We want to welcome you into the Catholic Church!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Cheryl Whapham
Several years ago, I was working at a parish in northern Virginia as the director of religious education. Just like many of our parishes here in south Florida, this parish was blessed with hundreds of faithful volunteers who gave hours and hours of their time in service to the community. One of those volunteers was named Mary.
Mary started volunteering in the parish office for a couple of hours each week. During her time in the office, she saw a lot of people coming to the parish looking for financial assistance. So Mary began collecting toiletries and non-perishable items, but soon decided that wasn’t enough. Ultimately, she gathered a group of parishioners and formed the parish’s social justice movement. The group sponsored events to educate the parish in Catholic Social Teaching and put their faith into action by organizing fundraisers and service mission trips. It was amazing to watch Mary and the faithful way she served her Church.
And so it came as a complete shock to me when the pastor came and said that he had just learned that Mary was not Catholic and that she wanted to be received into the Church. Mary had grown up in the Presbyterian Church and then married a Catholic. For 20 years she had been attending Mass with her husband, raising their children in the Catholic Church, and serving the community in numerous ways. None of us had ever noticed that Mary never received the Eucharist, and the longer she was a part of the parish, the more embarrassed she became about her status within the Church. She had finally come to the pastor because she was longing to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus.
I wish Mary’s situation was an isolated incident. But the truth is there are thousands of people in the pews in Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Miami who are not fully initiated Catholics or who have not been received into the Catholic Church. It is my guess that if you are reading this blog, you know how important your sacramental life is to you and to the life of the Church. I’m also assuming that if you are reading this blog, you know of someone who is not participating fully in the sacramental life of the Church. I need your help in sending this message to people you know who are not participating in the sacramental life of the Church: We want to welcome you into the Catholic Church!
The Catholic Church has a process through which we welcome new members and it’s called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). RCIA is for unbaptized children (over the age of 7) and adults. It is for adults who were baptized Catholic as infants and then never received their first Eucharist or Confirmation. It is for baptized and confirmed Protestants who would like to join the Catholic Church. Most parish RCIA programs follow a school year model of formation which means that the process is beginning in most parishes RIGHT NOW!
If you or anyone you know falls into any of these categories, please call your parish and inquire about the RCIA process. Each year the Archdiocese welcomes approximately 1,200 people into the Catholic Church. I hope that several members of your parish will be among those who will be brought into the Church at the Easter Vigil in April of 2010.
Cheryl J. Orwig Whapham
Director, Lay Ministry and Adult Faith Formation
Comments from readers
Sister Jane{the greatest spirit I've ever known}
Sister Michelle
Mrs.Charles {good times}
Mrs.Camilla{your help will never be forgotten}
Mrs.Cunningham{miss your hair color}
Coach Rehm and Coach Cleraux {Is it ten mintues yet miss you}
Mrs.Clerval{wonderful french teacher}
Mrs.Milhomme{too funny}
Both Mrs.Chery's{your family I love you}
Mrs.Suzie{haitian dancing was fun}
To Mrs.Fresnada I miss you R.I.P
To Sister Agatha you had to leave I miss you.
To everyone who I accidently left out because I couldnt remember at the time. I miss you. Wait and be patient until I become successful and I'll be there to help my home.Much love and appreciation. From the number one class to Graduate Eugenie Elie 2008 =]
Deacon Joe - You are doing such a great job with the RCIA at your parish. It is a pleasure to serve with you. I think you raise such an important point about invitation. I think we can do more to invite people to complete their Sacraments of Initiation. I think bulletin announcements, after mass announcements, and letters are all great ways to invite people, but I think sometimes the most important invitation is the personal invitation from your friend or your neighbor. I think when your friend approaches you and says, "Come on, do you want to recieve your First Communion and Confirmation? I'll do it with you as your sponsor." Those are the people who are going to come forward for sure. We should not be shy about making the invitation. We are inviting people to partake in the Body and Blood of Christ!!
Cheryl thank you for this encouraging blog.
For the last 3 years we've sent out over 1600 letters to our parishoners inviting them who may be or know someone that is in the very same position that you've so well defined in your blog. Well as you know, for the last 3 years our numbers have grown to a toatal of over 20 candidates and catechumens. The letter not only invites those who wish to be confirmed or be recieved into the Church but for those who have a greater interest in learning more of their Catholic Faith. This year, however, the boss decided not to send the letter and the result was 8 in the first night. Then the boss went on vacation and in his absence this disobedient servant sent the letter. The class has now grown to 15 and still counting (we're in our 3rd week). YOU'VE GOT TO GET THE WORD OUT and HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST. People want to hear more of our Faith. Sometimes we assume that everyone knows all they need to know of our Catholic Faith but then there are a few who wish to know and have more but are afraid to ask, our Church needs all of them as we all need the Love and Grace of our maker.
Please keep up the good work you started when I first met you. It's bearing the fruit of GOODNESS. Thanks! Hope your family is doing well. Deacon Joe
Thanks so much for participating in the blog! I thought about you two as I was writing it. You both have such powerful conversion stories and I'm so happy that you shared them with our greater community.
And Lindsay, I often hear cradle catholics saying that they wish they could be in the RCIA. A great way to do that is to offer to be a sponsor for a new member. It is a tremendous journey that you embark on together, learning about the faith together, sharing thoughts, feelings and lots of prayer together. Thank you for mentioning it. Being a Sponsor is a great way for a fully initiated Catholic to serve the community.
I know of many parishes that welcome them, love them and guide them trhu this process; but I also know about parishes like mine, in wich this brothers and sisters are not welcomed to help into the ministries because they represent a "bad example" for the community.
Hearts have being broken, and some people that are just coming into our faith have left, looking for a place where they don't have to wear the "unworthy" label.
Love and Peace
I pray that people reading your blog who may be on the fence will be inspired to take this vital step. I also pray that those already fully-initiated Catholics will consider RCIA sponosrship. Last year, I was fortuate enough to co-sponosor a friend from college, and it was a huge blessing. And I've just been asked to be a sponsor again this year... and I'm thrilled about it!
Peace and blessings, Lindsay :o)