Our Adult Formation program, based on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), is the process our Church offers for individuals to become Catholic and receive the sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
This initiation process prepares and welcomes new members into the Church by leading them on their path of conversion, their spiritual journey to become closer to Christ. This journey takes place through several stages over a period of time suitable to provide a thorough teaching of the faith, develop a life of prayer, provide significant experience of the parish community, and integrate members into the liturgical and moral life of the Catholic faithful.
Our Adult Formation program is for:
1) Persons who have expressed an interest in becoming Catholic
2) Persons baptized in another Christian tradition who desire to become Catholic
3) Persons baptized Catholic in need of First Communion and/or Confirmation
4) A child over the age of seven who has not been baptized
In order to best serve all those entering the Church, our Adult Formation program offers 3 distinct branches taking into consideration people current walk on their spiritual journey:
RCIA (CHRISTIAN INITIATION PROCESS)
The RCIA program is for those who have never been baptized in any faith as well as those who have been baptized in another tradition and would now like to convert to Catholicism. This process begins with an introduction to the values of our faith and an opportunity for new members to ask questions and be introduced to the Gospel. Then, an extended period of time is dedicated to an in-depth focus on the teachings and truths of the Catholic doctrine. As the members come closer to the reception of their sacraments, time is taken for them to spiritually prepare to receive the sacraments. Lastly, members are invited to be fully initiated through the reception of the sacraments, which is followed by a post-sacramental period in which they meditate on the Gospel and begin to discern their place and work as they are now part of the Church.
This process takes anywhere from 9 months up to 2 years depending on various circumstances.
New sessions begin in the Fall (September) and Winter (January); classes are held weekly every Tuesday, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in Logan Hall.
The Adult Sacramental program is for those who were baptized Catholic as a child and now desire to complete their initiation by receiving either or both the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. This course is an in-depth study of the 4 pillars of Catholic teaching: doctrine, the sacraments, morality, and prayer. In addition, these classes focus on the nature of the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist, as well as on, conversion, the Gospel, professing the faith, and personal prayer.
This program takes place over the course of 16 weeks.
New sessions begin in the Fall (September) and Winter (January); classes are held weekly every Tuesday, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the San Joaquin Room.