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Becoming Catholic (RCIA)
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Thinking About Becoming Catholic? Come and See!The Saint Anne Catholic Community welcomes those who may have an interest in becoming Catholic, including those who wish to complete their confirmation. Please join Fr. Rodolfo and other adults on their faith journey for inspiring conversations about how becoming Catholic can enhance your life.
Important Questions
Do you wish to become Catholic?
Do you or does your fiancé, your spouse, another family member or a friend desire to receive any or all of the sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation or Eucharist?
Please contact, RCIA Director Fr. Rodolfo Ramirez at [email protected] or 847-382-5300, or RCIA Coordinator Andrea Wirt at [email protected] or 847-382-5300 if you are interested in becoming Catholic, or serving as a sponsor or godparent to someone going through the RCIA process.
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RCIA Easter Vigil ReceptionSaturday, April 4, 2026
Immediately following the 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass
In the School Gym
All are welcome! -
Meet Our New RCIA Candidates and Catechumens
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Over the coming weeks, we will introduce you to our nine Catechumens, who wish to receive all three Sacraments of Initiation -- Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. We will also introduce you to our 17 Candidates, who were baptized in a Christian tradition previously and wish to be received into full Communion with the Catholic Church. The Catechumens and Candidates will receive their Sacraments at the Easter Vigil on April 4, 2026.
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Jenna BillMy name is Jenna, and I live in Lake Zurich with my husband and our three children—Theo, Tilly, and Tucker. I love spending time with my family, reading and working out in our home gym. After the birth of my first child, I experienced a renewed pull toward faith and a deeper spiritual grounding. Over the past five years, that quiet pull has grown stronger and more meaningful. I’m participating in RCIA because I feel called to understand the Catholic faith more fully and to root my family’s life in a community centered on faith, hope and gratitude.
About Sponsor, Robert Bill, Sr.I attended RCIA and was confirmed Catholic in 1999 prior to my marriage to Cynthia at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Chicago Illinois on April 29, 2000, where we are current members.
I am truly overwhelmed, honored and gloriously thankful to God that Jenna, Rob and their three children are all being brought into the fold and congregation with God, Jesus and St. Anne Catholic Church.
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Tristan CouchMy name is Tristan Couch, and I am a senior in high school. I was not raised Catholic, but through God’s grace I was drawn to the Holy Catholic Church and to the truths she teaches. Over time, prayer, study, and reflection awakened in me a deep reverence for the Faith and a sincere desire to live according to God’s will.
I am participating in RCIA at St. Anne at this time because I believe the Catholic Church to be the one true Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ. I seek instruction in her teachings so that I may worthily receive the Sacraments and order my life toward holiness, obedience to God, and fidelity to the Church. I am grateful for the guidance of my sponsor and the support of the clergy and RCIA team as I continue this journey.
About Sponsor, Lacey Rust
I live in Long Grove with my husband, Brian, and our beautiful daughter, Ava (age 12). We recently joined Saint Anne’s after a wonderful experience participating as a sponsor in RCIA last year. This year, I am sponsoring Tristan Couch. Witnessing his excitement and curiosity as he explores this process has strengthened my own faith and understanding of the Church.
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Anuchta DonovanMy husband is Catholic, and we baptized our daughter Catholic. I want to join my family on their beautiful faith journey.
Sponsor, John Donovan
I look forward to my wife joining me in the Catholic Church. I am very happy to be serving as her Godparent and Sponsor.
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Daniel DzienMy grandparents have encouraged me to explore my faith, which I am excited to be doing through the Catholic Church.
About Sponsor, Jeff Meckert
I went through the RCIA process in 2023 to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. I am pleased to serve as a sponsor for Daniel Dzien.
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Tristan FloresI look forward to completing my confirmation in preparation for getting married in the Catholic Church.
About Sponsor, Makayla Ostapa
Tristan and I will be getting married in the Catholic Church. I am pleased to be his Sponsor.
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Kyle FoustI have wanted to become Catholic for a while. I've been attending Catholic Church with my wife since we were married in 2014. We now have two children that are being raised the Church and are attending St. Anne Catholic School.
About Sponsor, Dan Marschman
I went through the RCIA process in 2021 to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. I am pleased to serve as a Godparent and Sponsor for Kyle Foust.
