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The
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process by which people
become members of the Roman Catholic Church. This catechetical program begins in
the fall and continues until its culmination at the Easter Vigil. The sessions
are made up of presentations on various aspects of the Church’s teachings,
including Scripture, Tradition, Liturgy, and Social Justice. While these
presentations make up the core of the actual meetings, the central principle of
the RCIA is conversion. By entering into the journey through the RCIA, those who
are participating join the paschal journey of Jesus Christ and are introduced to
Church doctrine, prayer life, liturgy, and apostolic work.
RCIA
is designed not only for those who seek to join the Catholic Church. There are
some in the group who have not been baptized into any Christian denomination and
are preparing to receive the three sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil:
Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation. These are called catechumens. Others,
who have been baptized into another Christian denomination, such as Lutheran or
Presbyterian, or have been baptized Catholic, but not yet celebrated their First
Communion or Confirmation, are called candidates. The RCIA program develops the
faith of each individual going through the process while maintaining the ideals
and visions of the Catholic community. Those participating in the RCIA program
are assigned a sponsor from St. Olaf, who serves as a spiritual companion who
walks on the journey with the candidate or catechumen and offers support and
encouragement.
This
year St. Olaf is offering RCIA classes on Sunday mornings following the 10:00 am
Mass. The presentations will begin in Fleming Hall after Mass and will last
about an hour, followed by time for questions and answers and small group faith
sharing. The presentations will be given by members of the St. Olaf staff and
will be led by a group of parishioners who have been involved in RCIA in past
years. New to the RCIA program this year, we are opening up the presentations to
all members of the parish as an opportunity for catechesis for the whole
community. It is the our hope that this new model will bear fruit for the whole
parish and enhance the program for those who are preparing to receive the Easter
sacraments next spring at the Easter Vigil.
I
invite you to think about adults you know who might be interested in joining the
Church if they are not Catholic, or seeking Confirmation if they are Catholic
and have not yet been confirmed. Perhaps you know someone who would benefit from
attending the catechetical classes to help them learn more about their own
faith. The RCIA program is a tremendous learning experience, both for those who
are preparing to receive sacraments and also for the sponsors. I spent a year
involved in RCIA as a group leader in my parish before I entered the seminary
and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I learned so much
about my own faith and the faith of Church.
Please
consider those you may know who would be interested and encourage them to come
to the information sessions after the 4:00 pm
Mass on Saturday, September 16th and after all Masses on Sunday,
September 17th. The
information sessions will be held in Fleming Hall and are an opportunity to meet
members of the parish who have gone through the program in the past and ask
questions of them or of me. If anyone is interested but unable to attend the
meetings on this weekend, please contact me in the parish office or by e-mail: mpavlik@saintolaf.org
. Most importantly, join me in prayer for this program, which will bring
many people to journey closer to the Lord and bear much fruit for our parish.
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