic classes and 25 meter indoor heated swimming pool. Low monthly rates are $30/single or $40/family with discount. Call our office for more information of come by for a tour and complimentary pass—4746814. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) presents “Family to Family Education Course” beginning August 27th (12 Tuesday nights), 5:308:00 PM, NAMI SWLA office, 715 Ryan Street, Suite 203. No Cost. ...For families and friends of individuals with serious mental illness.

On March 19th, we will celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph with the traditional St. Jo-seph's Altar. The St. Joseph Altar in the church will be open all day for veneration. There will be an Extraordinary Form Mass

at 6:00 p.m. with the reception to follow in the Ave Maria Hall. All parishioners are welcome to the Mass and/or the reception! We need volunteers to bring food for the reception and to help serve food. Please call Janine Falgoust at 337-842-3013 for more information.

HOLY MASS & ADORATION FOR HEALING Come and experience the healing power of Christ in the Eucharist! Tuesday, March 24, here at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. 5:30 PM—Rosary & Confession 6:00 PM—The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Extraordinary Form) 7:00 PM—Eucharistic Exposition with Prayers for Healing, concluding with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

"By His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Eucharistic Adoration—every Friday of Lent from 12:35—5:30 p.m. Sign up sheet is located in the main vestibule and posted on Flocknote. Stations of the Cross—every Friday of Lent at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Currently, there are five people who are attending RCIA classes with the intent to be brought into full commun-

ion with the Roman Catholic Church. At this time, it is with pleasure that we have discerned the readiness of Sydney Thomas to be received into the Church on Sunday, March 22 at the 11:15 am Mass. She will make her Profession of Faith, be Confirmed and re-ceive the Holy Eucharist. There will be a reception for Sydney and her friends and family following Mass in the Ave Maria Hall. Please keep Sydney in prayer as she prepares to receive the Sacraments next Sunday. Your prayers are also requested for Alexander Reese, Kat Ramirez, Christopher Neff and Allyson Welch who are continuing their journey of preparation for initiation into the Catholic Church.

Tuesday, March 17...Men’s Come Lord Jesus, 6:00 a.m. Ave Maria Hall; Walking With Purpose Women’s Bible Study, 9:30 a.m., Library; EF Choir Practice, 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 18…Choir Practice, 6:00 p.m.; Lenten Mission, 6:00 p.m. Thursday, March 19…RCIA, 4:00 p.m., Library; Holy Hour of Reparation, 11:00 p.m.—midnight Friday, March 20…(Encounter, 9:00 a.m., Ave Maria Hall; GNATS meet, 9:30 a.m., Library; Stations of the Cross, 11:30 a.m., 5:00 p.m.; Adoration and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, 1:00—5:00 p.m.; KC Fish Fry, 5:00 p.m., Ave Maria Hall.

If you haven’t tasted the delicious fried fish dinners that our Knights of Columbus, Cathe-dral Council 1207, have been selling, here is

your chance! Friday, March 20—Ave Maria Hall Friday, March 27—ICCS parking lot Friday, April 3—ICCS parking lot Dinners are $10 each and include 3 pieces of fish, hush puppies, coleslaw and french fries.

The Cathedral will soon be adorned with beautiful flowers for the celebration of Easter. You may donate money toward the cost “in memory of” or “in honor of” loved ones. Use the envelope included in your pack-

ets or place your contribution in an envelope marked “Easter Flowers.” Don’t forget to put the name/names of your loved ones so that we can add them to the list which will be included in our Easter Sunday bulletin. If you manage your bills online, we’re sure you’ll like the convenience of online giving. It’s safe and secure, and you decide exactly when your gift is made and where it goes! immaculateconceptioncathedral.com Offertory Collections: March 8…$9,633 Online…$2,290 First Friday…$553 Black and Indian Missions…$806 #IGiveCatholic Lenten Challenge…$165 (the form for the donation is on page 6 of this bulletin)

Next weekend is our Fruitful Sunday! Please drop your canned fruit donation off in the basket located in the foyer of the Day Chapel or during the week at the Cathedral office. This is our way of helping Catholic Charities provide healthy, nonperishable food to those in need. We are grateful for your generosity!

