By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
January 27, 2005

HOSPERS/GRANVILLE - A family in the Diocese of Sioux City experienced the Holy Spirit through the dual baptism of their daughters.

Delories Sonora and Adin Meridae Lopez, the daughters of Carlos and Linda Lopez, were baptized on Jan. 15 at St. Joseph Parish in Granville. Delories' godparents are Randy and Delories Overstreet and Barbara and Harvey Grady.

Delories is a second grader at Spalding Catholic Elementary School, Hospers Center. Most of the students in her class were present to witness the baptism.

"I enjoyed it. It was a nice ceremony," said Linda. "It will be special to her (Delories) having that memory and the fact that the kids from her class were there was neat."

Linda commented that having all of Delories classmates there was a feeling of the Holy Spirit being present. She added that Delories was excited and touched that so many of her classmates were willing to come and spend that time with her.

Msgr. Kenneth Seifried performed the baptism and invited the second graders to come around the baptismal font while Delories was being baptized.

"It was a pretty special occasion," said Nancy Penning, Delories' teacher at Spalding. "I think the kids were kind of in awe. They are in awe that they are going to receive two sacraments this year and that Delories received a third sacrament. They were most happy to celebrate and be with her."

Carlos had been in the reserves and gone from the family for 22 months in Colorado Springs at Fort Carson and in Texas at Fort Bliss prior to the baptism. Adin was just born in July while her father was on leave, Linda explained.

Linda is going through the RCIA process right now to join the church and will receive sacraments at the Easter Vigil.

"It has been interesting. I am learning a lot and enjoying it," said Linda. Going through RCIA helped Linda understand the process and reasoning behind what happened at the baptism. The Lopez family decided to baptize their daughters as a continuation of Linda becoming Catholic.

Delories and her second grade class are preparing for the sacraments of reconciliation and First Communion so adding another sacrament, baptism, was a special treat for them.

"It is a celebration and it is part of the faith that they have been learning and studying about this year," said Penning. "To actually see this sacrament being received was very special to them."

The students were able to bring in memorabilia from their baptisms to share with the class such as pictures, their candle and their gown. The class talked about their baptisms.

The students will be using their baptismal candles at reconciliation as part of the prayer service.

"In the service, we light the candle off the Easter candle. We have a little prayer service where they talk about when we sin there is less light in the world. Then they all blow their candles out. At the end of the service after they've all gone to reconciliation, their candles are lit again. Then we talk about how there is more light in the world now that our sins have been forgiven. Then we sing 'This Little Light of Mine,'" said Penning.

The students will receive reconciliation on Feb. 3 and First Communion at the end of April.