By Natashya Fernandez
In his final step of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), Catechumen Matthew Fry cannot wait to become a Catholic.
Having grown up in a Christian household, it was never something he thought about much till now, when he finally questioned what if there’s more out there.
Since getting married and promising to bring up his five children in the Catholic faith, Matthew said that he didn’t know what it really meant to be a Catholic.
In an interview with The eRecord, Matthew explained that moving to Ellenbrook Parish and listening to the Gospels and the homilies of Parish Priest Fr Bonaventure, which he related back to Matthew’s life, was a little more enjoyable than Matthew imagined.
It has been these significant moments that made him start the RCIA process last year.
“It’s a big change for me and I’m sure for everyone who knows me,” he laughs.
“I enquired about the RCIA and that’s when I met Claire Merry, the coordinator at our church.
“Initially thinking that I’d be the odd one out, it was comforting to see that we had a great group of people who were just like me on this journey,” Matthew said.
“The process itself is easy and as a Catechumen, I will be receiving the first four sacraments – Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.
“I have had a lot of support from Fr Bonaventure and Fr Alexis, from Claire who’s been a great mentor, as well our sponsors who help us on this faith journey.
“The more I got into, the more I listened and wanted to know.”
“It’s also extra special for me because I get to do this with my son, who’s receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well. We have both embraced it and I’ve really found where I want to be,” Matthew said.
Always under the notion that if you lived by your values of being a good person and treating everyone the way you want to be treated, it was only when Matthew started reading scripture and really understanding the readings, that he knew what it meant to embrace the Catholic way of life.
“You experience different emotions and feelings; you have your ups and downs and start reflecting on what you did and how you have lived your life and how you want to live it now.
“You realise there’s more to it and it’s only by going through the RCIA that I embraced and listened [to the Catholic faith] and didn’t question it anymore,” he said.
“I realised that this is the right thing for me.”
“Without the support of Claire and the priests, people in the church, and most importantly my wife, I wouldn’t have been able to do this [the RCIA].
“Once you open your heart and look past your own prejudices, you see a lot more,” he said.
Since starting the RCIA, a tragedy in the family made the process significant for Matthew. His dedication and commitment to the process surprised him and how much he had grown as a person through the RCIA.
“Everyone’s faith journey is different and one of the things we discussed with the group at the start is – why are we going down this path?
“The passing of a family member was a life changing factor for me. The group was open and discussed feelings and emotions,” he said.
“What was more special about the RCIA is that we have met some nice people and it’s become much more than just being at church; we have become part of community. “Everything that comes out of the RCIA is positive. If you are ready in your life to take that journey, do it,” Matthew said.
While Matthew spoke in depth about the RCIA steps and since committing, he was particularly intrigued with having to pick his saint’s name.
“It was great because it made me read about all the saints and I went with St James which I related to as a person,” he remarked.
With a few more classes to go and the Rite of Election to attend at St Mary’s Cathedral on 9 March, Matthew is nervous.
“Now knowing that we’re about four weeks away, the reality is starting to sink in,” he said.