BUILDING UPON DEACON AL’S ARTICLE ABOUT THE RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (R.C.I.A.) PROCESS FOR PERSONS WHO WANT TO EXPLORE THE CATHOLIC FAITH: The RCIA process offers non-Catholic persons an opportunity to explore the Catholic Faith. By the way, the sessions of this process are open to Catholic persons who want to renew and/or deepen their understanding of the Catholic Faith. Even though non-Catholic persons who participate in the weekly sessions of this process are not obligated or pressured to join the Catholic Church, a number of individuals who are searching for a spiritual home will want to do this. The weekly sessions for this process are scheduled to begin on Sun., Sept. 23rd, and are to be held at either St. Mary or at Resurrection Parishes.
For non-Catholic persons who want to enter the Catholic Church, there are two processes for doing this.The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is for non-baptized persons or for baptized persons who have not been catechized. All sessions of the RCI A along with the Rites of the Church would be received before coming into the Church. At the Easter Vigil, a person would receive Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Join Us At The Table is the process for a person who is baptized and has attended a Catholic Church or a church in another faith tradition for a long time and who has a faith background. A Profession of Faith, Confirmation and the Eucharist would take place when it is determined that the person is ready to enter the Catholic Church. This can happen at any time during the year.
Building upon what Deacon Al expressed in his pastoral article, participants who have been raised in non-Catholic Christian traditions will experience both continuity and that which is new or distinctive about the Catholic Faith. For example, all Christians believe that the One God has revealed Himself as a Communion of three Divine Persons Whom we refer to as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All Christian believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Man and is our Lord and Savior. All Christians pray the Lord’s Prayer faithfully, and reverence the Scriptures as the inspired Word of God. Persons who participate in one of the processes mentioned above will also learn about beliefs, practices and prayers that are distinctive to the Catholic Faith.
For more information about either the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or the Join Us At The Table process, kindly contact either Deacon Al Kopp via phone at 567-209-0346 or via e-mail atakb747b48@gmail.com or Fr. Nelson Beaver via phone at 419-884-0060 or via e-mail atfrnbeaver@gmail.com We eagerly welcome all who want to explore the Faith of the Catholic Church.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Nelson Beaver – Pastor