Sharon Christy at sharon.christy@toledostpats.org

419-381-1540 x125

What is faith?

What are the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church?

What do Catholics believe and why is it different from other faith traditions?

What's going on in Mass?

How do Catholics interpret and use The Bible?

Do Catholics worship Mary and the Saints?

What's what in the Church?

Who's who in the Church (from the pope to the people)?

What are some Catholic prayers and practices?

What is Catholic morality and ethics?

Each year, adults inquire about the Catholic faith for many different reasons.

• Some wish to become Catholic because their spouse and children are Catholic and they desire to share the faith experience of their family.
• Some have had a conscious or unconscious hunger for something more meaningful in their life and feel the Catholic faith can help fill that hunger.
• Some people feel that the sacramental rituals of the faith give them a sense of meaning in their life.

Whatever the reason, I highly encourage anyone who has ever thought about the Catholic faith to, as Jesus told his apostles, "Come and see."

Our process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and I invite anyone interested to "come an see". This is a process that looks at Catholic beliefs and rituals. There is no fee and there is no force to become Catholic. If at any time during the process a person feels they are not ready or feel God may be calling them to something else, we respect that decision and try to help them come to an understanding of God's call for them.

Period of Evangelization and Pre-Catechumenate:

This is a time, of no fixed duration or structure, for inquire and introduction to Gospel values and an opportunity for the beginnings of faith.

Rite of Welcome and Acceptance into the Order of Catechumenate:

This is the liturgical rite, usually celebrated on some annual date(s), marking the beginning of the catechumenate proper, as the candidates express and the Church accepts their intention to respond to God's call to follow the way of Christ.

Period of Catechumenate:

This is the time, in duration corresponding to the progress of the individual, for the nurturing and growth of the catechumen's faith and conversion to God; celebrations of the word of prayers of exorcism and blessings are meant to assist the process.

The Rite of Election:

This is the lturgical rite, usually celebrated on the First Sunday of Lent, by which the Church formally ratifies the catechumen's readiness for the sacraments of initiation and the catechumens, now called the elect, express the will to receie these sacraments.

Period of Purification and Enlightenment:

This is th time immediately preceding the elect's initiation, usually the Lenten season preceding the celebration of their initiation at the Easter Vigil. It is a time of reflection, intensely centered on conversion, marked by the celebration of the scrutinies and presentations and of the preparation rites on Holy Saturday.

Celebration of the Sacrament of Initiation:

This is the liturgical rite, usually integrated into the Easter Vigil, by which the elect are initiated through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.

Period of Mystagogy or Post-Baptismal Catechesis:

This is the time, usually the Easter season, following the celebration of initiation, during which the newly initiated experience being fully a part of the Christian community. This is by means of pertinent catechesis and particularly by participation with all the faithful in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration.

Each candidate in the process will be paired up with a sponsor, who acts as a companion on the journey and is already a practicing Catholic. This sponsor walks through the process with the candidate to encourage and support them. It is amazing how many sponsors even say they learn so much from the sessions!

I invite you to take some time to seriously reflect whether there is someone you know whom God is calling to the RCIA process this year. Please invite them to call Sharon Christy at 419-381-1540 x 125 or email her at sharon.christy@toledostpats.org.

Yes, this is a time commitment. It is a commitment to the process, but more importantly a time commitment and a life commitment to God.