Logo Graphic (c) 2010 by Douglas M. Lawson
Christ the King Parish
Diocese of Oakland
"To Hear the Gospel and Make a Difference"
Are you searching for a spiritual home?
Do you feel drawn to the Roman Catholic community?
Our sessions for those who wish to become Catholic
or learn more
about the Catholic community and way of life
will resume on Thursday,
September 8 from 7 - 9 p.m.
and will meet weekly thereafter.
These sessions are ideal
for learning about Catholicism
in a relaxed, no-pressure environment.
They also provide a great opportunity for baptized
Catholics
who wish to complete their sacraments by preparing for
Eucharist and
Confirmation.
For more information and meeting location,
contact RCIA Coordinator
Al Garrotto
algarrotto@comcast.net
or
call the parish office
(925) 682-2486.
Since 2004, CTK Parish has welcomed over 160 new Catholics, through our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process.
Where do CTK’s Inquirers and New Converts Come From?
1) Most are positively
influenced by a Catholic spouse, fiancé/fiancée, or friend,
who exhibits
genuine faith, a commitment to regular worship,
and who finds hope and joy
in being Catholic.
“My family is Catholic and now God is calling me.” *
“I am ready
to make the commitment to the Church and to a life of service.”
*
2)
Many arrive at our doorstep after
a long and circuitous journey
that included a positive childhood or teenage
experience of Catholicism.
“I
came here because this is where God wants me to be.
I stayed because of the
community of faith, love, and friendship I found here.”
*
3)
Others were baptized Catholic, but
received little or no encouragement
to grow in their faith. That dormant
seed is now sprouting and reaching for the sunlight.
“My journey through RCIA has been one of those rare full-circle moments
in my lifetime.”
*
* Quotes are from recent new Catholics
Is the
ongoing sex abuse scandal
in
the Catholic Church keeping you
from exploring Catholicism as a possible
spiritual home for you and your family?
E-mail me and I will send you our document,
"Finding Faith and Hope Amid Scandal in the Catholic
Church."
Indicate your preference for a Power Point (.pps) or .PDF file.
On April 23, 2011, at the Easter Vigil Service
(the night before Easter Sunday), 11 adults completed
their preparation and formalized their commitment
to Christ as Roman Catholics. Five more adults were
received into the Church on Pentecost Sunday, June 12, 2011.
We warmly
welcome our new brothers and sisters
to our local community of Christ the
King Parish
and to the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.
Rite of Election 2010
Christ the Light Cathedral,
Oakland, CA
RCIA
is a ministry with the special
mission of introducing Inquirers
to our Roman Catholic faith and to our local worshipping community.
In
solidarity with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council
and with the universal Church,
our
local bishop, and parish Mission Statement,
we accept the summons to serve those
wishing
to explore our beliefs, values, and way of life.
AROUND THE SNACK TABLE
This is where you will find the answers to questions about current Catholic
thought
on a variety of issues. We are always adding to this mini-library, so
come back periodically.
Q. Is there life after death?
A. Fr. Brian Joyce, Pastor of Christ
the King Parish, offers this
explanation . . .
Q. What ever happened to sin?
A. Fr. Joyce answers this question in
two parts. Part 1
Part 2
Q. What happens to people who
commit suicide?
A. Fr. Donie O'Connor offers a Catholic
answer.
Q. What Do Catholics Say During Mass?
A. Here's a
"crib
sheet" you can use, so you won't feel dumb.
We want you to feel at home when
you worship with us.
Q. What do Catholics mean by "conversion"?
A. Here's a document that
describes what it meant in the lives of two well-know converts
to the Catholic
Faith: Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.
(stay tuned--more Q & A to come)
Are you interested in learning
more about the Catholic way of life,
but are unable to find a local parish that
offers
welcome and instruction?
Here are possible alternatives:
(1)
Catholic Home Study Service
Vincentian Fathers in Missouri, USA
(2)
For those unable to connect with a local parish
RCIA program,
our parish offer a "distance learning"-type instruction series.
We
send lessons as attachments to e-mails in PowerPoint .pps
and .pdf formats.
Inquirers, in turn, study the lesson and send us feedback and questions.
When we are satisfied that the learner understands
the lesson, we send the next one.
We repeat this for as long as it takes.
(3)
Above, an out-of-area RCIA inquirer attends
the Thursday
evening sessions at CTK
via Skype.
“You are of the household
of God.
You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets,
and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus.
In Him the whole structure is
joined together.”
Ephesians
2:19-21
The Rite
of
Christian Initiation
For many years, becoming a Catholic was
primarily a
private matter.
A potential Catholic met with the local priest at the
parish office for instruction,
and then was baptized privately.
for initiating new
members, the content taught to an individual,
the length of the instruction,
etc. varied from diocese to diocese,
from parish to parish.
Thanks,
in particular,
to
the work
of two
religious
educators,
Dr.
Christiane
Brusselmans
and Fr. Jim Dunning,
parishes
have
used
the
Rite of Christian Initiation
for Adults
(RCIA)
since 1972. In that year, Pope
Paul
VI endorsed
RCIA
as the
model
to
replace
the
old process.
Source:
Little Black Book 2010,
Diocese of Saginaw, MI
(based on concept and text by Bishop Kenneth Untener)
Last updated: September 7, 2011