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Debra FrancescattiI joined the RCIA process at St. Anne after beginning to read the bible and attending Mass. I am looking forward to joining the community and being a better person.
About Sponsor, Oliver Francescatti
As Debra’s husband, it is a profound honor to serve as her godparent and sponsor as she receives all three Sacraments of Initiation. I am humbled to walk beside her in faith, to pray with her, and to support her as she fully enters the life of the Church.
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Joseph GonzalesI am 30 years old and am new to the faith. As a young man, I was in and out of church, yet my faith didn’t become a priority until 2020. I love Jesus, I love His people, and I want to grow continuously closer to Him in every way possible! Because of this, I decided to join the RCIA program in pursuit of understanding the Catholic faith and to receive the Sacraments.
About Sponsor, Bob RoigI have been a St. Anne Parisioner with my wife, Joanne and kids (all grown now) since 2009. Being heavily involved with being a Catechist for the Youth Ministry’s PATHS program, along with leading Spiritus and Kairos retreats, I then became a Lector in 2018. I am now happy and honored to be my daughter’s boyfriend Joe’s sponsor for his journey through RCIA.
While Joe’s faith has always been strong, witnessing his pure interest and growth through our community has been rewarding, while growing in my faith as well. I am thankful to be supported by such a tremendous group of spiritual leaders who provide us all with the tools, means, and experience that makes this such a blessed journey.
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Violet Guzman-RoblesI recently moved to Barrington and have been attending St. Anne Catholic Church. It was the right time and place to complete my confirmation.
About Sponsor, Meg Kieffer
I was a Candidate 35 years ago at my former parish and subsequently served as a sponsor several times. I retired and moved to Barrington in July, 2024 and joined the RCIA team in 2025. Saint Anne's has become an integral part of my life in Barrington. By being a sponsor, I can share my faith journey with others as well as renewing my own faith.
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Iglika JillyI started my faith journey when I was 8, but I didn’t get baptized until I was 19 years old. I started attending Saint Anne, when my husband and I moved to Barrington in 2013. I am really excited to be able to join the wonderful RCIA group and am looking forward to the blessing of Confirmation this coming Easter.
About Sponsor, Evelyn Diaz-Jimenez
This is my first year serving as a Sponsor in the RCIA process and I have found the experience to be very rewarding. I am pleased to serve as a Sponsor for Iglika Jilly.
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Ethan KleinerI was baptized Catholic as a baby and want to complete my confirmation before getting married.
About Sponsor, Eleanore Kelleher (his fiancé)
Ethan and I are looking forward to being married in the Catholic Church. I am very happy to be his Sponsor.
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Michael LucasI have been meaning to complete my confirmation for a while and decided to do it now with a good friend who is also completing her confirmation.
About Sponsor, Rich Accordino
This is my first year serving as a Sponsor in the RCIA process. I am pleased to serve as a Sponsor for Michael Lucas.
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Cody McLaughlinI felt called to join and participate in RCIA after getting engaged to my fiancé and sponsor, Emma. I wish to grow my faith as a Catholic which I will bring to my future marriage and family..
About Sponsor, Emma Udischas (his fiancé)
I am participating as a sponsor for my fiancé Cody as he prepares to enter the Catholic Church. It means a great deal to me to support him as he learns more about the teachings and traditions of the Church. Being part of this process allows us to grow spiritually together as we prepare for our marriage and our future rooted in faith.
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Engels Perez BoscanMy mother is Catholic, and my father is Chrisitan. I was not baptized as a baby because they wanted me to make the decision. I married a Catholic woman in 2025. Now, I want to join her in the Catholic Church to bring God into our married life.
About Sponsor, Catherine Kelleher
Engels and I were married last year. I am pleased to be his Godparent/Sponsor.
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Ally PinkAfter getting engaged, I learned of the RCIA process, and my fiancé and I decided we would like to join and be married in the Catholic Church. Through this process I have grown to cherish the tradition and message of the Catholic Church and have felt myself grow closer to God.
