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What is Becoming Catholic?Becoming Catholic at St. Mary and St. Ann
We have a process of Christian formation in which persons who are interested in becoming Catholic participate in a group process to learn more about our Catholic faith. Becoming Catholic (the OCIA) is a journey of faith and conversion. It includes people who have never been baptized. It includes people who have been baptized in another Christian tradition. It also includes those who have been baptized as Catholics but who have not been brought up in the Catholic faith. Through involvement with our parish community in prayer, through hearing the gospel proclaimed, through discussion of the Catholic way of life, and discernment of God’s call in their lives, they seek to learn more what it means to be committed to the worshiping community and the apostolic life of Catholic Christians.
This year, we welcome back a familiar face to our parish ministry staff, as Elaine Shegitz will be leading the OCIA (Becoming Catholic) process. Elaine served our parish community as faith formation director for a number of years and I’m happy to welcome her back in this role as director of the OCIA (Becoming Catholic) process. Elaine is also excited to be once again leading a parish ministry that is “close to her heart.”
One of the keys to remember is that each of us knows someone who is hungering for this journey of faith—a non-Catholic spouse, a family member, friend or co-worker. A personal invitation from you could be all that’s needed!
If you or anyone you might know is interested in becoming a Catholic, please feel free to contact me or Elaine Shegitz. A new group will be forming soon.
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Congratulations to the class of 2024-2025! May God Bless You Always.
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Welcome Home!!
Be sure to enjoy this brief but beautiful video featuring the Campbell family. They share the story of their decision to come home to the Catholic Church, culminating in the joy of the Easter Vigil 2024.
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RCIA, or the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or Adapted for children, is a process for those interested in becoming Catholic. It is a process with roots tracing back to the earliest days of Christian communities, when all members shared their faith with newcomers as a way of teaching them about the new life in Christ.In general there are four identifiable periods of the RCIA process. First is Inquiry, the time for exploring the possibility of becoming Catholic. A person who is interested meets with others to learn more about the Catholic faith and the group has opportunities to ask questions about Catholicism and explore his/her faith. A person may continue these sessions as long as he/she wishes, without making any commitment to move into the second phase.
When a person decides to proceed with the process he/she moves into the second period called the Catechumenate. During this period, the Catechumens (unbaptized) and Candidates (baptized) are provided instruction in Scripture and our Catholic Tradition.
The third phase is the period of Enlightenment, which coincides with Lent. It is a time of prayer and reflection in preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter Vigil. Through these sacraments a person becomes a full member of the Catholic Church.
The last part of the process is Mystagogy, which is an opportunity to reflect on the experience and meaning of the sacraments that one has received. In addition, it is to continue one's formation, education, and to assist in getting integrated into the life of the Catholic community.
If you are interested in becoming Catholic please call the parish office at 517-543-4319 or complete the form below. The fastest, most reliable way to reach us is by telephone.
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