English language RCIA starts Sept. 20, 2022 at 7:00 pm

"God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love." --St. Augustine

Do you have questions about the Catholic faith? Maybe you are considering becoming a Catholic. What you need, my friend, is the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)

• Non-catholics who have questions about the Church.
• Adults who have never been baptized but wish to become Catholic.
• Baptized adults from other Christian churches who wish to become Catholic.
• Adults baptized Catholic but have never received any religious education or sacraments.

It is the process for interested adults to be gradually introduced to the Catholic faith and way of life. It is known as a journey rather than a class or program. The RCIA reaches beyond the concept of class to include education, faith development and liturgical rites. This is not meant to be a solo journey but communal in that it involves the individual, their sponsor, the RCIA team and the St. Henry community. The RCIA process is divided into periods of time:

• The first is known as the Period of Inquiry, a time for asking questions and discovering answers during our weekly gatherings. At no time is anyone obligated to continue.
• Next step is the Period of the Catechumenate and is meant for those individuals who have decided to pursue baptism or their profession of faith in the Church.
• During Lent the catechumens begin the next step known as the Period of Enlightenment and Purification, a time of retreat and prayer, time spent drawing closer to God in preparation of the Easter Mysteries.
• The last step is the Period of Mystagogia, a time of celebration and exploration of discipleship.