Rite of Entrance and Welcome:

On Sunday, November 22, at the 10:00 AM Mass, we will celebrate two rites for adults and youth in our program.

Something wonderful has been happening right here! God has been at work, doing what God does - calling people into a relationship with Him through our Order of Christian Initiation of Adults program (OCIA). The Rite of Entrance is for those who are preparing for Baptism at the Easter Vigil and the Rite of Welcome is for those already baptized in another Christian tradition who now seek full communion with the Catholic Church.

The Rite of Entrance

The Rite of Entrance is the first public assembly of those who have been inquiring about membership within the Catholic faith community. Known as "inquirers" before this rite, afterward these unbaptized candidates will be known as "catechumens." The beginnings of the spiritual life and the fundamentals of Christian teaching have taken root so the Church accepts them as persons who intend to become its members.

The Rite of Welcome

The Rite of Welcome is for those who have been previously baptized (candidates) and are ready to publicly declare their intention to continue their journey toward full communion with the Catholic Church by completing their Sacraments of Initiation: Holy Communion and Confirmation. During these rites, our catechumens and candidates will publicly declare their desire to follow Christ, and we, as a parish family, will promise to support them with our prayers, encouragement, and example.

Please join us in warmly welcoming them into our faith community and walking with them on their journey toward the Easter sacraments. "Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7)