Faith Formation and Education
R.C.I.A.: The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
RCIA is a process through which the Catholic Community reaches out to adults who may be interested in becoming full members of the Church as well as to Catholics who have not yet celebrated Eucharist and/or Confirmation. We will gather together- to pray
- to answer questions about Catholic faith and practice
- to get acquainted with other inquirers
- to read scripture and share our faith experiences
Regular meetings will be held each Sunday during the academic year from 5:00 to 6:45 pm. Sessions will begin in September. Check this site for the schedule. The regular sessions will be based on reading and reaction to the scripture readings of the Sunday supplemented by an examination of the fundamentals of the Catholic faith, especially the Creed.The RCIA process is not a matter of argumentation or proselytization. It is a means for each individual to explore his/her relation to God and to discern what God wishes her or him to do. While there is intellectual content to be examined, the process is primarily experiential. Anyone who is interested in exploring full participation in the life of the Church is welcome to attend.The process is facilitated by Deacon Richard and Joanne Talbot, who act as coordinators. They will be joined from time to time by members of the Newman Center pastoral team and by other members of the Newman Community. Sessions will begin on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 5:00 pm in the Quigley Room of the Newman Center. Schedule for the fall semester- September 21 - General Inquiry Session. What is religion?
- September 28 - Inquiry/Introduction. "Religious experience"
- October 5 - Inquiry/Introduction. Experience, Revelation, Faith.
- October 12 - Holiday NO SESSION
- October 19 - The Bible
- October 26 - The Mass
- November 2 - Jesus. Holy Spirit. All Saints. All souls.
- November 9 - What is the Church?
- November 16 -Prayer and Creed
- November 23 - Morality. Social and personal. Rite of Acceptance at the 7 pm mass.
- November 30 - Holiday No SESSION
- December 7 - Annunciation
- December 14 - Nativity
From December 7th onward we will devote a portion of each session to watching Franco Zeffirelli's film: Jesus of Nazareth We will continue to follow a two track process. One focuses on the scripture of that Sunday, the other on the articles of the creed. The scripture gives us the framework of Jesus' life and teaching. The creed is an expression of faith. During most of the fall, the focus is on the coming of Jesus at Christmas. The process in not intended to be principally didactic. It is principally experiential and communal. Religion is primarily a matter of encounter with a personal and loving God. So we try to understand how we experience God, what he asks of us, and how we should respond. In each session we'll read and talk about the scripture readings of the day and then discuss a particular topic, usually from the creed.Rites. Rites for RCIA are simple ceremonies which are held at mass.
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