Welcome

Christ always welcomed everyone who came into his midst. It should be no different for us, his followers. Here at St. Mary Parish, we welcome anyone who wishes to worship with us and minister alongside us. Young, old, families, single persons, rich and poor, we are one family in Christ with a great many talents and gifts to share with each other.

Ministry of Welcome includes Family Registration, Awakening Faith, and The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Read further to learn about each of these programs.

Awakening Faith

For those who have been away from the faith for awhile, and have a desire to renew and refresh their faith.

The time requirement is 2 hours a week for 6 weeks.

For more information call the Parish Office at (419)-547-9687, of email Deacon Jose Zamora at deaconjose@clydestmary.org.

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Order of Christian Initiation of Adults

(O.C.I.A.)

What is faith?
What are the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church?
What's going on in Mass?
How do Catholics interpret and use The Bible?
Do Catholics worship Mary and the Saints?
What's what in the Church?
Who's who in the Church (from the Pope to the people)?
What are some Catholic prayers and practices?
What is Catholic morality and ethics?

Each year, adults inquire about the Catholic faith for many different reasons.

Some wish to become Catholic because their spouse and children are Catholic and they desire to share the faith experience of their family.

Some have had a conscious or unconscious hunger for something more meaningful and feel the Catholic Faith can feed the hunger.

Some people feel that the sacramental rituals of the faith give them a sense of meaning in their life.

Whatever the reason, I highly encourage anyone who has ever thought about the Catholic faith to, as Jesus told his apostles, "Come and see."

Our process is called The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and I invite anyone interested to "come and see." This is a process that looks at Catholic beliefs and rituals. There is no fee and there is no force to become Catholic. If at any time during the process a person feels they are not ready or feel God may be calling them to something else, we respect that decision and try to help them come to an understanding of God's call for them.

Outline and Time Commitment for the O.C.I.A. Process:

Period of Evangelization and Pre-Catechumenate:

This is a time, of no fixed duration or structure, for inquire and introduction to Gospel values and an opportunity for the beginnings of faith.

Rite of Welcome and Acceptance into the Order of Catechumenate:

This is the liturgical rite, usually celebrated on some annual date(s), marking the beginning of the catechumenate proper, as the candidates express and the Church accepts their intention to respond to God's call to follow the way of Christ.

Period of Catechumenate:

This is the time, in duration corresponding to the progress of the individual, for the nurturing and growth of the catechumen's faith and conversion to God; celebrations of the word of prayers of exorcism and blessings are meant to assist the process.

The Rite of Election:

This is the liturgical rite, usually celebrated on the First Sunday of Lent, by which the Church formally ratifies the catechumen's readiness for the sacraments of initiation and the catechumens, now called the elect, express the will to receive these sacraments.

Period of Purification and Enlightenment:

This is the time immediately preceding the elect's initiation, usually the Lenten season preceding the celebration of their initiation at the Easter Vigil. It is a time of reflection, intensely centered on conversion, marked by the celebration of the scrutinies and presentations and of the preparation rites on Holy Saturday.

Celebration of the Sacrament of Initiation:

This is the liturgical rite, usually integrated into the Easter Vigil, by which the elect are initiated through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.

Period of Mystagogy or Post-Baptismal Catechesis:

This is the time, usually the Easter season, following the celebration of initiation, during which the newly initiated experience being fully a part of the Christian community. This by means of pertinent catechesis and particularly by participation with all the faithful in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration.

Each candidate in the process will be paired up with a sponsor, who acts as a companion on the journey and is already a practicing Catholic. This sponsor walks through the process with the candidate to encourage and support them. It is amazing how many sponsors even say they learn so much from the sessions!

I invite you to take some time to seriously reflect whether there is someone you know whom God is calling to the OCIA process this year. For more information please call the Parish Office at (419)-547-9687 or email Deacon Jose Zamora at deaconjose@clydestmary.org.

Yes, this is a time commitment. It is a commitment to the process, but more importantly a time commitment and a life commitment to God.

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