OUR WEEK AT A GLANCE

In Loving Memory…

Tom Stockman Father of Ashley Foret

We pray that he will find peace and joy in the pres-ence of Our Lord. We extend our sincere sympathy to his family and to all who mourn his death.

5:00 p.m. until sold out!

READINGS FOR THE WEEK March 16—22, 2020

Monday: 2 Kgs 5:1-15b; Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4; Lk 4:24-30 Tuesday: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Ps 25:4-51b, 6, 7bc, 8-9; Mt 18:21-35 Wednesday: Dt 4:1, 5-9; Ps 147:12-13, 15- 16, 19-20; Mt 5:17-19 Thursday: 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a Friday: Hos 14:2-10; Ps 81:6c-11ab, 14, 17; Mk 12:28-34 Saturday: Hos 6:1-6; Ps 51:3-4, 18-21ab; Lk 18:9-14 Sunday: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ps 23:1-6; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41[1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38]

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM A Pre-Baptism class must be attended before the celebra-tion of Baptism. These classes are held the 4th Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November. Arrangements for celebration of Baptism may be made by calling the parish office after having attended the Baptism Class. SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE Arrangements should be made at least six (6) months before the wedding date by calling the parish office. An appointment must be made for a pre-marriage interview. RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS. An ongoing process of formation and education is pro-vided for anyone who is interested in inquiring into the Roman Catholic faith. The RCIA process is available throughout the year to those who are seeking initiation into the church as well as for those non Catholics seek-ing more information about the Roman Catholic church. Information concerning participation in the RCIA process may be obtained through the parish of-fice.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral Altar Society

The Cathedral Parish encourages all parishioners to participate in our Altar Society. The cost is low but the benefits are enormous! Yearly dues are $15 per individual or $25 per family. The Altar Society is made up of men and women who work to care for al the things associated with the Altar and needed to celebrate Mass. We raise money from dues and fundraisers to pay for the hosts, wine, candles, seasonal décor, flowers, vestments and much more! The Altar Society provides for our daily Masses, 4 weekend Masses, the Extraordinary Form Masses, our Cathedral School Masses, the Seaman Center Masses, Tower Oaks Masses, wedding Masses, and Holy Communion for our homebound parishioners. We also host several gatherings throughout the year: the reception after Confirmation, an annual day of reflection, a Christmas gathering to decorate the Ave Maria Hall, and send Christmas cards to our homebound parishioners. Please take a few minutes to think about what the Altar Society means to you as a parishioner of the Ca-thedral and more importantly, how you can be involved. One way you can help our Altar Society is by supporting our upcoming Palm Sunday Bake Sale after all the Masses on the weekend of April 4 and 5. Monetary donations are welcome any time of the year.

Immaculate Conception Altar Society...fostering love for the house of God and laboring for its care and adornment

Home School & Public School Parishioners:

We are proud of all our students who are parishioners of the Cathedral and we want to include them in our bulle-tin! If you have any news to share, please send it to us by Tuesday afternoons as we have to submit the bulletin to the publisher on Wednesday mornings. Email it to: iccathedral@structurex.net or drop it by the church office.

May the Strength of God pilot us. May the Power of God preserve us. May the Wisdom of God instruct us. May the Hand of God protect us.

St. Patrick, pray for us!

Please continue to pray for our young people who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation: that God will enkindle in their hearts the fire of the Holy Spirit; that their parents and spon-sors will witness, by word and example, the truth and mercy of Jesus Christ; that their Confirmation leaders will be strengthened by the Spirit.

Save the date! June 8—12

More info to follow

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S

HAPPENING AROUND THE DIOCESE OF LAKE CHARLES!

www.lcdiocese.org

Lenten Challenge 2020: During Lent, the Diocese of Lake Charles is requesting support, in the form of a small donation, from the faithful members of all parishes for our Seminarians, Catholic Charities, or Diocesan Communi-cations. You may want to cut out the coupon and en-close it in your own envelope with your donation. The envelope may be placed into any collection basket or dropped off at the office. If you write a check, please make it out to the Cathedral. All of the donations will be forwarded to the Diocese.