About Sponsor, Kathy LeveckeMy husband, Chuck and I have been parishioners of Saint Anne since 2015 and chose to build our home in Barrington because of this wonderful community. I’m a partner at Sheppard Mullin, focusing on renewable energy financing, and enjoy reading, Broadway, golf, and traveling. This is my third time serving as an RCIA sponsor. The experience has deepened my faith, strengthened my prayer life, and helped me trust more fully in God’s plan.
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Jessica PotterI have been looking for a place to fully step into my faith. Feeling God’s love through my significant other, I want to join him in the Catholic Church.
About Sponsor, Kym De La Rosa Alex
Kym De La Rosa Allex was blessed to grow up in North Carolina, where she learned to defend and share her Catholic faith in the southern Bible Belt. She felt called to attend college at CSB/SJU in Minnesota, where she received her education in Theology and Psychology. She was equally blessed to meet her husband, Preston, in college, where they said Yes to their vocation of marriage. Kym has joked that she's a "Midwest Missionary," having lived in the Twin Cities, MN, Green Bay, WI, and now the St. Anne's mission field in Illinois. Kym has been in professional ministry with youth and teens for 17 years in both parish and diocesan settings. Currently, Kym homeschools her 8 children (yup, 8 kids, she's trying to get out of purgatory faster). When she's not educating her children, her hobbies include reading, training for half-marathons, co-teaching a St. Anne's Confirmation small group, and gathering people with Catholic Feast Day parties and prayers. She was ecstatic to be a sponsor this year in the St. Anne's RCIA program. Kym loves to pray with others, share the Gospel, and accompany individuals as we all strive towards the journey of Holiness.
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Drew RadfordI have been attending Mass with my family. I am going through the RCIA process so I can join my family fully in the Catholic faith.
About Sponsor, Brook Radford
I am a “cradle Catholic,” born into a large extended family whose lives and traditions have always been deeply rooted in the Catholic faith. From Catholic grade school through high school and college, my formation was shaped by the Church’s teachings, community, and values. That foundation has guided every stage of my life, which is why my husband and I chose to raise our two sons in the faith as well — at St. Anne Parish School and St. Viator High School, where they are growing up grounded in the values of compassion, service, and integrity. Sponsoring my husband as he becomes Catholic through the RCIA process is both an honor and a joy. I want to support him as he enters a faith that has shaped me so profoundly, and it is deeply meaningful to walk alongside him as he makes this commitment for our family and for his own spiritual journey.
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Andrew ReitingerMy family and I have lived in Lake Barrington for eight years and have been members of St. Anne since 2012–2013, prior to the birth and baptism of my twin girls at St. Anne. This year, I entered the RCIA process as a candidate to deepen my Catholic faith, strengthen my connection with fellow Catholics in our community, and expand my understanding of Scripture and the teachings of Jesus Christ.Sponsor: Chris GreisI’m a confirmation sponsor for the first time and it’s a pleasure to join my friend Andrew Reitinger in this process. I was confirmed in Los Angeles in 1963 as an eighth grader — too young to fully grasp the beauty of this affirmation of my relationship with God. Andrew’s RCIA is a reminder for me of the sacrament and the influence of the Holy Spirit within me. I’m blessed and privileged to be here.
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Jon Rowley
I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the RCIA program at Saint Anne’s. Over the past several years, my faith journey has deepened in meaningful ways, especially through experiences of loss, responsibility, and growth as a father. As a widowed parent raising three sons, I have felt a strong call to seek a faith that is rooted in tradition, community, and a life of service.
I am thankful for the support and welcome I have received at Saint. Anne’s and look forward to continuing this journey of faith and formation.
About Sponsor, Ken Garcia
Over the past 15 years of serving alongside my wife, Tracy, our three sons, Ben, Jacob, and Nate, and our daughter, Emma, at Saint Anne’s Parish in various ministries, including the Young Marrieds Group, Eucharistic Ministry, and Team RCIA, nothing has been more rewarding than sponsoring someone through the RCIA process. I look forward to welcoming him into full communion with the Saint Anne’s Catholic Community.
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David RuttenbergI have always believed in God, but over the years I have felt a growing desire to understand my faith more deeply. I was drawn to the Catholic faith because of its rich traditions and its emphasis on community and family. I am excited and thankful to continue this journey and trust that God is leading me.
