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Description of Process
Pilgrim's Progress
Summary of Recent Topics
See Calendar for Schedule
Severe Weather Policy
For adults, there are two paths for becoming Catholic. One is for those who have never been baptized, and the other is for those who have been validly baptized in another Christian Denomination and who now wish to consider living their baptismal life according to the belief and practice of the Roman Catholic Church.
PATH FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN BAPTIZED
Profession of Faith before Baptism
The path for those who have never been baptized follows what is called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). This is the norm for the entire Catholic Church and is the restoration of the way people in the early Church were prepared for full initiation. It begins with a period called “Inquiry” which is a time to look at the main teachings of the Catholic Church, to get to know some of the people and to begin to experience the life and prayer of the local church which is the parish. It is also the time for you to look at your life to see if this is the time for you to move further along the path of committing your life to Jesus in faith and living that faith as a member of the Catholic Church.
If this is your desire, you will begin an extended period of time to deepen your understanding of salvation which is offered to us through Jesus. Participation in Sunday Mass is essential as well as weekly gatherings to help you grow in understanding about living as a committed follower of Jesus according to Catholic belief and practice.
Full membership in the Catholic Church takes place through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. These sacraments are celebrated together each year at the Easter Vigil which begins after dark the night before Easter. They bring us into the life and mission of Jesus as lived by the Church.
The weekly meetings for those who are not baptized and would like to know more about living the Christian life according to Roman Catholic belief and practice will meet Wednesday evenings on from 7:00 - 9:00 PM in the St. Joseph Room (lower level of the rectory) beginning September 21, 2011. Contact Sister Mary Catherine for more information or call 269 343-6256 x 108.
PATH FOR THOSE VALIDLY BAPTIZED IN ANOTHER CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION
This path varies from from parish to parish. We have a group here that we call Pilgrim's Progress because we are all pilgrims on the journey of faith. This group consists of people who are baptized and are seeking to grow in their in their understanding of what it means to live as a baptized follower of Jesus.
Among the participants in the group are those from various Christian Churches who are exploring what it would mean for them to live their baptismal life according to Catholic belief and practice. The length of preparation time depends on the extent of their Christian background. When they are ready, they are received into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church at one of the weekend Masses by making a Profession of Faith, being Confirmed, and receiving Holy Communion.
Others were baptized in the Catholic Church and for a number of reasons were never prepared for First Communion and/or Confirmation. They receive these sacraments when they are prepared. length of preparation depends on their background..
Some in the group are Catholics who wish to share their faith with others coming to the Church. Others have been away from the active practice of their faith for awhile and want to take another look at Catholic belief and practice.
Every one has something to offer whether or not aware of it at the time.
Regular Meetings are Monday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the St. Joseph Room (Rectory Lower Level). Weekly meeting will begin September 19, 2011. Contact Sister Mary Catherine for more information or call 269 343-6256 x 108.
Summary of Recent Topics
Our general approach is to consider the relationship of what we believe to:
- How we pray together as Church: Liturgical Prayer (Sacraments and Mass);
- How we celebrate: Feast Days and Seasons
- How we pray personally: Devotional Prayer (Stations of the Cross, Rosary, etc.);
- How we live: Discipleship.
The Meaning of the Mass
For the next several weeks, beginning in May 2011, we will be looking very closely at the meaning of the Mass and what it means for our living the Christian Life. You are welcome to join us Monday evenings from 7:00-9:00 PM. The group is directed primarily to those who wish to become Catholic or are baptized Catholics preparing for other sacraments. Practicing Catholics are welcome so the new people get to know the living, breathing Church.
We began with looking at the Liturgy of the Word as a message we receive from God. Because what we hear proclaimed from Sacred Scripture at Mass are inspired words from God, they are different from other words we hear and are intended to call forth a response from us. Click here for a summary sheet in English of what we talked about. Click here for Spanish.
