“Faith is a journey of illumination: it starts with the humility of recognizing oneself as needy of salvation and arrives at the personal encounter with Christ, who calls one to follow him on the way of love. On this model the Church has formulated the itinerary of Christian Initiation to prepare for Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrism) and the Eucharist.”
- Pope Benedict XVI
Angelus: 29 October, 2006
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
At IHM, we strive to provide the most authentic and fulfilling experience of joining the Catholic Faith as possible. Through instruction, prayer, retreats, rites and scrutinies, RCIA members journey to the Easter Vigil where they are accepted as full members of the Catholic church. We welcome inquiries from anyone who has never been baptized, those adults who need to receive sacraments, or those who have been baptized in another faith tradition.
Classes are held each Wednesday and follow the same schedule as Our Catholic Journey:
Classes
Wednesday
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Fees
$50.00 per student.
Understanding
You are probably reading this because you find yourself asking some significant questions about life and its meaning. “Is this all there is?” You might have stumbled upon one of life’s question marks, and you are looking for answers. Be assured that you are not alone!
Looking for Answers
“Ben spoke up at the first inquiry session at St. Mary’s, sharing with great candor what had brought him to the meeting that night. ‘I feel as though I’m sinking. Next month I’ll be thirty-one. In the last nine years I have risen so quickly to a vice-presidency in the company that I’ve hardly had time to catch my breath. My wife and I have a lovely home, two cute kids, and matching sports cars. It looks as though we’ve achieved the American dream, but I feel as though I’m living a nightmare…It seems as though I have everything, but I feel as though I have nothing. My life just as no meaning, no foundation.”
Ben told us about getting to know a couple who live down the block from him. Despite any personal and financial struggles, they seem to thrive on life. When Ben compared his lifestyle with theirs, the only obvious difference he could see was that his neighbors are ‘churchgoers’ and he wasn’t. Active members of Immaculate Heart of Mary, the neighbors worshiped together each week and volunteered in the parish’s food bank for the homeless twice a month. When Ben told them about his search for some meaning to life, they began to invite him to various parish events, such as, Journey Days, and over the course of time, Ben’s interest in the Church began to grow. ‘I enjoyed being involved in activities with other people who seemed to have ‘direction’ in their lives, but the more I worked with them at the food bank, the more uncomfortable I actually became. Frankly, that surprised me, and even frightened me a little.’
‘One day while I was working at the food bank , one of the staff came in to visit. Even though I wasn’t in much of a talking mood, I started talking about some of the things that were on my mind about life and how I felt myself sinking into oblivion. He suggested that I bring my questions and frustrations to an RCIA class, where I’d meet others like myself. My life of questions keeps growing’, Ben added, ‘so I came tonight to begin finding some answers. I sure hope I came to the right place.’
Ben’s story broke the icy silence that night, and soon everyone was drawn into the circle of telling what had brought them to the evening’s meeting. A few persons present had been baptized as Catholics, but for a wide variety of reasons had never learned anything about the Church or received any of the other sacraments . Others had once been members of other Christian churches and were now thinking about becoming Catholics. There were eleven inquirers that night, but no two stories were alike. They were of different ages and from different backgrounds. Only their questions seemed similar. Inevitably, we all wanted answers to life’s questions, preferably with as little effort as possible. If it is simple answers you want, however, you might just be looking in the wrong direction.”
“Come, Follow Me”
Down through the ages, Christians have had many questions, but few have found easy answers. Jesus’ first followers had questions, and when they posed them to Jesus he simply answered, ‘Come, follow me’ (Mark 2:14). The scriptures tell us that each left behind his family responsibilities and work, and probably his hopes and dreams as well, to follow after the one who had captivated them by his life and message.
We extend that same invitation to you at this stage of your life. “Come follow with us, along the way of the Lord.” As you come to know us, you will discover that although Jesus didn’t offer any easy answers, he did give his followers a framework for living and loving the questions. The Church, following in he way of the Lord, is a community of believers who try to live the values he espoused in a world that often regards those values as absurd. The very questions which right now might seem like your heaviest burden are actually your greatest resource. They will help give you direction, so it is important that you are able to express them in whatever way seems most appropriate for you, whether that be writing them down in a letter or as part of a journal, taping them, or conversing with someone else.
You might see that your questions fall into various categories:
- Questions about your spiritual life, your relationship with God.
- Questions about the Church and its teachings
- Questions about this local church to which you seem attracted
- Questions about how one Christian church differs from another.
We don’t want to insert questions where you have none, but in our work with inquirers we have heard lots of questions. Never hesitate to ask yours, no matter how bizarre they might seem to you.
Asking Questions
Asking your questions is the best place to begin this search. Try to phrase them for yourself as early as possible and then ask them again and again of everyone you meet. Be persistent. Expect that different people will give you different answers, for not everyone has lived the same life.
The purpose of the inquiry phase of the “recatechumdenate,” as it is technically called, is to provide you with an opportunity to become acquainted with the Catholic community and the gospel values we attempt to live. After a while you will be asked to decide whether or not you are seriously interested in being incorporated into our community, but for now we don’t want you to feel as though you must make a commitment to anyone but yourself. This is your time to begin resolving questions that might have been nagging at you for a long time.
A Journey of Faith
We welcome you and your questions to this journey of faith, and hope you will find in us not travel agents, who are experts in the field, but rather friends who offer themselves as companions for the journey. As you give yourself this time to ask questions…of yourself and the Church…you will be able to see the framework and decide whether or not it helps you live the questions authentically. It is not necessary for you to rush head-long into this process. Take the time you need to articulate your needs and to explore the Church’s ability to respond to them
One caution…remember that we are all pilgrims on this journey of faith. No one on earth has yet achieved the goal. Someone recently reminded me that at the conclusion of his famous Rule for Monks, St. Benedict noted that after fulfilling all of the elements of the Rule, one would still be a beginner on the journey to our heavenly homeland.
Welcome to the community of beginners!