About Sponsor, John Cerretani
Why RCIA? For me it just makes sense. God, faith, and family are the most important things in my life. Part of the Catholic tradition is to share our love of God and our faith with others. One special way of doing this is by participating in the RCIA program. The process allows us to work one-on-one with another who is seeking to grow their faith. With the aid and instruction from the RCIA team, both candidate and sponsor grow in faith and love for God. Participating this year in the program is even more special since my daughter is also involved and that touches on “family”, the final piece which drives my life.
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Max RuttenbergI am a law student at Northern Illinois University and will be working at Cole, Scott & Kissane in Orlando this fall. I am currently participating in RCIA because I felt that something was missing for a very long time in my faith relationship with God. Having been raised a Christian and faced with many different denominations, I began to discern which church I should follow. Having discovered the tradition, reverence and beauty of the Catholic Church, I could not be more certain in my decision and have already seen myself growing closer to God each day.
About Sponsor, David Wirt
I have been blessed to be a parishioner at Saint Anne Catholic Church since 2000. I have served as the Chair of the Parish Finance Counsel since 2008 and have been an RCIA Team member since 2005. This year, I am delighted and privileged to serve as the sponsor and godparent for RCIA Catechumen, Max Ruttenberg.
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Olga VaysmanI was baptized Greek Orthodox in the Ukraine. After attending St. Anne Church for the last year, I look forward to being confirmed in the Catholic Church.
About Sponsor, Stephanie Tatara
I'm a lifelong Catholic. I grew up on the family farm in Long Grove, Iowa, where we attended St. Ann's Church. I'm the oldest of seven (six girls, one boy). I'm married to Deacon Allen. We have three sons and three grandsons. In my spare time I like to sew quilts, purses, and clothing. This is my first year as a sponsor at St. Anne, but at our previous parish I was the coordinator of RCIA for over 7 years. I love accompanying people on their journey of faith as they become closer to God and learn about the richness of the Catholic faith.
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Andrew WarburtonI have been attending Saint Anne for over a year with my wife, Sophia, and have come to appreciate the traditions of the Catholic Church. Sophia and I desire to share our faith and celebration of Jesus at Saint Anne.
About Sponsor, Doug SmithServing as a sponsor allows me to deepen my own faith and understanding of the Catholic Church. Engaging with Koltin on his spiritual journey has lead me to personal reflection and a stronger connection to my own beliefs.
I enjoy playing a role in guiding new members through their faith journey. This mentorship is extremely fulfilling, as I help others navigate their questions and challenges, and sharing my experiences and insights to support their spiritual development.
Being a sponsor helps fosters my sense of community within the Church. I have built relationships with catechumens, candidates and other sponsors, creating a support network that enhances the faith experience for everyone involved.
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Tod Waterman
My daughter, Cooper, went through the RCIA process several years ago to become Catholic. She encouraged me to explore my faith through the Catholic Church, and I look forward to receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
About Sponsor, Lauri Meckert
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve God through discipleship. When my dear friend Cooper Raynor asked me to be Tod’s sponsor, I recognized it as an invitation to participate in and share our Lord’s mission on earth.
In thanksgiving for the many blessings in my life, I am humbled to serve God in this way, as a sign of my love, gratitude, and fidelity.
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Philip WebbI was baptized Catholic, but did not complete my confirmation. As my relationship with my fiancé has deepened and strengthened, so has my desire to be confirmed within the Catholic Church.
About Sponsor, Joanna Rzepka
Philip and I are to be married soon at Saint. Anne. I am pleased to be his Godparent/Sponsor.
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Mathew WilliamsI joined the RCIA process to understand more about the graces of the Sacraments and deepened my spiritual faith in the Lord. I am looking forward to being confirmed in the Catholic Church.
About Sponsor, Candice Dy
I was happy to hear of Matt’s interest on knowing more about the Catholic faith and would love to support his faith journey. By serving as a sponsor, I hope to become an instrument of God’s grace; assisting in the candidate’s initial conversion and faith formation, and actively participate in Church’s apostolic work. I feel sponsorship is also a graced opportunity for my own growth in holiness, revitalize my spiritual life, and renew my commitment to Christ.
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Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and
he will make straight your paths.- Proverbs 3:5-6
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