A Come and See Weekend for young men 16 years of age and older interested in learning more about the priesthood will be held at St. Joseph Seminary College April 3-5, according to Father Jeffrey Starkovich, director of vocations.

The weekend is a time to learn about vocation discern-ment, seminary formation, and the diocesan priesthood.

There is no cost to attend, and transportation is provided. Please contact Fr. Starkovich at 337-725-3719 or visit http://lcvocations.com to register.

The Diocese of Lake Charles Office of Pro-Life will present its third annual Clergy Cook-Off on Saturday, April 18, at Prien Lake Park. The fundraiser will support pro-life ministries in the diocese including Rachel’s Vine-yard, which will continue to help people heal from the wounds of abortion, and Grief to Grace, for anyone who has suffered from different forms of abuse. The cook-off will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with tasting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Individual tickets for tasting are $60 each (children under 12 are free) and the Trinity Package ($600) offers eight tickets for tasting, a signed thank you from Bishop Glen John Provost, and “Long Time, No Sheen,” a book of jokes by the Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen. There will be live entertainment, door prizes and children’s games. Those participating in the tasting serve as judges to deter-mine the winning dish and team with the winner receiving a $500.00 donation to the parish. To sign up or for more information contact Marjorie Long 337-439-7400, Ext. 317 or marjorie.long@lcdiocese.org.

The annual Jazz Brunch, benefitting the ministry of Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana in the Diocese of Lake Charles will be Sunday, April 26, at the Lake Charles Country Club. Net proceeds from the event go directly to serve the poor. Doors open

at 10:30 a.m. with a silent auction. The blessing and brunch begin at 11:30 a.m., with entertainment provided by the McNeese Jazz Combo of Efron Simon, Josh Hebert, and Ryan Miller. Reserved tables of eight in the following categories in-clude: Disciple Table for $1,500 and recognition at the brunch; Friend Table for $1,000 and recognition; Tradi-tional Table for $700; along with individual tickets for $75 each. Tickets may be purchased at Catholic Charities, or through www.catholiccharitiesswla.com. Call Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana at 337-439-7436 for more information. The two annual fundraisers to aid the Abrazando Cristo Mission Program in the Diocese of Lake Charles have been announced by Monsignor Daniel A. Torres. Proceeds from the Big Cash Giveaway and the Johnnie Thibodeaux Memorial Golf Tournament benefit the ongoing work of the mission in Puerto Rico and Nica-ragua. The Big Cash Giveaway, with 750 tickets available, will provide $5,000.00 for first prize; $1,000.00 for second; and $500.00 for third. Winners need not be present. To purchase a ticket, which is $100.00 each, mail a check payable to Abrazando Cristo Mission Program, 617 West Claude Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605. The drawing will be held June 21 at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church Rectory. Call 337-477-1236 for more information. The golf tournament will be Saturday, May 30 at Gray Plantation Golf Course. For more information contact Johnnie or Susan Thibodeaux at 337-478-4095 or Will Fruge at 337-540-0410

THE #I GIVE CATHOLIC $20 LENTEN CHALLENGE Please consider a donation of $20 to support: ______Prayers—Education of our Seminarians ______Fasting and Almsgiving—Works of Catholic Charities ______Evangelization—Diocesan Communications Donor Name: _____________________________ Amount Donated:__________________________ Or donate to this challenge online at: www.lcdiocese.org/resources/support-the-diocese

