Lifelong Christian Formation
Formation includes both being informed about our faith and our church and developing spiritually as a Catholic Christian. This personal spirituality and understanding within the Catholic tradition are what adults rely on when they teach children about God. It is also what we rely on to help us grow through the many stages of life in preparation for our ultimate goal: the attainment of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
The Adult Ministry program seeks to assist adults with their task of knowing, loving and serving God. Efforts are made to offer an increased understanding of Scripture from a Catholic perspective; to share a Catholic perspective on the Sacraments and prayer; and to present the challenges of living a Catholic Christian life as we walk through a world that is often anti-Christian.
Adult Confirmation Preparation
Adults who have been baptized and raised Catholic but have not received the Sacrament of Confirmation are prepared for this sacrament through a series of small-group meetings. The meetings seek to refresh or update their understanding of scripture, sacraments, worship and the Church.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
After the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI issued a declaration on the renewal of the Catechumenate — the process that leads us all to become fully initiated Catholic Christians. Most Catholics enter this process as infants and grow up in the Church. More and more frequently, children over the age of 7 and adults are seeking to belong to the Catholic Church.
Children over the age of 7 are prepared individually by working closely with their parents and using the resources of the Parish School and Christian Formation programs. Because this is such an individual program, each family involved needs to contact the Christian Formation Office to begin the process.
Adults who have never been baptized or who were baptized in another Christian denomination and are interested in becoming Roman Catholics can participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). The process involves the individual and a sponsor in a small-group setting with other interested adults. The process is also marked by frequent rituals in connection with the parish’s regular celebration of Sunday Eucharist throughout the different church seasons, and it culminates in the celebration of Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist within the Easter Vigil liturgy.
For more information or to enroll in the RCIA, please contact the Christian Formation Office.