Have you thought about joining the Catholic Church?

Are you a Catholic and would like to help others become Catholic?

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process through which people of all walks of life enter into the Catholic Church.

Thank you for visiting the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at Divine

Mercy Catholic Church. We look forward to serving you soon! If you

have any questions or would like to join the R.C.I.A., please contact

Justin Stroh below. God bless you!

– Fr. Kevin Finnegan

Pastor

Come Home Class

THURSDAYS, 6:00-7:15pm

At Divine Mercy Catholic Church

Main Texts: The Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Divine Mercy Catholic Church is a warm, inviting parish, filled with many opportunities for spiritual growth and Christian service. If you’re interested in becoming Catholic, learning more about the Catholic Church, or in helping others become Catholic by participating on the RCIA Core Team or by sponsoring a RCIA candidate, please contact:

Justin Stroh

jstroh@divinemercycatholics.org

334-2266 ex 20

Ignatius Press interviewed J. Budziszewski who became Catholic along with his wife in 2004. J. Budziszewski has a Ph.D. from Yale and teaches political theory at the University of Texas.

On RCIA and becoming Catholic

J. Budziszewski: We went through RCIA in the ordinary way. It was good to go through it with all kinds and conditions of people. One of the thrilling things about the Catholic Church is that it is so obviously drawn from all classes, all nations, all cultures… At Mass on Sunday morning, we saw every sort of people: professional, working-class, Hispanic, black, Asian, speaking all sorts of languages–not because of a quota system or a multicultural ideology, but because this is the Body of Christ.

On Catholic friends their support

Budziszewski: …certain Catholics we know have been deeply important to us. Two such people were our sponsors, close friends of very long standing. For years they had been saying to us, "Your whole understanding of things is Catholic. You think like Catholics. You sound like Catholics. You have a Catholic sensibility. Why aren’t you Catholics?"

We know now that many other Catholics were praying for us. And of course certain conversations with Catholic friends and colleagues had helped us along the way.

If you’re new to Catholicism or if you’ve been coming to Mass for years but haven’t entered the Catholic Church, now is your time to experience God’s grace like never before!

The Sacraments of Initiation – Entering the Catholic Church

To fully enter, or be initiated into the Catholic Church, one must receive the three

Sacraments of Initiation. They are: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

In the Sacrament of Baptism, the “catechumen” (the person being baptized) is reborn in

Jesus Christ (John 3:5) and enters into a life of grace, spiritually adopted by God the

Father into the Church, the family, or people, of God. Baptism is the doorway of the

Church.

After being baptized, the now named “candidate” proceeds to receive First Communion

(the Sacrament of the Eucharist) and the Sacrament of Confirmation. Those who

receive the Eucharist take into themselves the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus

Christ. This true communion with Jesus is one reason why we also call the Eucharist

“Holy Communion”.

The Sacrament of Confirmation seals the candidate with the power of the Holy Spirit,

making him or her more rooted to God the Father and Jesus Christ. Most importantly,

through Confirmation the Holy Spirit pours out special graces upon the candidates,

giving them the strength to live out and proclaim the Gospel in all walks of life.

Receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at Divine Mercy Catholic Church

Reception of First Eucharist and/or Confirmation is celebrated in August while all three

Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation) are celebrated at the

Easter Vigil (the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday). Those joining R.C.I.A. in

winter or spring would receive their Sacraments in August while those joining R.C.I.A.

during the Summer/Fall would receive their Sacraments at the Easter Vigil.