Are you, or someone you know, interested in finding out more about the Catholic Church or wishing to become a Catholic?
What’s it all about?
Many people decide for all sorts of reasons that they would like to be a Catholic. It may be because you have a relation who is a Catholic, a husband or wife; or it may be that your children are beginning at Catholic school or preparing for their First Holy Communion, and you are interested in sharing with them in this special experience. Or you may be going to be married and your fiancée is a Catholic and you would like to learn what it is that he or she finds so special about being a Catholic. Or maybe you have seen a programme about the Catholic Church on television and would like to know more.
Whatever the reason, you will be very welcome!
What happens?
If you’d like to find out more about what it means to be a Catholic we offer an informal programme which tells you about the Church and may help you to decide if becoming a Catholic is for you. It’s called:
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
But don’t let that put you off! It’s a very friendly programme which begins in October of each year and then goes through to Pentecost in the next year.
We usually meet on a Wednesday evening between 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the Priest’s house next to the church. The time up to December is very informal and is to help you to learn something about the Church and decide if you want to go further. At the beginning of Advent (the time before Christmas) if you want, you can continue the programme and learn even more about the Church. At the beginning of Lent – the season leading up to Easter – you can decide if you want to become a Catholic and during Lent you will get ready for Easter when you will be baptised or received into the Church. The period from Easter to Pentecost is a time for you to reflect on what it means to have become a Catholic Christian; to deepen your faith and the effect it is having on your daily life.
Who is it for?
- It’s for people who have never been baptised. During the programme they will be prepared to be baptised, confirmed and receive Holy Communion for the first time at Easter.
- It’s for Christians who belong to another Church. They will have been baptised already and, as you can only be baptised once, they will be prepared to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter, confirmed and receive Holy Communion.
- It’s for Christians who have been baptised as Catholics but never been confirmed and who want to know more about the Church. They will be prepared to be confirmed and to receive Holy Communion.
For more information contact Fr Peter via the Parish Office.
