Have you ever thought of becoming Catholic? You may have never belonged to a faith tradition before, or you may have been baptized in another Christian church. You may be curious about the Catholic Church, or you may be feeling called to join the Catholic Church.
Wherever you come from and wherever you are in your own faith journey, you are always very welcome at St Aidan's Parish. Please feel free to come along to any of our Masses throughout the week. If you have any questions about the Church, please contact our Parish Office or speak to the priest.
If you have decided that you would like to become Catholic, you may like to join the RCIA Program. The Rite for Christian Initiation for Adults is a Sacramental program designed to initiate newcomers into the Catholic Faith.
THE RCIA PROGRAM
After an initial inquiry with the priest or with the RCIA coordinator, the participants meet on a weekly basis (Date TBC, joining in discussions and hearing talks on various aspects of the catholic tradition & sharing their insights into the scriptures which are read at Sunday Mass.
From mid–February (TBC) up to Easter these meetings are blended into the Sunday Mass so that various "Rites" (or ceremonies) can be performed that gradually introduce the candidates/catechumens to a fuller participation in our faith.
Then, on Holy Saturday night at the Easter Vigil those who have asked to join the Christian Community are Baptised, (or else they are received into the Catholic Church since their baptism has already taken place in some other denomination) and they receive the other Sacraments of Confirmation and Communion which make them full participating members of the Catholic Church.
The third period of their formal formation lasts until Pentecost Sunday so that they can gain confidence in the fact that they are "newly planted" in the garden of faith and can now grow into the ordinary life and Ministry of the Parish.
If you would like more information you are welcome to contact the parish office or one of the parish clergy.