Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: June 28, 2015
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
I continue to look forward to our celebration, on Saturday, July 11, of our French Mass in honor of la Fête Nationale de la France (or “Bastille Day,” as it’s more popularly known here — the holiday in France is actually on the 14th). This celebration of our French heritage will take place at our 4 pm vigil Mass, which will include many prayers and maybe even a little preaching in French. I hope you consider joining many members of the local L’Assemblée Français and our Parish Development Committee for this special event! You definitely don’t have to speak any French to enjoy it!
Moving on, since so few other “special” things are only the calendar during these summer months, I want to put in an early plug for the coming year’s R.C.I.A. process. It’s one of the “ongoing” programs of every Parish! Those initials stand for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults; it’s the way by which persons who are not Catholic may learn about our Faith, begin practicing our religion, and in time join the Church. As you may know, the R.C.I.A. is not primarily an educational program, but instead a lifestyle and ritual process: the participants familiarize themselves with Catholic life, and immediately begin to live it and celebrate it in prayer. We have to allow a lot of time for prayer and sharing and questions. I like to say “there’s no time for tests or term papers”! What there is time for, always, is every opportunity to meet Christ in prayer, in charity, in study and in practice.
Unbaptized inquirers, known as catechumens, typically move through various preparatory stages, known as the catechumenate. It is a period of focused instruction in the Scriptures, in Catholic belief, and in our Church’s worship, community life, and apostolic works. The two main sources we use are the Bible – of course – and also the 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church. The catechumenate ends with reception of all three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist), most typically at Easter.
Persons who are already baptized and living a Christian life in a non-Catholic religion also learn the truths of Catholicism in our R.C.I.A. process, but the requirements and timetable for them is somewhat different since they already possess a partial, if imperfect, membership in Christ’s Church. They are usually referred to as “candidates for full communion” with the Church as they prepare for the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist, which they receive when they are ready.
It’s our part-time pastoral associate, Mr. Chris Redden, who coordinates our parochial R.C.I.A. for us. He does a great job with it, not only from the point of view of input (“teaching” the right stuff) but also from the point of view of personal sensitivity (“encountering people where they are, with a view toward bringing them farther along”).
In this vein, what’s usually most striking about the R.C.I.A. is the strong bond of community which the group each year forms with each other and with Chris, with the Catholics who accompany them as their sponsors, and with their catechists. It typically becomes a small group of friends whose prayers and presence add a great deal to their common exploration of the Church and possible membership in it. If you know of someone who might be interested in the R.C.I.A., or think you’d like to be part of it as an sponsor, catechist or other team member, please let us know! You can call 225-387-5928 or email office@cathedralbr.org.
Sincerely in the Lord,
