Every year since I was ordained 32 years ago, I have been involved and enjoyed welcoming people into the Catholic Church. For the most part, we have three groups of people: those who are in a relationship with a Catholic; those who are seekers looking for a deep connection with God and the Church; and those who have endured some kind of loss. Whatever the reason, the OCIA Team welcomes, nurtures, and engages these people and brings them to you, the Corpus Christi Community, to finish the initiation process.
Some of you may not know that you are part of the Initiation Team so let me explain. OCIA is an acronym of Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA). This formal Rite of the Catholic Church is a process in which adults who are unbaptized or from another Christian faith or Catholics who have had little or no faith formation are brought to the sacraments of initiation at Easter Vigil. It is a joy to walk with these people. And you, the Corpus Christi community, are the real inspiration!
We try to interview each person as they explore the possibility of becoming a Catholic. Generally, the first thing a potential candidate says is, “l just love The Corpus Christi community,” or “l feel peace here,” or “l feel welcomed by people I know,” or feel at home!” That is because of you!
Recently, I was with some of our parish members, and I was talking about one of our newly initiated Catholics from our parish. One of the parishioners said, “l know them. Well, I don’t really know them, but I have been praying for (them) all of Lent.” He had picked up one of the prayer cards and kept praying for them all the way up to their initiation at Easter. He helped to initiate a woman into our Catholic faith he feels he knows but who he has never met. What a gift to both parties! This is just one example of how you make OCIA work. There are many more stories like this one.
At Corpus Christi, we want to welcome everyone to be one with us and come to the Eucharistic table. Our OCIA team is looking for more ways to encourage your help.
- Let us know if you or someone you know might consider becoming a Catholic
- Could you be a companion, an OCIA sponsor and learn more about your faith in the process?
- Would you like to be an OCIA team member? Or be willing to provide snacks for our weekly OCIA sessions?
- Invite family members and colleagues to explore the Catholic way of life.
This fall our parish will enter into The Search, a 7-week innovative series you can do with us at home or in a large group at the parish, that tackles the question in every human heart such as “Why are we here? What’s life all about? What happens when we die? This is great for everyone, especially those who might not have much religious or spiritual history.
I would encourage you to bring a friend to Mass -- we have simple helpful handouts in our information rack in the narthex to help them follow along. You may want to invite Catholics who have been hurt by or alienated from the church so we can work on mending that relationship.
Please call or send me an email if you have any questions about OCIA or The Search. Please let me know if you can help.
Please continue to make Corpus Christi a special place. Keep the warm, welcoming approach that is Corpus Christi.
God Bless,
