PITTSTON – At the Easter Vigil Mass inside Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Sky Nicholson stood before a packed church, nervous but filled with anticipation.
“I have always had a relationship with God, but I was a bit hesitant to pursue that relationship,” she said. “I’m sorry that I waited this long.”
Sky Nicholson and her daughter, Serenity Rain Nicholson, were among those fully initiated into the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil at the Pittston parish – an experience neither will soon forget.
“It was a beautiful experience. I really don’t have the words to explain it,” Sky added just minutes after being baptized, confirmed and receiving Holy Communion for the first time.
For her daughter, the moment carried its own mix of emotion and excitement.
“I know that different doors have been opened for me,” Serenity Rain explained. “I’m excited to keep going from here and I’m excited to be able to get into my bible and understand things from a different point of view because I’m finally where I want and need to be.”
While their journeys to that moment were personal, sharing it together side by side made the experience even more meaningful.
“I’ll never forget it,” Sky said. “It has just been amazing.”
The journey for the mother-daughter duo has been unfolding for months through the Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA), where weekly classes gradually built not only understanding of the Catholic faith, but community.
“We all created a good friendship in faith,” Serenity Rain said. “We’re kind of sad that it’s coming to an end – but we plan to continue doing things afterwards.”
Their story is just one example of a growing movement across the Diocese of Scranton.
This year, 312 individuals have been welcomed into full communion with the Catholic Church – up significantly from last year and reflecting a broader national trend.
At the Pittston parish alone, 10 catechumens and candidates were initiated during the Easter Vigil on April 4.
“This is one of our largest OCIA classes in a long time,” Father Joseph Elston, pastor of Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Joseph Marello, and Our Lady of the Eucharist Parishes, said. “Numbers are up across the country with people who are becoming Catholic. We’re in the mix here in the Diocese and here in our parishes in Pittston.”
For those entering the Church, the Easter Vigil marks both an ending and a beginning.
“It is the climax of their preparation and the beginning of their lives as fully initiated Catholics,” Father Elston added. “They’ve been studying since October just about every Sunday and working hard. This class has really dedicated themselves to learning things and experiencing things and being a part of the community.”
For Matthew Rosencrans, 37, the journey to the Easter Vigil has taken twists and turns, but he was inspired by a close friend in the Harrisburg area who converted to Catholicism. The fact that he was fully initiated on the most significant date on the Church’s calendar was not lost on him.
“What a monumental time for us to be welcomed into the Church – at the same time that (Jesus) is being resurrected,” Rosencrans reflected. “It is amazing.”
He described the moment as transformative.
“I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel. Honestly, I was nervous and scared, but at that moment, when the water started to flush over my head, you could feel a little weight coming off you. I felt lighter and I felt more at peace,” Rosencrans added.
For Father Elston, accompanying all the individuals through the OCIA journey has been deeply moving.
“I got a tiny bit emotional when I was giving them Communion, because they’ve worked really hard,” he said. “They deserve the acceptance they received tonight and the joy that they feel in their hearts – and I feel it too – so I was really happy for them.”