This year, some 290 people were baptized at Easter Vigil Masses around the diocese. For these new Catholics, faith is a family affair.
Finding their faith
As they made a fresh start in a new state, the Jobitys began looking for a new church. Carmela’s job in the U.S. Marine Corps had taken the family from their hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y., to South Carolina and to Northern Virginia. Her husband, Darian, a personal trainer and soon-to-be firefighter, began researching Christian churches, hoping for a firm foundation for them and their children Adela, 13, and Dynamis, 6 months.
Darian didn’t have a strong connection with God growing up, but he became more interested in faith as an adult. “Joining the military, I went to church because the military was tough. Then it started to build from there,” said Darian. “I’d say I really started diving deep into my spiritual journey after I got married.” Carmela grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but she drifted from the church as an adult. “After meeting Darian and joining the military, I started to get back into my relationship with God,” she said.
They started attending a non-denominational church, but soon Darian’s research led them to All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas. “When it comes to religion, I’m a straight shooter and I didn’t like when people talked to me about religion and they sugarcoated a lot of things,” said Darian. “I educated myself on Martin Luther and church history and it led me toward the Catholic Church.”
Growing up Seventh-day Adventist, Carmela had a negative impression of the Catholic Church. Attending Mass and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly known as RCIA) classes helped change her mind. “It started to come together and now I feel like I am a part of the church,” said Carmela. “It’s a good feeling to know that we’re being welcomed by everyone and by Jesus.”
Carmela and Darian were baptized and confirmed at the Easter Vigil, and their children were baptized, too. There was one downside to this stage of their journey, said Carmela. “I’m not looking forward to the end of the OCIA class because it’s honestly been fun,” she said. But they’re ready to keep learning, said Darian. “I’m excited to continue building my relationship with God and bringing the family along.”
Schooled in the faith
When what he was learning in OCIA classes lined up just right, John Aiken was able to help his sons with their religion homework. And other times, Tommy, 8, and Sammy, 7, taught him about the faith. “My sons got me a rosary and they have this motivation to teach me to pray the rosary,” said John. Fittingly, his sons’ school, St. Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington, has played a big role in John’s conversion. “Once we came here and we saw how the school was, how they integrated faith in and how it helped our family, it helped me feel like this was important,” said John.
John had a non-denominational Christian background, but he didn’t start regularly practicing the faith until he had children. His wife, Marianne, was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school. After seeing how well their son was doing at St. Charles Preschool in Arlington, the couple decided to look into Catholic school for elementary education. Now, school pickup is one of the best parts of John’s day. “I can’t say enough great things about the school,” said John. “The school has been a wonderful community, it’s not just like (any) school.”
John’s confirmation sponsor is a running buddy, but her husband and another running friend have all become supportive guides on his faith journey. “Over time, especially as the kids got into school, I’d ask questions about the church and the faith and they were always great to talk to,” he said. “It made the transition a lot easier. I feel like I got three sponsors.”
At the Easter Vigil, John was baptized and confirmed. Throughout the years, he’s attended many Masses. But now he’s looking forward to fully participating in the liturgies. He’s excited for the church to start feeling like home.
Maraist is a freelancer from Reston.
