RCIA--Becoming Catholic

Are you (or someone you know) interested in becoming Catholic?
Formation begins in September.

The Catholic Church, Who are we?

All of us as human beings, no matter what our beliefs, have felt the presence of a Power beyond ourselves. Major decisions in life, (such as lifestyle, changing jobs, moving), all are helped by God and a praying community.

Having a faith family makes challenges easier to cope with. Regular contact with a faith community helps many persons like you discover God’s will.

We all feel the need to return God’s blessings. A parish community is a way of doing that. A way Jesus urged, “Where two or three are gathered in my name,…”

Friendship with Jesus, our personal Savior, is best developed together with other believers.

As Catholics we believe that God loves us all; we celebrate that love in and through the sacraments, especially Holy Communion. You can enjoy celebrating that same love.

We admit we are sinners, but we trust in God’s love and forgiveness.

We invite you to share our joy in this lifetime journey of faith. Please give us the opportunity to do so.

THE PROCESS

The RCIA process is a faith journey consisting of four phases:

Pre-Catechumenate – This is a time for inquiry and introduction to our faith. It is an opportunity to learn about what we believe.
Catechumenate – A period of growth in faith and conversion in spirit. This is done through study, sharing and prayer. It is NOT a schoolroom process but an experiential one.
Enlightenment – A time during Lent when the catechumens prepare for initiation into the Christian community. It is a time of reflection, marked by celebrations of preparation rites for initiation at the Easter Vigil.
Mystogogy – This is a time after Easter during which there is further faith growth and assimilation of the new Catholic (now called a Neophyte), into the community. To help you on your journey, you should have a sponsor come with you to walk with you.

Our hope is that you will join us as we come together to discuss questions and answers about the Catholic Faith.

We hope to share with you our understanding of who God is and of how we experience God’s presence in our personal lives as well as in the faith family we call the Catholic Church.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process by which those who wish to join the Catholic faith community are welcomed and introduced to the beliefs and practices of the Church. For those not yet baptized, this process leads to the Easter Vigil where they receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Those who have been previously baptized in another Christian tradition are invited to participate fully in the Church through the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

Are You Interested In Knowing More? Please click here to download a brochure copy of this information. Pray on it. We will pray for you.

Please contact:

Deacon Jerry Etienne (St. Mary's) 513-734-3676

Deacon Ron Stang (St. Peter's) 513-309-5340

OR Fill this out and send it to:

Christ Catholic Community at either :

St. Mary Parish 3398 State Route 125 Bethel, Ohio 45106

St. Peter Parish 1192 Bethel-New Richmond Rd. New Richmond, Ohio 45157

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