Our Journey to Baptism: A Mother’s Witness to her daughter’s entrance into the Church
Hello. My name is Claire Kramer Mills. Thank you to Fr. Joe and Joe Nuzzi for inviting me to reflect on being initiated into the Catholic faith—from the viewpoint of a parent. I’m a mom who, along with my husband Craig, supported our daughter Darcy through her RCIA preparation.
Darcy’s journey began over a decade ago, when my husband and I were married by Father Andrew Reitz, the former pastor of St. Francis. My husband is Jewish, and I remember the warmth of the friars when I told them about our engagement, a warmth that doesn’t always accompany interfaith marriage. We introduced Darcy to the Catholic faith from infancy and over time, as she attended Mass, prayed, and participated in service activities she expressed an interest in being baptized.
Darcy’s preparation for the sacraments here at St. Francis was a gift. Each week, we attended Mass as a group of 18 candidates. We broke open the Gospel together during small group discussions under the guidance of Joe Nuzzi, with frequent visits from Fr. Joe. These sessions and our Tuesday night classes enriched our understanding of the Old and New Testaments. We learned about the historical context of biblical writings, and the classes offered time for us, as a group and individually, to reflect on what it truly means to “love one another,” Jesus’ commandment to us all.
Darcy saw this commandment reflected in the way our group of catechumens supported each another. She was the only child in the group but felt warmly embraced and supported by the RCIA team and fellow candidates. They encouraged and answered her questions and were wholly inclusive. She also felt the incredible support of this faith community, as you prayed for us and cheered us on. Thank you! Both Darcy and I are looking forward to continuing our faith journey with the community at St. Francis, supporting others and sharing our gifts beyond these doors to put Jesus’ commandment into practice in our world.
