EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS
EM’s and Lectors If you have an interest in
this ministry, you should contact Fr. Thom or Deacon Lee:
Fr. Thom or Deacon Lee
.
GREETERS
Greeters’ meeting …
All greeters are reminded to attend an
important meeting on Monday, Jan 28, at 7
P.M. in the church. We will review past practices and introduce the new
Diocesan policies concerning handling the weekend collection. Please make
every effort to attend.
NOCTURNAL ADORATION
Watch one hour with Me …
Can you give an
hour for the Lord? Nocturnal
Adoration will be held on Friday, Dec 5, starting at 10
P.M. We need people to join us in
prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel each hour
until 7 A.M.
on Saturday. If you’re interested, please call Dennis at 437-6051.
MEN OF ST. JOSEPH
The Men of St. Joseph is a community of Catholic men
who, with mutual support, seek to continue their spiritual development in the
areas of prayer, family, work and community. On the third Saturday of the
month, these men join together with a common vision of becoming stronger men
of God. For more information, please call Bill at 432-6066.
WOMEN OF MARY
The Women of Mary is a
community of Catholic women whose desire is to emulate the Blessed Mother Mary
and spread true devotion to her throughout the Church. All women with a desire
to deepen their faith are invited to join them on the first Saturday of the
month. Please contact Lorraine at 432-9485 for more information.
Please join us in honoring our Blessed Virgin on
First
Saturday, Jan 3. We begin at 7
A.M. with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the Divine Mercy
Chaplet in the chapel, followed by recitation of the Rosary in the church.
Mass will be celebrated at 8 A.M. We
will then share a potluck breakfast in the parish hall We will conclude at
10 A.M. For more information, call
Lorraine at 432-9485.
Knights of Columbus
This group of men, dedicated to charitable works
benefiting the Church and the entire community, always welcomes new members.
For more information call Ron at 437-6549.
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY & SCRIPTURE STUDY
Contact Bill & Brenda Donroe: 432-6066 or
bdondroe@adelphia.net
YOUNG MOMS' GROUP
Please join us with your little ones as we meet every
Thursday morning from 10–11:30 in the parish hall. Every week we will
pray, read Scripture, and/or discuss a different topic concerning the Faith.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what makes us Catholic
while meeting other moms and their children. For more information, please call
Liz at 437-6678 or just show up!
RCIA
(Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) …
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This event 2000 years
ago changed the course of human history and can make all the difference in
our own history today. Have you been wondering how God and the Catholic
Church could make a difference in your life? Has someone you know
expressed this thought to you?
Informal and informative sessions are held on a year-round basis
and one is welcome to join in at any time of the year. This process is might
be for you if you have:
For further information, call the parish office, 432-8711, or fill out one of
the bright yellow forms in the church entrance and drop it in the collection
plate.
According to early figures from the 2007 Official Catholic
Directory, 157,500 adults joined the Catholic Church in the United States
last year, 64,500 were baptized into the faith and 93,000 who were already
baptized, came into full communion. This number is supplemented by more
than a million infant baptisms in parishes.
At a time when new life is evident all around us in nature, new life was
welcomed into our parish family at this year’s Easter Vigil on Holy
Saturday evening. RCIA candidates desiring to come into full communion
with the Catholic Church renewed their Baptismal promises along with us.
Then they received the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Eucharist for
the first time. We welcome them into our parish family.
If you are interested in knowing more about the RCIA process—or
know someone who might be—pick up a brochure on the table as you leave or call
Paula Goduti at the parish office, 432-8711.
Have you thought about
maybe becoming a Catholic?
Are you married to a
Catholic and want to see if Catholicism is for you too?
Are your family and/or friends excited about the
Catholic Church and you want to know why?
The Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults might be for you if you are:
-
unbaptized and have no religious training
-
baptized Catholic but have not received any
other sacraments
-
baptized in another faith but want to
investigate Catholicism
RCIA is a gradual process designed for adults who, after hearing the
mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and
enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts.
By God’s help they will be strengthened spiritually during their preparation
and at the proper time will receive the sacraments fruitfully. ( Rite
of Christian Initiation of Adults - Paragraph 1)
St Mark RCIA is ready whenever you are. You may
begin the process whenever you are ready after an initial interview. The
process is designed to teach you about the church and its teachings but you
are also given whatever time you need for those teachings to make sense in
your life. When you are ready, the culmination of the process is the
reception of the three sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation and
communion. The conversion of your life is the work of the Holy Spirit only.
The initiation of catechumens is a gradual process that takes place within
the community of the faithful. By joining the catechumens in reflecting on
the value of the paschal mystery and by renewing their own conversion, the
faithful provide an example that will help the catechumens to obey the Holy
Spirit more generously. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults - Paragraph 4)
RCIA is the work of the entire parish. There is
an RCIA team and catechists who share their faith but the living out of that
faith is evident in the entire community who helps by their example of life.
The rite is suited to a spiritual journey of adults that varies according
to the many forms of God’s grace, the free cooperation of the individuals, the
action of the Church, and the circumstances of time and place. (Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults - Parargraph 5)
The conversion process is personalized and
individualized based on many criteria that adults are affected by in their
daily lives and in their spiritual lives. Thus the process can respect each
person’s faith journey and take a different amount of time for each
participant.
If you are interested in knowing more about the RCIA process, or know
someone who might be, pick up a brochure in the church entrance as you leave
or call Paula Goduti at the parish office, 432-8711
or send an
E-Mail at:
pgoduti@adelphia.net
