This Easter marks a remarkable moment in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where more than 1,280 catechumens and candidates entered into full communion with the Catholic Church — a number drawn from those attending formal rites and not including several hundred others welcomed at individual parishes. In this episode of Catholic Review Radio, host Rita Buettner highlights two of these journeys.

Safety and security start with being welcoming. One of the handouts at the Westminster seminar, “The Power of Hello,” addressed how greeting people who come to the church helps provide a welcoming environment, as well as giving ushers a chance to assess any areas of concern. It’s not meant to create a sense of paranoia, but caution.  

Jesuit Father Joseph P. Lacey, who spent more than two decades as pastor of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez in Woodstock and 22 years as a missionary in India, died March 28 at the St. Claude La Colombière Jesuit Community in Baltimore. He was 85.

A funeral Mass for Religious Sister of Mercy Mary Gess Kirby will be offered April 11 at 11 a.m. at Mercy Medical Center’s McAuley Chapel in Baltimore. Sister Gess died March 27. She was 92 and had been a Sister of Mercy for 68 years.

Deacon John Martin, who served many years at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Baynesville, died March 25. He was known for his compassion and warmth.

That commitment to fostering community, even in challenging circumstances, defined Father Frank Brauer’s priesthood. He died March 30 in Florida after a short time in hospice care. He was 79.

A funeral Mass for Daughter of Charity Sister Mary (Mary Helena) Sheehan was offered March 27 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg. Sister Mary died March 22. She was 86. 

The classical music cued and so began an episode of Mercy’s four-part, hour-long series that brings historical medical figures together with modern-age Mercy doctors for a discussion on the challenges and advancements each have faced in the medical world.

The five men who will be ordained to the priesthood in June each had a special role in the chrism Mass March 30 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. Three carried the oils that would be blessed in the Mass, one preached the Gospel and another assisted Archbishop William E. Lori at the altar.

More than 1,280 across the Archdiocese of Baltimore will be joining the Catholic Church this Easter – a count based on those who attended the archdiocese’s formal rites and one that does not include several hundred others at some parishes.