Growing into Church
Dear priests and people,

Welcoming new members into her midst is one of the most wonderful experiences in the life of the Church.

It brings new life and vigour, not only to the newly baptised, but also to the whole Church community.

Forty years ago, the Bishops of the Second Vatican Council were considering effective ways to spread the Good News to the world in the twentieth century. Faced with the opportunity of enriching the life of the Catholic Church with new members, the Bishops decided to restore the ancient catechumenate by introducing to the Church, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults ( RCIA) and later, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children of Catechetical Age ( RCIC).

This rite is not an option. It is the way that the Catholic Church now welcomes new members. It involves everyone: all Catholics, laity and ordained alike, share the work of responding to those who desire to follow Christ with us, as members of the Catholic Church.

These people, seeking to discover the life of a Catholic, approach our parishes and schools. This is a new challenge to schools. It is a continuing challenge to parishes.

Not only do our parish catechists, sponsors, priests and communities need continuing formation and education in the richness of the RCIA, but our RE advisers, DRSs, chaplains, classroom teachers, and indeed the whole school community would benefit from learning more about this wonderful process of welcoming Catholics into the Church.

In recognition of the challenge and the opportunities that the RCIA presents to our parishes and schools, may I invite you to the National Gathering of the RCIA – Growing into Church.

May the Spirit of God guide us into this special work of forming the People of God and welcoming new members into the Catholic Church.

Yours in Christ


+ Denis Browne
Conference Deputy
National Liturgy Commission
 
Keynote Speaker
Rev. Dr Elio Capra OSB
  • a Salesian priest, presently living in the community of Sunbury, Melbourne, Australia.
  • a graduate in liturgy from Berkeley, California, and a graduate in theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity.
  • the Editor of the book, The Christian Initiation of the Young. This is an invaluable resource for those working with young people wishing to be baptised.
  • author of articles in Summit.
  • teacher at the Catholic Theological College, East Melbourne, Australia.