Interested in becoming Catholic?
We are excited to have begun a new year of RCIA. Sessions are held every Tuesday evening at6:45 pm in the Family Life Center. A nursery will be available during every session. Please contact Deacon Bill in the church office for more information. Walk-ins are always welcome!
Please allow me to tell you a little about what RCIA is. It is the process by which adults get the information they need to make the decision to join the Catholic Church. We call it a process because it’s gradual and because it’s not just information. It would be better to say that it’s a transformation, but that might scare people away.
None of us really wants to be transformed. That’s because most of us like the way we are, even if we know we need to lose a few pounds, get into better shape, or quit one of our bad habits. Consider the Apostle Paul. He was very happy the way he was before he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. The transformation that takes place during RCIA is that the individual Inquirer becomes part of a new community; gets familiar with the way Catholics pray; and learns about the sacramental nature of the Catholic faith.
Yes, there is a lot that can be “learned”, but that’s not the focus of what we do. Most of those who take part in RCIA are baptized Christians and know about Jesus Christ, are very familiar with the Bible, and know how to pray. What we try to do is make them more comfortable with our approach to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We try to let the Inquirers know that we use the Bible in all of our liturgy, prayer and rites. We answer questions and ask people to consider their Christian faith from a different perspective.
Pass this along to friends, spouses or neighbors who might be interested. Invite them to come and see if RCIA is right for them. They might be pleasantly surprised!
~ Deacon Bill Roche (Link)