Cut out and place in your own envelope

Mass Intentions for the Week SATURDAY, March 14…(4:00 p.m.) - Judy Ann Fontenot; Darlene & Dalton Landry; Pervis Broussard; Annette Pronia; Souls in Purgatory; Hayley, Andrew & Arthur Yearby (living); Scot Gautreau (living); Craig Smith (living). SUNDAY, March 15…(7:30)—”Pro Populo” (For the People) (9:30)—Anna Rita & Joseph Scalisi; Dr. Francis X. Bride, Jr.; L. D. Gervais Family; Dena & Fred Nodier; Gauthreaux, Gremillion, Percle & Woods Families; Bev Wise; Larry Miller; Lonnie Stratton; Aimee McClain (living); Regina Hidalgo (living). (11:15)—Mabel & Lee Trahan. (5:00 P.M. Extraordinary Form) - Keri Burke & Family (living). MONDAY, March 16… (12:05)—Mrs. Wendi Fournerat & Family (living). (5:30 p.m., Extraordinary Form)—Kenny Loane. TUESDAY, March 17…(12:05)—Marie Lupo. WEDNESDAY, March 18…(12:05) - Mrs. Cassie Grinton & Family (living). THURSDAY, March 19..(12:05)—Earl Hudgins. (5:30 P.M. Extraordinary Form) - Beau Michael Regan. FRIDAY, March 20…..(12:05) - Mrs. Kyndel Heffer & Family (living). SATURDAY, March 21…(4:00 p.m.) - Gladys & Delma Devillier; Annette Pronia; Mr. Michael Higgins & Family (living); Donna Granger (living); Gwen Craft & Family (living); . SUNDAY, March 22…(7:30)—”Pro Populo” (For the People) (9:30)—Robichaux & Robert Families; Ryan Skrnich; Doris & Earl Duhon; Peggy Guidry; Lonnie Stratton; Frances Landry Raley; Emmadell Bodin Hay; Bernard Leger; Betty Henry (living). (11:15)—Marie Lupo. (5:00 P.M., Extraordinary Form) - Wildean Broussard.

Pray for Our Friends Who Are Ill

Sondra Abraham; Rosa Adams; Sam Ange, Jr.; Owen Arceneaux; Renee Arceneaux; Jenna, Aden, Grace, David Babcock; James M. Bailey; Henry Barnatt; Gloria Bennett; Charles Benoit; June Benoit; Donald Blanchard; Leneta Boudreaux; Robert Boudreaux; Melanie Bowles; Chandra Broussard; Dean Broussard; Kylan Broussard; Stephen Broussard; Turner Brumby; Jerry Cain; Emily Carleton; Teresa Chapoy; Ada Cochran; Denise Collette; Thad Crouch; Betty Daigle; Wade Davis; Vickie Denison; Claudia Dyle; Charles Elter; Dee Elter; Bill Ferguson; Lamont Francisco; Carolyn Gauthreaux; Ty Griffen; Diane Hagerty; Gabriel Hardy; Michelle Hart; Mary Hebert; Stephanie Hinton; Brenda Hoback; Emery Hooper; Anne Hoyer; Jessica Hulin; Georgia Ieyoub; Mary Jeffers; Gary Johnson; Brice Jones; Darrel Jones; Hattie Kadlubar; Janet LaBiche; Cheryl Lecompte; Helen Lecompte; Sarah LeCompte; James Leger; Michael Lee; Della Lemaire; Melanie Lupo; Elizabeth Louviere; Judy Marcantel; Jules Maust; Brett McCaughey; Barbara McCombs; Ray Miles; Elaine Morrow; Betty Mueller; Kenneth Newman; Ruth Ottenweller; Larry Parker; Chris Percle; Ben Perry; Clifford Raleigh; Oliver “Rick” Richard; William P. Richard; Taylor Rock; Marian Rome; Lathan Russell; Rene Russell; Michael & Marie Scimemi; Cammie Shaddock; Sue Spears; Jaxson Spikes; Chris Stemmann; Rob Stephens; Beau Styron; Darrell Sullivan; Theresa Theriot; Warren Thomas; Betty Trahan; Charlie Viccellio; Aly and Riley Wilkins; Gay Young; Martha Young.

If you would like to add or remove a name, please call the church office at 436-7251.

Prayer Intentions for the month of March: Pope Francis: We pray that the Church in China may persevere in its faithfulness to the Gospel and grow in unity. Bishop Provost: May all converts, catechumens, and Confirmation candidates preparing for the reception of the Sacraments open their minds more fully to the truth of God's Word and embrace wholeheartedly their vocation as a Christian in the Church.