Those joining the church at Easter declare their intentions

by Marc and Julie Anderson
mjanderson@theleaven.org

TOPEKA — “And a little child shall lead them.”

That’s how the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 11, Verse 6, ends.

For Shelby Mapes, it’s definitely been true.

On April 19, Mapes will be baptized, make her first Communion and be confirmed in the Catholic faith, becoming a full-fledged member of Topeka’s Mater Dei Parish. And it’s mostly because of her son, Jayden Mapes-Konomos, a second grader at the parish grade school.

Mapes, along with Jaci Opfer, who is taking instruction in the Catholic faith at St. Bernard Parish in Wamego, is a member of this year’s class of catechumens and candidates who participated in the Rite of Election held at Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish on March 9 for the archdiocese’s western region. A second celebration was held for the eastern region of the archdiocese at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood that evening.

Usually celebrated in early Lent, the rite is one in which those wishing to be received into the Catholic faith — both those who have been baptized into other Christian traditions (candidates) and those who have never been baptized (catechumens) — stand before their sponsors, the archdiocesan faith community and the archbishop to express their desire to enter into the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann presided over both celebrations.

While Mapes credits Jayden with leading her to the faith, she also joked that Deacon Bob Ortiz, a permanent deacon assigned to the parish, “tricked her” into attending classes provided by the parish as part of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).

“My son goes here at Mater Dei. And so I told Deacon Bob and Father Matt (Nagle) that I was interested in learning more, and Deacon Bob was like, ‘Come here at this time for this class.’ He didn’t tell me that it is monthslong. He didn’t tell me what I was signing up for. He didn’t tell me I needed a sponsor. I thought it was a one-night class!

“After that first night, I was like, ‘This is a commitment. Do I want to fully invest?’”

Deciding to stick with it, Mapes said she’s glad, especially because she will get to share in Jayden’s sacramental life.

Growing up, Mapes said she tried different religions, including Buddhism, Mormonism, Wicca and Christianity.

With that background, she said some might find it somewhat surprising that she’s decided to convert to the Catholic faith. After all, she wasn’t really looking for faith nor did she much care if Jayden developed a faith life.

“Him learning a religion wasn’t something that I really cared about,” Mapes said.

After enrolling him in the school, she remarked more than once, “If he learns [religion], he learns it. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. It’s up to him.”

Because Jayden has been at Mater Dei since he was 2 or 3, Mapes said he often knows more than she does.

For example, when they first started attending Sunday Mass together, Mapes said Jayden would often lead her through it, often whispering when it was time to kneel, sit or stand.

Within the past few months, Mapes decided to walk up to receive a blessing during Communion, a move that impressed Jayden. Up until then, he had been walking up by himself for a blessing, as he’ll make his first Communion this year.

“He was like, ‘Mom, you’re going up with me?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’ll start going up with you.’”

Just hearing those words, Mapes said, warmed her heart, and she looks forward to the day they can receive the Eucharist together as mother and son, which will be just one week after her baptism, as Jayden will make his first Communion at that time.

Like Mapes, Opfer said she’s looking forward to receiving the Eucharist.

At 22, Opfer said she grew up in the Methodist tradition, having been baptized as an infant.

“Once I got out of high school and was kind of on my own and living on my own, I knew I didn’t want to continue going to a Methodist church,” she said. “Nothing against that — I [just] didn’t feel like I was getting the most out of it or serving God the best.”

After Opfer started dating her now-fiance Brady Brummett, she went to a few Masses. Yet, she wasn’t sure she’d ever consider joining the church. But Opfer kept giving the church one more chance.

And the more she’s learned about the Catholic Church and its teachings, the more Opfer said she’s been impressed, especially as she’s been able to study the Catechism of the Catholic Church and trace Catholic Church teachings to specific Bible passages.

“It all goes back to the Bible,” Opfer said. “The more I learn in my classes, the more I am like, ‘Wow! If only people knew.’”

Like many, Opfer said she had misperceptions about the honor Catholics give to Mary and the importance of the Eucharist, but it’s the Eucharist that she wishes more people, including Catholics, truly understood.

“The more I learned about how the Eucharist is actually Jesus’ body, and diving deep into all of the facts about the Eucharist, it totally makes more sense,” she said. “And it’s also very, very powerful to know that while you’re at Mass. I feel like you can go into Mass with a different mindset.”

“When you don’t know that,” Opfer said, “and you don’t think that’s actually Jesus’ body, you miss out on all of the good stuff.”