
On Sunday, January 12th, at the noon Mass in the Upper Church, the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) Candidates were introduced to the parish and were publicly welcomed by the St. Paul of the Cross parish community for the first time.
Fr. James presided at the mass and the Rites. During this OCIA Rite, the candidates stood at the entrance of the church where Fr. James asked them to introduce themselves and to declare what is it that they are seeking from the Church. They formally declared their intention to continue their faith journey towards reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church. Our parish community offered its prayers, support, and witness.
The Rite of Acceptance is for the Catechumens (those who were never baptized) and the Rite of Welcoming is for those who were baptized in a different Christian denomination or adults who were already baptized in the Catholic Church but haven’t completed receiving the other Sacraments of Initiation yet (Eucharist and Confirmation).
These Candidates have been gathering with the OCIA team since September to learn more about the faith and the Catholic Church.
As we’ve been doing in the last few years, we welcome Candidates from St. Elizabeth of the Trinity parish as well as our parish. This year, we have a total of 20 candidates.
The OCIA Candidates are powerful witnesses to us all. Their dedication and effort towards becoming fully initiated Catholics are reminders to us of the gift of faith that we received from God and how God is constantly calling us to embrace this faith throughout our lives.
As the Candidates continue on the path to become fully initiated Catholics, let us too become more responsive to God’s continual calling. In our witness to one another—the parish community to the Candidates and the Candidates to us—may we keep each other in prayer.
God Bless!
Beshar Behjat
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