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Phone: (508) 366-5502 FAX:508-366-6049 Parish Ctr: 508-366-8509
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RCIA: Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults
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The RCIA program has been active at St. Luke’s parish for many years, a sign of a vibrant and welcoming community. The Early Church (first to third centuries) had persons wanting to become Christian live with a small Christian community to learn their way of life. In a sense, this provided a period of “apprenticeship” for the Christian in training. This became known as the catechumenate. This structured process began to disappear in the fifth century. By then Christianity had become legal, and large numbers of people were becoming Christians. During the twentieth century, however, a revival of the catachumenate began to take place in France and Africa. The Second Vatican Council called for a reinstatement of the catechumenate and in the following years the RCIA program as we know it today became established in parishes throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
When God calls one to find out more about the Catholic faith and the St. Luke’s community, the inquirer is invited to learn more about the parish and the Catholic faith during the inquiry period. The RCIA Team helps each inquirer to discover what he or she is seeking.
Upon having experienced an initial conversion to Jesus Christ, the inquirers celebrate with the St. Luke’s parish community the first major liturgical ritual of the initiation process, the Rite of Acceptance. This rite is usually celebrated at St. Luke’s parish on the first or second Sunday of Advent. This marks the transition to the catechumenate period.
This second phase of the initiation process is characterized by more formal training in the Christian way of life. This is accomplished through a discussion of the Scripture readings each Sunday and weekly meetings. Starting with the Rite of Acceptance, the catechumens and candidates are dismissed at mass following the Liturgy of the Word. As the rest of the parish proceeds into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, those seeking initiation into our faith break open the Word and reflect more deeply upon the readings and homily just heard. During the weekly meetings, members of the RCIA Team, other members of the St. Luke’s parish, and/or one of our priests lead a discussion on some aspect of our faith as derived from Scripture study and/or doctrinal teachings of the Church. The catechumens and candidates begin to develop their relationship with the Catholic Christian community during this time and learn how to live and serve others as apostolic witnesses.
The Catechumenate Period ends with the second major ritual of the RCIA process, called the Rite of Election. The Rite of Election occurs on the first Sunday of Lent and involves a ceremony presided by the Bishop of the Worcester Diocese at St. Paul’s cathedral. Prior to the trip to Worcester, St. Luke’s parish celebrates a Rite of Sending, one of the ways that our parish community sends a message of support to those seeking initiation. At the Rite of Sending, sponsors publicly express that the catechumenate(s) and candidate(s) have heard God’s call to receive the initiation sacraments, have expressed their conversion of heart, mind, and spirit to the Christian teachings of faith and charity, and are ready to proceed into the Purification Period. The catechumenate(s) and candidate(s) (and their sponsors) sign their names in the St. Luke’s Book of the Elect.
Following the Rite of Election, catechumens, now called the elect, and candidates enter the final period of preparation. This period of purification and enlightenment, filled with reflection and prayer, coincides with Lent and in many respects mirror the Lenten journey undertaken by all the members of the St. Luke’s community. The elect and candidates celebrate (in the presence of the parish) the purifying rituals, known as the Scrutinies. Lent takes us to the sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.
At the stunningly beautiful and moving Easter Vigil, the elect and candidates celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism (for the unbaptized), Confirmation, and Eucharist. Those who responded to a calling many months ago now have become fully initiated into our faith community and in doing so have brought new blood and vibrancy to our parish and Christ’s Church.
The final period of the RCIA process is the period of mystagogy. During the Easter season, the newly initiated gather several more times to deepen their grasp of their new lives as part of the Body of Christ. And as now part of Christ’s Body, our newly initiated become inspired to continue the mission of Jesus Christ.
Through RCIA, our St. Luke’s community participates in the mission of the Church. Parish members help develop new disciples of Christ and in the process reinvigorate a commitment to continuing the mission of Jesus Christ in the Church throughout the world. All members of St. Luke’s faith community are invited to welcome and support newcomers to the Roman Catholic Church and through this action of faith beautifully exemplify the call to live and pray the Gospel in our daily lives.
The RCIA Team devotes time to the ministry of guiding catechumens and candidates through the RCIA process from inquiry to mystagogy. Each catechumen or candidate has a sponsor, who companions with him or her through the RCIA process, an important step on one’s life-long journey of faith. Sponsors provide encouragement, answer questions, pray with and for the newcomers, introduce newcomers to other members of the community, and participate with newcomers in as many sessions as possible. St. Luke’s parishioners interested in becoming sponsors are encouraged to contact the RCIA Team Leader (Mary Sanning at 508-898-0941). Being a sponsor not only supports one interested in joining our faith community but invariably also enriches and strengthens the sponsor’s faith as well.
Weekly meetings |
Wednesday 7:30 pm (Rectory) |
Sunday gatherings |
10:30 am Mass (although on occasion other masses may be chosen) |
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March 5 |
10:30 am Mass Rite of Sending at St. Luke's |
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3:00 pm Rite of Election at St Paul's Cathedral |
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March 19 |
10:30 am Mass First Scrutiny |
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March 26 |
10:30 am Mass Second Scrutiny |
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April 2 |
10:30 am Mass Third Scrutiny |
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April 8 |
8 am - 3 pm RCIA Retreat (starting with 8 am Saturday mass) |
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April 12 |
Parish Reconciliation Service – 7:30 pm Wednesday |
April 13 |
Holy Thursday – 7:30 pm |
April 14 |
Good Friday – 7:30 pm |
April 15 |
Sacraments of Initiation at Easter Vigil – 7:30 pm |
April 26 |
Mystagogy – First meeting at 7:30 pm Wednesday |
| This is the 2006 information: the dates for 2007 are still being determined -- check back here or contact the team leads. | |
For more information on RCIA, please contact the RCIA Team, call Mary Sanning or one of the priests (St. Luke’s Rectory telephone: 508-366-5502). The following web pages also contain information on RCIA:
Please let us know if you wish to serve.
To join, Contact: Mary Sanning at 508-366-8509
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St Luke The Evangelist
Rectory 70 Main Street
Westborough, MA, 01581
Phone: (508) 366-5502 FAX:508-366-6049 Parish Ctr: 508-366-8509
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RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA)