From your Pastor’s Desk…
Can you relate to any of these questions?
- What do I have to do to become a Catholic?
- I was baptized Catholic, but that’s about it. How do I get my other Sacraments?
- My fiancée is Catholic and we want to get married in the church, and I want to become a Catholic – what do I do?
- I’ve been out of the church for a while, but started coming back here and want to catch up on what’s been going on since I left – are there classes or something like that to find out?
- I am trying to be responsible in my obligation to raise my children Catholic – and I realize how much I don’t know about my own faith; how can I catch up to help them in their Religious Education?
- I was born and raised a Catholic and now that I am an adult I want to learn more about who we are as Catholics, what we believe, and why we believe it, is there an adult study group for this?
- We have so many programs here for young children and teens – Is there a way adults can get together and learn about the church’s teaching on topics and issues of today?
If you answered ‘yes’ or even ‘maybe’ to any of these –
BOY, DO WE HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!
Starting this Tuesday, October 6th, I (and occasional guest speakers) will begin an adult education program addressing all of the above. The program is officially called the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults. But, henceforth, we will refer to it as the O.C.I.A. The sessions will take place twice a month on the first and third Tuesday nights starting at 7pm.
We plan to only go an hour each meeting but you can stay longer for continued discussion. Each week’s topic will be announced at the previous weekend’s masses as well as in the bulletin. The classes will culminate on March 17th, just before Easter. Those wishing to become Catholic or wanting to receive further Sacraments, i.e., Communion or Confirmation, are expected to attend most every class.
Each session is open to all parishioners and you are free to attend by topic interest. We will meet in the Church. Anyone over 18 may attend. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate bringing children. Next week I will include a list of the topics we will cover.
If you want any more information now, talk to me.
This is going to be great fun!
Father Ron
First Session of the O.C.I.A. – The Church
This Wednesday [Oct 6thr] at 7pm in the church we will delve into ‘The Church’. Not just the building, although we will talk about those, but also the changes and developments over the last 2000+ years.
The Church is more than a building or an institution; it is a loving relationship between God and God’s People.
-It is Local, Universal and Eucharistic.
-It cannot be described adequately in any hasty definition. Like a precious jewel,
-it must be looked at from many angles to be truly appreciated.
-It is:
-The People of God.
-The Body of Christ.
-The Bride of Christ.
-The Temple of the Holy Spirit. Just to name a few.
All these metaphors help to shed light on the reality that is the Church, yet neither any single image nor all images combined can exhaust the meaningfulness of ‘The Church’.
Come join me for an hour as we explore and expound upon these mysteries.
And, also look at the changes over the years and listen to and share your experiences
See ya’ in ‘Church’.
Fr. Ron
