By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
April 22, 2004

FORT DODGE - After longing to receive Communion for years, the desire of one Fort Dodge woman was realized during the Easter Vigil at Corpus Christi Church.

Julia Howell, who was baptized as an infant, explained that her mother stopped going to church after getting remarried. Julia was only two years old at the time. This didn't mean that she had no connection to the Catholic Church, however, as Julia attended Mass at Corpus Christi Church quite frequently with her grandmother and cousins. With this in mind, the Catholic Church was always a part of her life, but Julia was never a full member until now.

"As a child growing up, I would see my cousins go up for Communion. It was something that I've always wanted," she said.

Julia acknowledged that she and her ex-husband were married by the justice of the peace and as an adult she didn't really ever attend church. Eventually, life circumstances finally gave her the time to investigate the possibility of joining.

"I had lost my job on May 8 of last year and had a lot of time on my hands," she explained. "My mom always wanted me to do this and it's something that I always wanted to do. I was only unemployed for two months, but during that time I went to Father Ed (Girres) and started the annulment process. Then good things started to happen - like getting a new job."

During this same time, the church had helped her pay a few bills. Father Girres not only helped her with the annulment process, but informed her of the RCIA classes that would begin in the fall.

Her mother, who died in 2001, went through RCIA classes about five or six years before she died.

"She had always been after me to do it and of course I never did," explained Julia.

When she decided to join the church, she asked her children to do so as well. They went to the classes together since fall.

"I've seen them all grow spiritually," she said. "It's been good for them."

Julia's three children - Brittany, 16; Michael, 14 and Tanner, 6 - also fully joined the Catholic Church this Easter. They were three of the nine persons baptized during the Easter Vigil and then they received the other sacraments of initiation - Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Brittany was impressed by the ritual of lighting the Easter candle outside from the larger fire set up there. The flame was then passed on to people gathered around the fire and then from there lit the candles of the hundreds of people who were waiting inside.

"It was really cool, really spiritual," explained the teenager. "The baptism was also really cool."

She also enjoyed watching the baptism of her youngest brother. Brittany recalled that he got the whole church laughing as he bowed his head down before being blessed with the pitcher of water.

Brittany said she likes the fact that she will be able to stay for the whole Eucharistic celebration rather than having to leave during the Liturgy of the Word as she had to while completing the RCIA studies.

Receiving Communion, she added, "was cool. It made me feel more a part of the whole community." In addition, her friends go to church and now she has a place to belong as well.

Julia found the Easter Vigil to be extremely emotional "knowing that my mother wasn't there and yet she was. I could feel her there. It was a good feeling. I always regretted not getting Communion at my mother's funeral."

The day was also special having her children enter the church. She pointed out that seeing her children receive the sacraments, especially seeing them baptized, made her feel very proud.

Upon receiving Communion herself, Julia said she felt closer to both God and her mother. She has discovered that going to Mass makes her feel good inside and gives her a sense of security and confidence.

"I don't know how to explain it, but whenever I walk out of Mass on Saturday night I am always at peace," she said.