At the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil on April 19, Rachel DeHate, was received into the Catholic faith. She was confirmed and celebrated her First Holy Communion as a Catholic.

Her journey to this joyful day began many years ago.

“I didn’t take it (my faith) as serious when I was young,” said Rachel. “Now that I’m older I wanted to dig into the meaning of it and make more of a commitment. I am thankful to receive the sacraments and be a full Catholic in God’s family.”

When Rachel Forshee was a child in second grade she and her family (mom, dad, sister, and brother) went to a Lutheran Church. “I was confirmed and then after high school I fell away,” she said.

God was definitely working in her life; she just didn’t see it so clearly at the time. God always knows what He’s doing.

After college and getting her nursing career going, she met a Catholic, Tony DeHate, who would become her husband on February 23, 2019. Soon they began building a family, and together they have three children: Natalie, 4, Hailey, 3, and Jillian, 7 months old.

Rachel recalls a conversation she had with Tony when they were dating. “He was so strong in his Pro-Life beliefs,” she said. “I remember these topics coming up in the news and his Pro-Life argument was so impressive. I realized his Catholic background gave him the ability to argue and stand up for human rights. He came at it from a human rights point-of-view and I realized Catholics might be the only real Pro-Life religion. Even my former Lutheran teachings seemed wishy-washy.”

She began to educate herself. She listened to Lila Rose – a young Pro-Life, Catholic podcaster. Her heart was becoming open and her interest in getting her children baptized stirred her to inquire about the process on October 29.

“We came to the Good Shepherd Atrium Open House,” she said. “I asked questions about becoming Catholic and I was put in touch with Bill Stroup, Order Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) Coordinator, who accompanied me to St. Robert Parish on my journey to becoming a Catholic. As Good Shepherd’s only candidate, she decided to join the OCIA sessions at St. Robert Parish. “I like attending the classes,” she said. “I enjoy hearing everyone’s conversion stories. I’m learning so much and I know it’s a lifetime of learning, and I’m excited.”

With three children to educate in faith and morals, the couple began discerning their role as faith educators.

“We just started going back to Church—we have children now and I saw the importance of it. We wanted to make a good foundation for the children,” said Rachel. “Natalie attends the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program and she was learning things in the atrium that I didn’t know about – so now, I’m learning with her. I’m not good at some of these things, but I know the Church is, and the Holy Bible is.”

One aspect of her preparation for her reception into the Catholic faith most meaningful to her is the Eucharist. “I have faith, and now I feel I have a formula to follow on how to live it out,” said Rachel. “Catholics have beautiful sacraments such as confession and Eucharist. I am looking forward to participating in the Eucharist and remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made for me.”

Back when she dated Tony she noticed the “Pray to End Abortion” sign in the yard of his parents –Good Shepherd parishioners, Matt and Deneen DeHate. She liked their display of their Catholic beliefs. Her mother-in-law, Deneen DeHate, a former Director of Religious Education at Good Shepherd, served as Rachel’s OCIA sponsor. Rachel is grateful to be able to ask her questions about the faith.

The young DeHate family plans to further their involvement in the Catholic faith. “We are going to have our marriage convalidated and get our three daughters baptized.”