We come to Mass as the Body of the Risen Christ called together by God for worship. As we make make the actions and prayers of the liturgy our own, we enter more fully into our personal communion with Jesus' redeeming act and perfect worship. Click here for more about this in English. Click here for Spanish.
The Mass (Liturgy) involves the action of God's people, each with different ministries and roles. Each ministry and role is one of service, not of privilege. Each is a mirror of Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples and instructed his followers to imitate his example of service. To learn more click here for English; click here for Spanish.
We engage our bodies in prayer through various postures and gestures during Mass. The Church sees in these common postures, gestures, and prayer in one voice both a symbol of the unity of those who have come together to worship and a means of fostering that unity. To learn more about this click here for English; click here for Spanish.
The Eucharistic Prayer is worship offered to the Father by Jesus as it was at the moment of his passion, death, and resurrection. Now it is offered through the priest acting in the person of Christ, and it is offered as well by all of us who are part of Christ's Body, the Church.
For more click here for English; click here for Spanish.
The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass expresses our union with Jesus and with one another as the Body of Christ. For more about this click here for English;
click here for Spanish.
The following is a sampling of a few of the things we talk about at various times...
Some of the Values and Attitudes of Jesus and some of those which are in conflict with his. We learn of the values and attitudes of Jesus through Scripture. The Church guides us in their application to the issues of today. But in many circumstances we experience values and attitudes contrary to those of Jesus. Click here for the study/reflection sheet we have used.
Jesus: Truly God - Truly Man. He is the Savior of the world. He is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
A disciple of Jesus is one who responds to his call, follows him, assists in spreading his message, and shapes his or her life in imitation of him. Being a disciple of Jesus, is not something we do, but is who we are. It is a total way of life and requires continual nurturing.
St. Paul identifies the Church as the Body of Christ. Ephesians 1:22-23. In one of its definitions, the dictionary defines body as a number of individuals spoken of collectively, usually as united by some common tie, or as organized for some purpose, What is the common tie which unites the members of the Church? What is the purpose of the Church? The answers to these questions give us a vision of the inner life of the Church. For a deeper understanding of the Church, read Ephesians, Chapters 1 through 4.
Click here for a study sheet about connections within the Church and for an explanation of the Diocesan Crest.
The Sacraments are channels of God's grace (life and help) coming to us. They are the actions of Jesus within the believing community - the Church. The Seven Sacraments are:
Baptism
Confirmation
Eucharist (Communion)
Anointing of the Sick
Penance (Confession or Reconciliation)
Matrimony (Marriage)
Holy Orders (Ordination of Bishops, priests, and deacons)
The Psalms are a prayerful response to life experiences. The Jewish people prayed the Psalms for many, many generations before the coming of Jesus, he prayed them. generations after him have prayed them, we pray them, and generations after us will pray them. The Book of Psalms is found in the Bible, and thus is the inspired word of God. Some of the prayers relate to community concerns and others to personal concerns. As Catholics, the Psalms form a part of our official public prayer. We pray a Psalm at each Mass as a response to the first Scripture reading. Many of our hymns and songs are based on the Psalms. The Psalms have a significant role in the Liturgy of the Hours, which is prayed at various times over the course of twenty-four hours, in order to dedicate the day to the praise of God. Priests and deacons pray the Liturgy of the Hours as part of their daily prayer, and all the members of the Church are invited to join in spirit to this prayer of praise and thanksgiving as they offer their own daily prayer.
Mary is one of the most loved, honored, and respected persons in the history of Christianity. Her greatness comes from the fact that God chose her to be the mother of his Son, Jesus, who is our Savior and Redeemer. Her life was always connected in some way to Jesus. Thus she serves as a role model for us.
You are welcome to bring a friend or two. If the schedule does not work out for you, we can talk about arranging something that works for you.
If there is a watch or warning for either severe thunderstorms or a tornado for Kalamazoo County that is not cancelled by 6:00 PM we will not meet for the session scheduled for that evening.
For more information contact Sr. Mary Catherine at 343-6256 x108 or srmaryc@tds.net
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